Dearest e-votees,
For this week's e-vo we'll be looking at the gospel text appointed for this coming Sunday. You may recognize this as the mandate of Maundy Thursday.
Peace,
Karl
------------
31 When [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:31-35, NRSV
Jesus is preparing to leave his disciples on their own for a while as he faces Good Friday. He will be back among them again for forty days after Easter then he will leave them again. He doesn't leave them completely on their own but equips them with the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, after three years of working intently with them he backs away and lets them live into and put into practice his teachings. As he prepares to go he tells them what they should be doing with their energy and their time: loving one another.
In John 15:12-17 (later in the same discourse) Jesus intensifies this command by saying: 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. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 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. 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. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."
Jesus is preparing to lay down his life for his friends. In truth he is laying down his life for his enemies too. Through his sacrifice those who were by nature at enmity with God are brought into a restored and renewed relationship with God. For God so loved (agape-ed = sacrificial love that is so much more about the lover than the beloved) the world that he gave his Son. Jesus lays down his life in order that we might be restored to friendship with God. That is the work of the cross. That is what Jesus did. That is what is offered to us. It costs us nothing but cost Jesus everything. Jesus came to bring life and love to a world ensnared in death and hatred.
We are called and invited to participate in loving one another. To relationships stained with death and hatred we believe and pray that life and love might be restored. We grow in our abilities to lay ourselves down in order that our friends (current or future) might be blessed with life. The fruit that we bear is becoming more Christlike. It is not something we attain so much as something we allow God to bring forth in us. Jesus has chosen us. Jesus will not forsake us. Jesus will continue to shape us into being disciples. As that takes place we will undoubtedly grow in love for one another.
Some might say: "What does Jesus mean by one another?" or "How wide does the circle go of people that we should love sacrificially?" If we are stuck on that question we aren't done growing yet. Jesus serves communion and washes the feet of Judas. Jesus prays for those who crucified him. Jesus seems more concerned about Mary and John than himself as he is dying on the cross. Jesus seemed to transverse every separation and boundary he could to befriend enemies and to invigorate death back to life. If we are truly his disciples how can we strive to do less?
God, you have loved us fully, bring us to the fullness of loving you and one another. Amen.
For this week's e-vo we'll be looking at the gospel text appointed for this coming Sunday. You may recognize this as the mandate of Maundy Thursday.
Peace,
Karl
------------
31 When [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jesus is preparing to leave his disciples on their own for a while as he faces Good Friday. He will be back among them again for forty days after Easter then he will leave them again. He doesn't leave them completely on their own but equips them with the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, after three years of working intently with them he backs away and lets them live into and put into practice his teachings. As he prepares to go he tells them what they should be doing with their energy and their time: loving one another.
In John 15:12-17 (later in the same discourse) Jesus intensifies this command by saying: 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. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 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. 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. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."
Jesus is preparing to lay down his life for his friends. In truth he is laying down his life for his enemies too. Through his sacrifice those who were by nature at enmity with God are brought into a restored and renewed relationship with God. For God so loved (agape-ed = sacrificial love that is so much more about the lover than the beloved) the world that he gave his Son. Jesus lays down his life in order that we might be restored to friendship with God. That is the work of the cross. That is what Jesus did. That is what is offered to us. It costs us nothing but cost Jesus everything. Jesus came to bring life and love to a world ensnared in death and hatred.
We are called and invited to participate in loving one another. To relationships stained with death and hatred we believe and pray that life and love might be restored. We grow in our abilities to lay ourselves down in order that our friends (current or future) might be blessed with life. The fruit that we bear is becoming more Christlike. It is not something we attain so much as something we allow God to bring forth in us. Jesus has chosen us. Jesus will not forsake us. Jesus will continue to shape us into being disciples. As that takes place we will undoubtedly grow in love for one another.
Some might say: "What does Jesus mean by one another?" or "How wide does the circle go of people that we should love sacrificially?" If we are stuck on that question we aren't done growing yet. Jesus serves communion and washes the feet of Judas. Jesus prays for those who crucified him. Jesus seems more concerned about Mary and John than himself as he is dying on the cross. Jesus seemed to transverse every separation and boundary he could to befriend enemies and to invigorate death back to life. If we are truly his disciples how can we strive to do less?
God, you have loved us fully, bring us to the fullness of loving you and one another. Amen.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment