Being branches of the love vine

We are still in Easter, a time to have our minds blown by, and have our imaginations run wild with, the possibilities of what the reign of God might look like. Hold that thought.

This morning’s readings from both John’s letter and John’s gospel are all about love. On Tuesday I was asked what is love, or where do we find love defined. How would you answer that?

For the gospel writers love is embodied by Jesus. Jesus teaches love, lives love, receives love, dies for love, and rises in love. It’s big! Mind blowingly big. And we are invited to let our imaginations run wild with the possibilities of that love. Mostly we want to define it and limit it and keep it manageable. The Spirit of God in Acts is having none of that, just like last week. Barriers are broken, all that separates is set aside, and new communities based on love are born.

John says God is love. Not loving. Love! Jesus abides in this love. He invites us to remain in this love, branches of the love vine. Jesus continues circling around this image. Jesus in John is not a linear Greek thinker. Each time around inviting his hearers ever deeper into the abundance and depth held in the image. Grace upon grace.
Mary washed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume at the meal in Bethany. Jesus receives this outrageous act. Jesus washes his disciples’ feet at their last gathering before his arrest. Washing the feet of the one who will betray, who will deny. “This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15: 12-14, CEB) This love will uphold and sustain his followers in their loss and grief. It creates a community that has been shown what love looks like, is empowered to love, and calls them outward to love God’s world. God’s love is outward. God’s passionate love is poured out with no hope of reward. It is unconditional

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Get those PSA Blood Tests Done Boys!

I had a strange conversation a few months ago. I was lying back in a chair, naked from the waste down, holding a nappy over my bits while I waited for the skin under my bits to go numb enough from liquid nitrogen or some such thing, so that they could inject the local anesthetic and then punch a couple of holes through to the prostate. All in all a fun experience. And while I waited the nurse made small talk and asked what I did. "I'm retired", I replied. "Oh, what are you planning to do now you are retired? any travel?" "Turns out not" I said, "It seems I'm just keeping my dairy open for dealing with health things." And I am still keeping my dairy open and still dealing with them. This journey began last year. I was already dealing with two other things, including a lump in my parotid gland which has been slowly growing there for about 3 years. When I got back from being overseas on sabbatical my doctor called me in to talk about that an...
Read more

What a Ride! - Thankyou and Goodbye!

Image
You can listen to this sermon here   Gate Pa - Ascension Sunday and Easter 7 Year B, 2024 Readings: Palm                            Psalm 1 First Reading:             Acts 1:1-11, 15-17,21-26                     Bible Page 884 Second Reading:        1 John 5:9-13                                       Bible Page 991 Gospel:                         John 17:6-19      ...
Read more

"Just Enjoy The Coffee"

I was just sent this on Anglicans All. Being a coffee enjoyer and a Franciscan I enjoyed it. I hope you do to: Even if you are not a coffee drinker...Have a good day!!!! A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain ,plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite, telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee, the professor said: If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the simple and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more ex...
Read more