Sixth Sunday of Easter
Notes
Transcript
We love one another.
We love one another.
Over the past few weeks - and on the way to Ascension Day and Pentecost. We have been reading 1 John.
Reminding ourselves about how to live:
7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Walk in the light
Have fellowship
Be cleansed from sin
And how to love:
Last week the passage was about bearing fruit:
4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
Transformed by Jesus - walking in the light, having fellowship, cleansed from sin - we start to see the world differently - and hopefully we are moved to love one another differently.
But to be honest - at each of these readings for the season of Easter I’ve let out a bit of a groan.
Love one another.
Again and again and again.
We get it - what is next?
It is helpful for us to take a moment - and think about what this love word means - and ask ourselves if we can make it more real in our lives.
Last week - as I was trying to work out how to speak about love - I was struck by Matthew 24:11-12
Matthew 24:11–12 (NRSV)
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.
The love of many will grow cold.
The love of many will grow cold.
It really is such a sad verse.
But so true.
Our love wears out.
Our love grows tired.
And we’d love to blame the ‘false prophets’ and ‘false teachers’.
But by now we should be able to spot them from a mile away.
These days we each have a few dusty Bibles in our home - we could read the gospels - read them again - and see what they mean.
Our love doesn’t need to grow cold…
But the false prophets - they preach a much easier message.
Not one where you might have to take up your cross - or suffer at all. But one where you must do what suits you so God can bless you so you get all you ever want.
Love is a bit harder than we would like it to be - and I’m not sure I have the patience for it. But its OK - I don’t need the patience for it. I just need trust and faith.
So first - from our gospel - Jesus way of love…
Jesus’ Way of Love
Jesus’ Way of Love
John 15:12–13 (NRSV)
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Love - in the way of Jesus - is love that lays down your life. Love that crosses boundaries. That crosses barriers.
Well it does those things - but in the way of Jesus - this love is so much laying down our lives that we might die - in the way that Jesus also died.
But when we surrender to this love - we find that we also receive unusual strength and power:
In John 15:16
16 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.
In this way of love - we find ourselves in special partnership with Jesus - for the strength we need. For this love.
Or in 1 John 5:1
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.
A reminder to love - as we are called to love - but also John goes on to remind us that something spectacular happens when we believe that Jesus is the Christ.
If we believe that Jesus is the Christ - the anointed son of God - then something strange happens within us and in the world we live in -
We become children of God.
We learn to see God’s children.
We learn to love God’s children.
We start to share in God’s mission:
1 John 5:4–5 (NRSV)
4 for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5 Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Love
Love
So - I’m tired of all these words about love.
I realise that maybe I’m fulfilling Matthew 24:11-12
Matthew 24:11–12 (NRSV)
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.
And I can’t blame it on the false prophets - because I have a Bible - I can read about what happened in the past.
I can read about what Jesus said and did.
But I can also pay attention to the promise of 1 John 5:1
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.
Because of what Jesus has done - I’m a child of God. I have special privileges, power and nature. To love more - to love differently.
15 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.
When I love - the way Jesus loves - I get to participate in the power of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Spirit unite in love to lift me to love and share that love - not in my own egotistical power but in God.
And 1 John 5:5
5 Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
And as many obstacles as the world sets up for me - as many as I set up for myself. I can overcome - with the help of the power of God.
When I believe that Jesus is the Son of God my attitude to difficult situations should change.
Son of God - implies creator of the world.
Son of God - resurrected - reminds me that Evil has no victory.
Son of God - Jesus - reminds me of Jesus self emptying way of love… to wash the feet of his disciples.
Love
Love
OK - So -
When I hear another verse about love… I go aarggh and complain because I’m bored.
But I realise I need to be reminded again and again - because my love grows cold.
Life is hard - I’m selfish. I’m tired of giving of myself.
I’m lazy… all those things.
But I’m reminded
1 - If I believe that Jesus is the Christ - then something has changed. I love like a child of God.
2 - If I believe that Jesus is the Christ - the son of God - I will conquer - because he conquered - and he helps me - as a friend.
3 - There is something more. And I just want to visit Acts for our reading from Acts 10:44 -
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.
If 1 - I love like a child of God. If he helps me as a friend. I must remember one more thing…
Just as the scripture says in 1 John 5:1
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.
So in Acts 10:44 I see what happens as Peter preaches and the people begin to believe:
Acts 10:44–46 (NRSV)
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said,
Now these people may have been speaking in spiritual tongues - but what could have amazed these circumcised believers who had come with Peter - was that these people were praying and praising in anything other than Hebrew or Aramaic
On one hand - we are seeing God’s love in action.
1 - Peter goes to preach to gentiles… God’s love has reached beyond Peter’s comfort zone.
2 - God embraces these people sharing his breath with them…