Sixth Sunday of Easter B May 6, 2018 John 15:9-17
Jesus said:
“You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit,
fruit that will last” (v. 16).
Jesus was talking to his disciples. They were ordinary men––about as ordinary as
you could get––but Jesus chose them to be his disciples. Jesus invited them. He
called out to them, saying, “Follow me!” That isn’t how it was supposed to work.
Rabbis didn’t go around asking young men to study under them. No rabbi would
do such a thing. A young man who wanted to be a rabbi would have to ask a rabbi
if he could be his student. The greater the rabbi, the more young men would be
seeking to study under him. Jesus had become famous because of his teachings
and his miracles. Crowds came from everywhere to hear him––and to let their
children see him. I’m sure that there were dozens of young men––probably
hundreds––who would gladly have put aside whatever they were doing so that they
might study with Jesus. Some of those young men would have been really bright–
–highly accomplished. They could have done great things––if Jesus had chosen
them to be his disciples. But Jesus didn’t do that. Jesus chose twelve rather
ordinary men to be his disciples. The Gospels present them to us as slow––a bit
thick-headed––weak of faith––sometimes denying––sometimes doubting. One
even went so far as to betray Jesus to the men who wanted to kill him. But none of
that seemed to bother Jesus.
He was perfectly satisfied with this little band of disciples.
He told them: “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go
and bear fruit,fruit that will last.” We wonder what Jesus was thinking when he
chose these very ordinary disciples. His choices seem so odd. And yet, the growth
of the first-century church shows that Jesus chose well––or that he empowered
well. These disciples would do great things, not because they were great, but
because the one who empowered them was great. There’s an important lesson here.
God chooses whom God chooses. God empowers whom God empowers. A quick
glance around the typical congregation will show that God has not chosen the
brightest and the best. Most Godly work is done by ordinary people distinguished
by only one thing––they have given God their heart. That should encourage us. It
should also make us hesitant to judge any person’s potential. The star athlete and
the valedictorian might be too full of themselves to do God’s work. The
ordinary person is more likely to be the one that God chooses to transform the
world. God chooses whom God chooses. I would like to let you in on a secret.
The secret is this. Christ has chosen you. God has a plan for your life, and has
chosen you to carry out that plan. God’s plan for your life is important. His plan
might not cause your name to go down in history. It might not make you rich. But
God’s plan for you is important. He has work for you to do that no one else can do.
If you don’t do it, it will languish undone. I can’t tell you what God’s plan for your
life is––and it’s quite possible that you don’t have a clue. But the plan is there.
God has put it there. Pray that God might reveal the plan to you––and that you
might have the faith to pursue it.
Pray that, empowered by God, you might accomplish what he has created you to
- I am going to quote a few scripture verses. As I do so, listen to them as if God
is speaking to you––speaking to you directly––speaking to you personally:
The first scripture is from the book of Deuteronomy. After he had come down
from Mount Sinai, Moses spoke these words to the people of Israel. He said, “You
are a holy people to… God: …God has chosen you…for his own possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6).
Now listen to that verse again as if God is speaking those words to you. Say your
name, you are a holy person to God. God has chosen you for his own possession.
That is true. Every person here today is a holy person to God.
You are a holy person to God. Let me say that one more time. Listen carefully.
Here it is––YOU are a holy person to God. YOU! God has chosen YOU for his
own possession. You might be in sitting there, thinking, “That doesn’t apply to me.
I’m not a holy person. I am totally unworthy.” If that’s how you are feeling right
now, listen carefully. You are a holy person to God––not because you are
wonderful, but because God is wonderful. What does that mean? What does it
mean that you are holy? In the Bible, to be holy means to be set aside for a Godly
purpose. The Sabbath day was holy, because God set it aside as a day of rest and
worship. The tabernacle and temple were holy, because God set them apart for
worship. Priests and Levites were holy, because God designated them for his
service. Now listen once again to those words from Deuteronomy––tailored to fit
you. NAMES you are a holy person to God. God has chosen you for his
own possession. God has chosen you to render a holy service. Pray about that.
Pray that God will help you to live up to the task for which he has created you.
Just in case that scripture verse brought you to heights where you feel
uncomfortable, I’m going to read another verse that will let you down a notch or
two. In his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul was talking to the Christians
in Corinth about their calling––what God had called them to be and do. He said,
“Not many are wise…. Not many mighty, and not many noble” (1 Corinthians 1:26).
Does that bring you down a little? Does it make you feel more comfortable? Are
you saying, “That’s me! I’m not wise. I’m not mighty. I’m not noble. I’m just an
ordinary person––really ordinary. Why would God call me to do anything
important?” But listen carefully now, because Paul goes on to say:
“But God chose the foolish things of the world
that he might put to shame those who are wise.
