Eastertide

May 9, 2021

Scripture Reading: John 15:9-17

‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. John 15:1-17

Do we know what God is doing? Do we understand our role in the fulfillment of God’s vision? Does our idea of what God’s kingdom is meshing with what God through Jesus Christ taught us? We are called to bear the fruit of God’s love, fruit that will last, in support of God’s Kingdom ruling on earth. Our job is to work to that end by loving God and loving one another. How do we do that?

Following Jesus Christ requires us to let go of those things that get in the way of our loving others and take on the attributes of caring for others. We did not get the assignment to judge anyone, nor do we pick and choose those we are to love.  The word translated love in the above verses comes from the Greek word agape’ which, for the believer, is preferring to “live through Christ” (1 Jn 4:9,10), i.e. embracing God’s will (choosing God’s choices) and obeying them through God’s power*.

No one can do that without dedicating their lives to understanding God’s love, accepting God’s wisdom, and opening our whole beings to God’s empowerment. Life presents for us many challenges that shape us as we are. Some of that is good and directly helps us serve God fully. Some of what we have taken in as truth distracts us from following God completely.  We must be willing to let the distractions go while filling the vacancy caused by its absence with the excellent and helpful loving attributes. It is a lifetime quest that takes an intentional investment of all we are to become who God created us to be. It is indeed worth the work.

Prayer:
Have Thine own way, Lord,
  Have Thine own way;
Thou art the Potter,
  I am the clay.
Mould me and make me
  After Thy will,
While I am waiting,
  Yielded and still. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/25.htm

**First verse of Have Thine Own Way, Lord by Adelaide Addison Pollard. See at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/449

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.