When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Matthew 9:36-38 AMP.
τηρήσετε (tērēsete)- you will guard, keep watch over Reference: John 14:15 — "If you love me, keep my commandments" — sits at a hinge point in Jesus's Farewell discourse, right before HE promises the Holy Spirit (the "Advocate"/Paraclete). Root verb: τηρέω (tēreō) — not the more common Greek word for "obey" (peithomai/hypakouō, meaning to submit to authority), but a word that literally means "to guard," "to watch over," "to keep watch". It's the word used for a guard keeping watch at a post, or someone safeguarding a treasure. Love is defined by obedience, not sentiment. Jesus doesn't say "if you love me, feel devoted to me" — he ties love to concrete action. In John's Gospel, love is verifiable; it shows up in behaviour, not just emotion. The Greek verb for "keep" (tērēsete) is future tense and follows a conditional — love isn't presented as a prerequisite for a transaction ("obey...
Comments
Post a Comment