Sermons for the Month
It's a Huge IF
DATE: May 21st, 2006
SERVICE: Sixth Sunday of Easter
TEXT: John 15:9-17“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN IF is a small but mighty word. All of us, I would guess, can recall a situation about which we could say, "IF this or that had happened my life would be different - for better or for worse." Well, Jesus is big on the word IF in today's Gospel lesson and it is an "if" that has the potential to make our lives (and the world) different - certainly better, not worse. He says, first, that IF we keep his commandments we will abide in his love. Not only that, IF we keep his commandments we will be his friends. And, second, IF we abide in our Lord's love and are his friends then our joy will be complete, we will bear fruit that lasts and we will get what we ask for in Jesus' name. Wow, that sounds great! What could be better than being friends of Jesus, living a life filled with joy and purpose, and having every request granted? We would be more than glad to accept all that! BUT, are we more than glad to live out the first IF on which all of that is predicated? IF you keep my commandments is the key to it all. If we abide in the love of Jesus it means that we do something, and what we do is determined by his commandments. And, as it turns out, in today's Gospel lesson Jesus has boiled his commandments down to one. "This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you." It's obvious, I think, that the person who loves as Jesus loved needs no commandment not to steal or kill or lie because he or she would not do these things. As St. Augustine said, "Love, and do what thou wilt," because what thou wilt will be loving. (1) This love is not a feeling. It's not a synonym for the word "like". To love is to be for another person and to act for another, even at the cost of oneself. And, of course, the supreme act of loving is the giving of one's life for another. (2) This love is love in action; love that pays a price. And, the challenging thing for we who are gathered here today and have identified ourselves as disciples of Jesus is that loving in this way is not a suggestion, it's not one in a list of options from which we can choose. Through baptism we have "signed on" to loving one another with the love of Jesus. So, for us, hate violence and revenge are not an option. There's a story that Bishop William Willimon told in one of sermons about a reporter who was interviewing an old man, a grandfather, who was obviously still in intense grief over the shooting death of his teenaged grandson. The grandson had been shot in a robbery of the family's little neighborhood grocery store. "Do you want revenge on those who did this?" asked the reported. "Would you like to shoot the person who shot your grandson?" The old man looked astonished at the question and said, "No, that's not possible." "I guess you don't even know for sure who did this," said the reporter. "No", said the grandfather, "It's not that. It's that we are Christians. We are not permitted revenge." And then Bishop Willimon continued saying, "Sometimes Jesus makes hints, suggestions. Here the case is different. Here he commands." Without options he commands us to love one another. (3) But loving as Jesus loved is more than not reacting in a particular way. Love is an active verb. We need to put a face on love. Some of you may remember that in the prayers last Sunday there was a petition inviting us to pause and give thanks for those women who have conveyed God's unconditional love to each one of us. The person who came to my mind - someone about whom I have not thought for years - was my high school guidance counselor Mrs. Peaks. My memories of that time in my life are not clear. There was a lot of turmoil due to my mother's illness and other unhealthy family dynamics, and Mrs. Peaks was somewhat aware of all this. I did not see her everyday, but the thing that made a difference in my life was this. She and her family lived close to my home, and I would often, in my frustration and pain, go for a walk. Sometimes - probably more often than I realize now - I would find myself on her doorstep. She always invited me in, offered me refreshments, and listened. At this point in my life I'm aware of what an imposition and annoyance that must have been, having a student show up uninvited at the door. There had to be times when she wished she had pretended not to be home. But I have no memories of sensing that; I only recall acceptance. She could do nothing to change my circumstances, but she could be the face of love. She acted for me, no doubt at a cost to herself. (Oh … did I mention that she was a Lutheran … but not a member of the congregation I attended.) That's exactly what Jesus is calling us to do, to be for another person and to act for another, even at cost to oneself. It's not easy; if it was then the word "cost" would not apply. But, Jesus does lay out a step-by-step process to help us. Thankfully, the first step is not even ours'. Jesus loves us and abides with us. That unconditional love strengthens us and enables us to take step two, which is to strive to keep his commandment to love. Of course we won't be perfect at it, but as we nurture our abiding friendship with Jesus our ability to love grows. (Remember, apart from Jesus we can do nothing.) Step three is a wonderful one, because as our ability and willingness to love grows, so does our joy. I define joy as our sense of being grounded, of being content, of feeling satisfied and even happy regardless of our circumstances. The other thing that grows, besides joy, is how in tune we are with God's will. So, that the fourth step is even more fulfilling than the third. Since we are well aware of God's will, what we request of God "fits" what God wants for us. That's why, to quote Jesus, "…the father will give you whatever you ask him in my name." And, the result of all this, step five, is that we do what every branch on the Jesus vine was made to do. We bear fruit; that which we produce has a lasting impact on the world. Do you know how many books in the self-help section of book stores take page, upon page, upon page, to guide people through the maze to a fulfilled life? Here it is laid out for us in five steps. Sometimes I think we want things to be complicated, that way we have an excuse to continue on a negative path. BUT, whether or not we disciples of Jesus find our way through that maze is dependent on one thing. Only if, responding to the love of God for us in Jesus, we obey his commandment to love one another - to be for and act for others even at cost to oneself - will we come out of the confusion to a place of joy, of oneness with our Lord and of fruitfulness for the sake of the world. Now, let me tell you, that's a huge IF. (1) Sermonwriter, Easter 6B (May 21), John 15:9-17, pg. 3, www.sermonwriter.com
(2) Same as above.
(3) Sermon Archive, Duke Chapel, "Commanded to Love" by Dean William Willimon, May 4, 1997, www.chapel.duke.edu
AMEN