Dear reader, have you ever felt that God's love depends on how well you keep the rules? It's a question many believers quietly ask. In his Sunday address on May 10, 2026, Pope Leo XIV addressed this very topic from the Gospel of John. His words invite us to reflect on the relationship between love for God and obedience to his commandments—a matter at the heart of our faith.
At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples: "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15, NKJV). This well-known phrase can be misunderstood. Often we think we must first keep the commandments to be loved by God. However, Pope Leo XIV clarified that God's love is the foundation, not the reward. It's not a transaction, but a relationship.
God's Love: The Prerequisite for Our Righteousness
The Holy Father explained that Jesus' statement frees us from a common error: believing that we are loved if we keep the commandments. Our righteousness is not a condition for God's love; on the contrary, God's love is the condition for our righteousness. We truly keep the commandments when we recognize his love for us, as Christ reveals to the world.
Jesus' words are not blackmail or doubt. They are an invitation to relationship. God does not say, "If you do this, I will love you." Rather, he says, "I already love you; therefore, live according to my love." It is like the relationship between parents and children: parents love their children unconditionally, and children, feeling loved, respond with obedience and trust.
Christ's Love as the Criterion and Rule
Christ himself is the criterion of true love. He is faithful forever, pure and unconditional. His love knows no "buts" or "maybes." He gives without wanting to possess, gives life without asking anything in return. Because God loves us first, we can love. And when we truly love God, we love one another.
Pope Leo XIV used a powerful metaphor: it is like life. Only those who have received life can live; thus, only those who have been loved can love. The Lord's commandments are a way of life that heals us from false loves. They are a spiritual style, a path to salvation.
The Commandments as a Path of Healing
Often we see the commandments as a list of prohibitions. But in reality, they are a guide to love well. We live in a world where love is confused with desire, possession, or self-interest. The commandments protect us from those false loves and teach us to love like Christ.
For example, the commandment not to lie invites us to truth, which is the foundation of love. The commandment not to steal calls us to respect what belongs to others, to trust in God's providence. Each commandment is a door to a fuller, freer life, more like that of Jesus.
From Love for God to Love for Neighbor
Jesus commands us to love one another as he has loved us (John 13:34). That love is not a vague feeling, but a concrete decision. It manifests in service, forgiveness, compassion. When we love God, that love overflows into our relationships. We cannot say we love God if we do not love our brother (1 John 4:20).
Pope Leo XIV reminded us that Jesus' love gives birth to love in us. It is like a spring that flows and waters everything around it. Thus, our obedience to the commandments is not a solitary effort, but a response to the love we have received.
Frequently Asked Questions about Love and the Commandments
Below, we answer some common questions arising from this teaching.
Is it necessary to keep the commandments to be saved?
Salvation is a gift from God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is not earned by works. However, true faith naturally produces obedience. Keeping the commandments is not the basis of salvation, but the evidence of a living faith. As James says, faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
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