Among the twelve apostles, St. John in described as the “apostle whom Jesus loved” and in various scenes we see that he is the Lord’s closest personal friend among the apostles.  He’s the one who knows him best.  And this same apostle writes an important word to us today, in his first epistle: “The way we may be sure that we know him is to keep his commandments.”  Very important words from the one who knew him best.  Knowing God is connected to keeping his commandments.  Last week, from the same letter we heard in a similar vein that loving God is also intimately associated to keeping his commandments.  “The love of God is this, that we keep his commandments.”  And today, “Knowledge of God is this, that we keep his commandments.”  Knowledge and love of God, we are taught, are intimately associated with obedience.  The logic of the connection with obedience and love is easier to see.  Love, after all, is a choice much more than an emotion.  And it makes sense that we would choose to obey God’s commandments out of love for him, as a sign of respect and loyalty and pious affection.  We love God, so we do what he asks of us.  But St. John also insists that keeping his commandments is the key, not just to loving God, but to knowing him as well.  That’s much less obvious.  Why would following someone’s rules help us to know that person?  Why would leading a life of obedience to God’s commands help us to know God himself?
 
Often in scriptures the word “knowing” describes much more than just simple awareness and familiarity: it describes a real personal experience.  A connectedness.  So for example, scripture can say “Jesus did not know sin.”  Not because he was unaware that sin exists (he’d heard about it), but because he never welcomed sin into his life himself: he had no relationship with sin.  And Christ is real, a real person, with whom we can have a real relationship.  And so for us to know him, to really know him, we have to foster this real personal experience, this connectedness, this friendship.  And this begins with obedience to him.  “Obedience” comes from the Latin word for “to listen.”  And listening at the heart of any real friendship.  Whenever we want to get to know someone, we listen to them.  Whenever we want someone to get to know us, listening is what we hope they will do.  Not just passive listening: not just hearing what we’re saying; we want our friends and our loved ones to hear us and to make what we say part of their life and part of their thinking.  And this is the basis of our real friendship with God as well. Being willing to listen to him.  To listen actively: to make what he tells us part of our life.  Christ loves us as a brother and a friend, and he only wants the best for us.  What he asks of us, his guidance, even his rules, reveal what’s important to him.  And we know that he has the best possible priorities.  He cares for nothing but our salvation, true love, sacrifice, and service.  He wants to share with us how to live life most fully and with true peace and joy: like he did; like his holy mother did.  By following his commands, by trusting his guidance, we open ourselves up to the true freedom of the life of virtue and self-mastery; we also come to know God deeply and internalize our friendship with him.  We make it real.  We make it part of our behavior; part of our words; even part of our thinking.  With his grace, we choose to believe that God’s commandments are our sure and reliable path to true fulfillment in this life, and eternal happiness in the life to come.  We have the courage to be friends with the crucified one.  We embrace the irony that obedience is at the heart of true freedom, and that the cross is the source of life.