1 John 5:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

There is nothing better than a virtuous life, both here and there, both among the enlightened and among the catechumens.

Tell me, what difficult thing has been prescribed to us? The commandment says, have a wife and be continent. Tell me, is this difficult?

How could it be difficult, when many are continent even without a wife, not only Christians but also pagans? What a pagan does from vainglory, will you not do from the fear of God?

"Give alms from your possessions," Scripture says (Tob 4:7). Is this difficult? Yet here too the pagans will condemn us, for they squandered all their possessions from vainglory alone.

Do not speak foul words. Is this difficult? Even if it had not been commanded, should we not have done this ourselves, so as not to appear dishonorable?

The connection is this: love consists in our keeping His commandments, because everyone born of God overcomes the world.

Since the Apostle has indicated the keeping of the commandments as the full proof of love for God, and since some thought that God's commandments were burdensome, he says, "And His commandments are not burdensome."

For what is burdensome in the work of love for one's brother? What, for example, is burdensome in visiting a prisoner in prison? One is not commanded to release him from prison, which would be difficult, but only to visit him.

Likewise, one is not commanded to free the sick man from illness, but only to visit him. He does not command one to set many dishes before the hungry, or to give the naked a garment made from costly cloth.

Rather, He commands us to provide what is most necessary, what the hungry and the naked seek.

In what two commandments is the Law contained? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 22:37-40). These are the two commandments treated throughout this whole epistle. Therefore keep love and be at peace. What should you fear, lest you do evil to someone? Who does evil to the one whom he loves? Love, and you will not be able to fail to do good.

He calls the keeping of God's commandments the substance and, so to speak, the necessary matter of love for God. These commandments raise one to God, who acts in accordance with them. Therefore they are not heavy or hard to bear. But if someone approaches them wrongly and calls them heavy, let him blame his own weakness.

Ikos 29. The commandment of God is not heavy, for it does not require one to bear what he cannot. It seeks the intention. You have only two mites on earth, and have gathered nothing else. The All-merciful One will accept even this, as Master. He will give you honor as to one who gave many riches. And do you not even have a mite to bring? Give the one who asks a cup of cold water (Mt 10:42). Christ will receive it with gratitude, He who gives you in return for all things an incorruptible crown.

This is because, the Theologian says, the essential property of love for God consists precisely in keeping God's commandments. Or, to put it otherwise, love for God necessarily requires the keeping of God's commandments as its essential expression.

Jesus Christ teaches, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me" (Jn 14:21). "He who does not love Me does not keep My words" (Jn 14:24). Whoever does not love God does not keep God's commandments.

"And His commandments are not burdensome." The Theologian says this to encourage the keeping of God's commandments.

How often people turn away from following Jesus Christ only because they think the fulfillment of Christ's commandments is burdensome and beyond their strength.

An unchanging testimony of love for our neighbors is love for God and the keeping of the Gospel commandments. This love is witnessed above all by living faith in His Son. Under its banners we appear as conquerors of the world and put to shame the wise of this age (1 Cor 1:27). We are established in piety and thereby testify to our love for Him.

Thus pointing to man's love for God, which is witnessed by love for neighbors, the Apostle makes, as if in passing, a very important remark: the commandments of God and Christ are not burdensome.

This does not mean that they can be fulfilled without labor and patience. No, intense labor, perseverance, and patience are needed in fulfilling the commandments of the law.

For the Kingdom of God is taken by force, and only those who use force seize it (Mt 11:12 and note). One must enter the Kingdom of God by the narrow and afflicted way (Mt 7:14 and note).

But the Apostle adds this assurance to console those laboring in the fulfillment of the commandments. They are children of God and, as such, do not commit sin (1 Jn 3:9 and note).

“And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn 5:3), the apostle adds to this. He plainly has in view the broad and beautiful commandment of love, so natural to the regenerate heart of the believing sons of God. Even after regeneration, it is impossible for our human weakness to fulfill God's commandments without labor and patience. Yet the apostle teaches that true believers, or what is the same thing, true children of God, are given strong power to conquer and remove every obstacle. Through these obstacles the world tries to make the fulfillment of God's commandments difficult for our natural weakness.

Having mentioned love as a commandment, and knowing that keeping commandments in general is not an easy matter, the Apostle says of Christ's commandments that they are not heavy. This is especially so in comparison with the heavy burdens of the law laid upon those under the law.

"My yoke is good, and My burden is light" (Mt 11:30), Jesus Christ says of His commandments.

And indeed, for those who love the Lord, all His commandments are not heavy burdens. They are good means, paths, and ways toward the acquisition of love.

Through love a man can easily accomplish even the most difficult deeds. Yet the works commanded by Christ are possible for all and accessible to all.

They chiefly concern the heart, mind, and will, which all can direct freely and easily. Moreover, the more they submit to God's commandments, the more successful they become in fulfilling them.

This commandment is not heavy for the Christian, because he has a power that conquers the world with its temptations. This power is faith in the Son of God. “This is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith” (chapter 5). For according to our faith, God's gracious help is given to us in the mysteries for the struggle against temptations.

True love for God is not a fleeting feeling alone, nor is it confined to words. It requires deeds and consists in keeping His commandments, among which love for God and neighbor holds the chief place. For the natural, unregenerate man, the Lord's commandments are heavy. Their fulfillment requires self-denial, renunciation of one's own will and self-pleasing, struggle with sinful temptations, and unquestioning obedience to God's will. But for the regenerate, the commandments of the Lord are not heavy. Why? The answer is in the following verse.