John 15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
“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.”
Good Evening Gentle Readers
Today’s gospel is a bunch of things, somehow I think Jesus liked it that way. First he tells us about the love his father has for him, then he lets them know that he shares that level of love for them. For a moment think about how much you would love your child, think about that bond, that power, then think about sharing that level of love and commitment with not only those close to you but everyone everywhere, that’s what we are talking about, that kind of love. He tells them this so that they will have joy, how much joy is in a fathers love for his son?
Today’s gospel is a bit of Jesus doing what in sales they call bait and switch sort of. He tells the apostles, after letting them know how much they are loved he drops the other shoe. In gaining this love they will be asked to give of themselves completely, to lay down there lives for there fiends and again for people that they will never know.
When I was young I was in the army, and I knew the bond that grows between soldiers, yes I would lay down my life for the men with me, but strangers, well you are fighting for an idea bigger than yourself so sort of, but to be honest I never thought of it that way. Later in my life I was in religious life and the true meaning of what Jesus says here hit home. Yes these are my brothers, my sisters and yes I put myself often in situations that were not pleasant and sometimes even dangerous, but I knew somehow that I would be alright, I was doing what Jesus asked, putting myself out there and the rewards far outweighed the danger.
Now I am raising a family, I can’t go out and do the street ministry that I did before but the willingness to be a brother to those who need me is still there, thank God my Cindy lou understands this, and is alright with it.
Jesus is telling us all we have to do is love, love like he loves, and while that sounds so very big it really is within our grasp, with God’s help to do it.
I pray that when God puts people in my life that I need to love that I will hear Jesus saying,
“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.”
Go out tonight, tomorrow, and remember
Love someone
Take Care and God Bless
Good Enough
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