God chose the weak things of the world,
that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
and God chose the lowly things of the world,…
that he might bring to nothing the things that are:
that no flesh should boast before God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).
So if you feel too ordinary to be important to God, think again! God specializes in
getting his work done through ordinary people––unlikely people. If you don’t
believe that, read through the stories in the Bible and you will see it over and over
again.
- God chose people like Jacob, who was a cheater.
- God chose Joseph, who was a really snotty kid.
- God chose Moses, who begged God to find someone else.
- God chose Peter, who denied Jesus three times.
- God chose Paul, who at that time was persecuting Christians.
- The list goes on and on.
So if you think you are an unlikely candidate for Godly work, think again. God
has his eye on you. God has a purpose for your life––a Godly purpose. He has
important work for you to do. Pray about it, and seek each day to walk in harmony
with God’s will. I’m going to quote one more verse. This time it’s Jesus speaking.
Jesus was talking to his disciples, but he is also talking to you. He says, “You
didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appoint you, that you should go and bear
fruit” (John 15:16). God appointed us to bear fruit––lasting fruit. What kind of
fruit? Was Jesus talking about winning new converts? No! Was Jesus talking
about building a new church building? No! Was Jesus talking about memorizing
Bible verses? No! Jesus says, “I command these things to you, that you may
LOVE one another” (John 15:17). The fruit that Jesus calls us to bear is love for
one another. Can we do that? Can we love one another? The better you get
acquainted with the people gathered here, you may find people you don’t like very
well. How can Jesus expect us to love people we don’t like? Let me tell you how.
The word that Jesus used for love is the Greek word agape (pronounced a-GAH-
pay). Agape love has nothing to do with warm, fuzzy feelings.
Agape love is love in action.
Agape love is acting in kind and generous ways––whether we like the other person
or not. We can do that. We can be kind and generous, regardless of how we feel
about the other person. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God.
But then he said that a second commandment is almost as important––and that
commandment is that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mark 12:28-31).
If we will do those two things––love God and neighbor––the rest will fall into
place. I’m not suggesting that it will be easy. God rarely makes things easy. But
if we love God and neighbor, God will bring Godly fruit from our lives. Loving
one another is easy when things are going well–when people are doing what we
want. But loving one another is hard when things are not going well–when people
are doing things that hurt us–that make us miserable.
But when Jesus calls us to love one another as he has loved us, he is calling us to
love one another through thick and thin–through good and bad. He is calling us to
love the other person when that person has hurt us–has done us injury.
That’s impossible. It’s not possible to love people who have hurt us—
who have caused us injury–except by the grace of God. NATURE calls us to hurt
those who hurt us–to injure those who have injured us. But JESUS calls us to love
one another as he has loved us–and he has loved us when we have hurt him. He
has loved us when we have injured him. Jesus has loved us through thick and thin.
You might say, “I can’t do that! I can’t love someone who hurts me.”
And you would be right.
You can’t love people who hurt you–except by the grace of God.
It’s God’s grace, after all, that makes it possible for God to love us–even when we
hurt him–even when we break his heart. And it’s God’s grace that makes it possible
for us to love the other person through thick and thin. It takes a miracle to do
that—and miracles are God’s business. When we feel angry and vindictive, we
need to pray for that miracle. We need to pray for God’s grace so that we can do
what is not natural–that we might love one another through thick and thin. If we
are connected to God through Jesus, the impossible becomes possible. Let me
clarify something though. When Jesus calls us to love one another, he’s not calling
us to become a doormat–to become an enabler of unacceptable behavior. If a
husband is abusing a wife, Jesus does not expect her to continue to take the abuse.
She might need to leave–but she can continue to pray for the man who has
hurt her. She might even need to call the police–and that’s compatible with acting
in love. In the book of Revelation (3:19), Jesus says that he chastens those whom
he loves. So when we chasten an abuser, we are loving as Jesus loves. Let me
read these words by Philips Brooks, a great preacher from another century.
Brooks said:
“Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men and women.
Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, but pray for powers equal to your
tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.
Every day you shall wonder at yourself––at the richness of life which has come to
you by the grace of God.”
Here’s the key to all things. Jesus is connected to the Father–and calls us to be
connected to Jesus so that we too can be connected to the Father. Jesus says,
“Remain in my love–abide in my love.” If we will do that, two things will happen:
o Jesus will fill us with joy.
o And Jesus will help us to love one another, so others can experience that same joy.
So let us all love one another as he has loved us! Amen!
