05122021 – John 15. 9-17
Way back on Maundy Thursday, (Holy Thursday,) in the life of the church, Jesus continued his teaching…The clock was ticking…and the hour was growing late.
It was just “mere hours” before his series of trials and his crucifixion…and his excruciating death…would begin.
We assume, he knew what laid ahead for himself and “still he taught on…”
It was “important stuff.”
Major!
Vitally important.
Crucial.
It was about love and relationships.
It was, what he hoped would carry his disciples FORWARD…into the FUTURE.
It was kind of like a “PEP TALK.”
He was FRANK. He was HONEST.
He was OPEN. He was TRANSPARENT and ON POINT.
I love you with the same love – that my father loves me. I give to you the joy – that my father and I share.
You are a part of us. And ALWAYS will be. You are MY joy. You are MY purpose. You are MY life. You are INVALUABLE. You are LOVED. You are ENOUGH. You can do this WE know you can.
It is my DESIRE that YOUR joy be full and complete. I want YOU to succeed. I support YOU fully, totally, and completely. As a matter of fact, YOU are completing MY WORK.
You guys are my FRIENDS, my PEERS, my BUDDIES, my PALS…
I have told YOU everything. I have held NOTHING back. There are NO secrets.
I CHOSE you. I PICKED you.
I WANTED you. I DESIRE you.
I have APPOINTED you, COMMISSIONED you and ORDAINED you. You are being sent out to bear fruit. Much fruit. And WE know you can do it, and more importantly, YOU KNOW you can do it.
My love and the love of my father will ALWAYS be with you.
You are being sent out to LOVE “others.” You are being sent out to RESPOND to their needs. It will not always be EASY. But IT WILL be possible. You CAN do this.
You are being sent to those considered “UNLOVABLE” by the world’s standards.
You are to bring them LOVE, HONOR, KINDNESS and RESPECT. You are to CARE for them. Bring them DIGNITY. Bring them LIFE. Give them WORTH.
Whatever they NEED you SUPPLY.
I trust in YOU.
I know WHAT you can accomplish.
You WILL NOT let me down…or my FATHER in heaven.
Remember, no greater love has any one than to lay down their life for their friends…AND you ARE my friends…It is a story that has been repeated and retold for two thousand years. There are probably a couple of different variations of it, floating around…
There is another story that circulated after World War II. Perhaps you heard it before. It is worth sharing…and it is worth repeating and hearing again.
A group of American prisoners of war during the Second World War, were made to do hard labor in a prison camp.
Each had a shovel and would dig all day, then come in and give an account of his tool in the evening.
One evening 20 prisoners were lined up by the guard and the shovels were counted as usual.
The guard counted nineteen shovels and turned around in rage on the 20 prisoners demanding to know WHICH ONE did NOT bring his shovel back.
NO ONE responded.
The guard took out his gun and said that he would shoot FIVE MEN if the guilty prisoner DID NOT step forward. After a moment of tense silence, a young 19-year-old-soldier—stepped forward with his head bowed down. The guard grabbed him, took him to the side and shot him in the head, and turned to warn the others that they better be MORE CAREFUL than he was.
When he left, the men counted the shovels and there were 20. The guard had MISCOUNTED. The young boy had willingly given his life for his friends.
Jesus said, YOU are to GO and to do likewise. YOU BE THE LOVE in this crazy world of ours. I know YOU can do it.
Amen.