How often have we heard it said that if you really want to teach a person something then you must first model the behaviour or attitude yourself. Well in today's gospel Jesus is doing just that. John reports Jesus as saying:

"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."

Throughout His ministry Jesus took the time to show His great love for His Father and also for all people. Jesus was never hypocritical and His actions always supported what He had explained in words or had asked His followers to do. For example when He asked us to love one another He was prepared to show us how to do this. Jesus was even prepared to lay down. His life for us in order to obey the will of His Father. Little children often do things just to please their parents. When the parent praises the child for good behaviour this reinforces the child's good actions. There were occasions when Jesus asked us to be like little children. Perhaps this is another one of those occasions - when He tells us that our joy will be complete if we know that what we are doing is following God's commandments and doing what Jesus has taught us to do.