If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

This on the surface seems like a one way dictatorship, and does not seem like a relationship that would lead to much fruit. Yet he doubles down a bit later saying “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” That does not sound like friendly relationship, but a master / slave arrangment. But what we must consider is that God knows our nature, and our concupicense. He knows that we will more likely choose sin over blessing, hate over love, evil over goodness.

So if that is our inclination, and Jesus knows that, he is telling us this so that we can learn the discipline of following his way instead of our own way. And in truth, our way always leads to pain and suffering, and his way always leads to joy and happiness. So Jesus talks to us like little children, and simply says if you do this you will be happy, and we will be friends. We only reject it, because it gets in the way of our plans, and it seems less interesting than doing what we want. We need to reject our inclination and take up Jesus’s way instead.

Oh lord, Help me to do this, to follow you, and reject what I want, so that I can find the true happiness that resides in your love, and friendship.