John 15:12-17
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.
Growing up, my family never really went out to eat at expensive
restaurants. We always tended to eat at
a place with a buffet line. Everything
laid out on tables and each customer allowed to take what one person loved to
eat. If you wanted meat, they had
various options to choose from. If
wanted a salad, they had vegetables aplenty.
Dessert, they had it. Bread, they
had it. But, while the variety and
options were many, one still had to choose what it is you wanted to eat.
Just as it is with a buffet line so too is it with Jesus Christ. Except while you and I can choose the steak
or the fish, Jesus is choosing people.
In our text from John, Jesus says, you did not choose me but I chose
you. Out of all the people in the
ancient world of Palestine, Jesus chose these 12 disciples. Handpicked by Jesus, selected not because of
qualification but despite liabilities.
Jesus chose these 12 people to be his followers, to receive his words,
and to be his.
But no sooner than we hear the revelation of God’s choosing people, first the
12 and then ourselves, then temptation begins to creep in and around our
hearts. The moment we hear about being
“chosen” people, then our hearts and egos, swell with that most demonic and
devilish force, hubris and pride. “I”
have been chosen; we tell ourselves.
Certainly, that makes me better than those not chosen. I know, I have been saved, I am bearing God’s
Spirit. But to understand being chosen
and to truly be chosen is not to be swollen with vanity, but instead quite the
opposite. The point is not that one is chosen,
the point is that one is chosen by God, through the Spirit of Jesus
Christ.
Jesus chose Peter the coward, James and John the brash, Judas the traitor,
Thomas the doubter, Paul the murderer.
Which of these knew anything if not for Jesus teaching and helping them
to listen? Which of these could do any
deeds of power if not for Jesus empowering them to do it? Which of these disciples cowering in fear in
an upper room, running in terror at Jesus’ arrest could find courage if not for
Jesus’ own courage being imparted to them?
These are the chosen ones of God, not for their abilities or
capabilities, but despite their issues, and disqualifications. These are the chosen ones of God, not because
they were chosen, but because it is God’s good pleasure to choose them. It is a gracious choice, not a choice of
merit of quality. To understand God’s
election is to lead and bring one to humility and gratitude not to pride and
arrogance. Because it is about God’s
good pleasure, not humanity’s worthiness.
But, the 12 were not just selected to be students, or followers, the text
continues to say that they were chosen and appointed to be fruit-bearers. They were chosen for a reason, to go and
bear fruit, fruit that will last. He is not talking about grapes and
apples; he is talking about love. And in
truth he is not talking about love as we know it, but as love revealed in Jesus
Christ. Love that washes feet. Love that lays down one’s life for one’s
friends. That is the kind of love
that the 12 and us are chosen to bring forth into this world. This is the whole point; this is the goal of
all of God’s work. Through Christ and
with Christ, we should become christs and love like Christ. With a love that is willing to lay down our
lives for each other.
Many people are in our world, which lay claim to the title and privilege of
being disciples of Christ, but not all are sincere. Because remember that we do not choose
Christ, but instead Christ chooses us and chooses us to love sacrificially and
humbly. For those that claim to be
Christians but will not behave and act such as this, then they are not Jesus’
disciples, they are liars and thieves.
Because only Jesus chooses his disciples and only those who love like
Jesus are truly chosen. Which are
you? Do you hear the call and command of
God through the Spirit of Jesus Christ?
Will you obey that command in humility and faithfulness? Will you love as you have first been
loved? Or will change Jesus into
something more palatable? Something
involving flags, guns, money, power or politics?
My friends, the true disciple of Jesus Christ is first chosen by God’s good
pleasure despite our flaws and failures.
To understand that is to be led to humility and gratitude. But once we understand Grace, we are always
led to graciousness and the call to love one another. Let this therefore be a season once again of
God’s Grace. With humility and gratitude
let us lift the deeds of God despite us but because of us. With this deep, deep love of God for us, let
us remember our election, but let us choose instead of swelling our egos, to
love each other sacrificially. Then and
only then we will become the disciples Jesus has chosen us to become. Amen.
Prayer
O God of love and grace, thank you for your good pleasure in choosing us to become your disciples. Surround us with your love in order that we might be lovers of humanity. Use us to bless all those in need this day. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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