Jesus calls us to be unified.
Click here for an online Bible John 15:9-17
Jesus has spoken much about his unity with the Father. He and the Father are one. He does want the Father does. He says what the Father says. He is obedient to the Father.
He spoke about our unity with him. The story of the vine was all about our connection with him. He wants us to do what he does. He wants us to obey him. He wants us to love him.
He now speaks about our unity with one another. Twice (verse 12 and verse 17) he commands that we love one another. These commands are mixed in with his admonition that we obey him and love him.
Some conclusions:
The evidence that we love Jesus is that we obey him. If we refuse to obey him, the claim that we love him is pretty hollow.
Another evidence that we love Jesus is that we love other Christians.
For most of us, it is pretty easy to love Jesus. He died on the cross for us and we are grateful. However, obedience is another story. Sometimes it is hard to do the things he said to do. Similarly, it is hard to love others at times.
Why is it hard to obey Jesus and love others? It is selfishness. I don’t want to obey when I put my own selfish desires ahead of the desires of God. I don’t love others when I am being selfish. As Jesus pointed out, true love is self-sacrificing. Selfishness and love don’t go together well.
So how do I work on this obedience thing? Begin with knowing what Jesus has said. That means we must spend time in his word and try to understand what he is telling us. I need to strengthen my relationship with him and put his desires ahead of my own. As I get closer to him, I find that his desires are my own.
Loving others can be hard. We are fallen imperfect people. Love seeks the best for others. Love means that I really desire the best for others. Don’t confuse love with being nice. Sometimes love requires discipline and correction. However it is done with their best interests at heart. Rather than getting my way, I should desire God’s way. True unity with others comes when we are working together for the Kingdom of God.
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2 comments:
No other gospel do we read of the Love of God. I think it is with this disciple (me included and feel free to include yourself) that Jesus most connected with by overcoming the anger issues within. Anger/hate/pain/strife all come together to destroy a person's soul. When we learn to forgive as God forgives, looking pass the mistake to what can be, it really is quite easy to begin to love. The problem is the world -- worldly ambitions, worldly desires, worldly pride; we need to look pass the temporal (the world) to the everlasting... every time you see that thing that you want in a magazine or store window, try and picture the Seraphim and cherubim guarding the way to the Tree of Life. It does not mean that we do not get that item in the store window, it just simply means that our heart is not with that thing, but rather is set on things eternal. We are made to be ambitious, but be ambitious about the things of God; it is good to desire the will of God; have pride in Christ and what He did for us.
Love,
ej
These verses seem so core to the true Christianity, there is so much to say.
This seems to dig to the core of our "heart" condition toward God and others. He doesn't want us to just act a certain way, do certain things and keep up other appearances, He wants a love so deep that it is self-sacrificing to the point of death. No only did Jesus die for His friends but His enemies too - that THAT is LOVE with all capital letters. I am struck with the impact of this and its lesson to reach the non-Christians around us.
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