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The Fifth Sunday of Easter |
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LAST SUNDAY, SHEPHERDING SUNDAY, JESUS USED THE METAPHORE OF A SHEPHERD WITH HIS SHEEP TO ILLUSTRATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIM AND HIS DISCIPLES. IN THE GOSPLE PASSAGE FOR TODAY, HE FOCUSES ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF HIS DISCIPLES WITH EACH OTHER. AT THE LAST SUPPER, AFTER THE TRAITOR, JUDAS, SLIPS AWAY TO SELL JESUS TO THE TEMPLE AUTHORITIES FOR THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, JESUS TURNS TO HIS FAITHFUL DISCIPLES AND TELLS THEM THE PROCESS OF THE GLOIFICATION OF GOD HAS BEGUN. THE DEPARTURE OF JUDAS HAS BEGUN THE PROCESS OF THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST OF GOD, HIS CRUCIFIXTION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION, AND TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. WHAT JESUS HAS TO SAY NOW IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HE HAS TO TELL HIS DISCIPLES, FOR THE TIME HE HAS LEFT IS VERY SHORT. HE ADDRESSES THEM IN THE MOST INTIMATE WAY, SPEAKING TO THEM AS IF THEY WERE HIS OWN CHILDREN; SOMETHING HE HAS NEVER DONE BEFORE. “LITTLE CHILDREN,” HE CALLS THEM, AND TELLS THEM THAT HE IS NOT GOING TO BE WITH THEM MUCH LONGER. THEN, WHEN HE HAS THEIR ABSOLUTE ATTENTION, JESUS SAYS, “I GIVE YOU A NEW COMMANDMENT, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER. JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, YOU ALSO SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BY THIS EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.” THIS IS NOT THE KEEPING OF THE LAW BY LOVING GOD, AND LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, BUT IS SOMETHING NEW. IT IS A COMMAND THAT THOSE WHO FOLLOW JESUS SHOULD RELATE TO EACH OTHER WITH THE KIND OF LOVE THAT JESUS HAS FOR THEM. HE USES THE WORD AGAPE FOR LOVE; THE UNCONDITIONAL AND SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE THAT IS FAR BEYOND EMOTIONAL OR PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS. IT IS THE KIND OF LOVE WHICH HE IS ABOUT TO DEMONSTRATE BY WILLINGLY GOING TO THE CROSS FOR THEM AND FOR ALL OF HUMANITY. THIS IS THE KIND OF LOVE HE COMMANDS HIS DISCIPLES TO HAVE FOR ONE ANOTHER, AND BY THIS KIND OF LOVE THE WORLD WILL KNOW THEY ARE HIS DISCIPLES. WE MAY WONDER HOW LOVE CAN BE COMMANDED, BECAUSE WE TEND TO THINK ONLY OF LOVE AS AN EMOTION. ENTIRE INDUSTRIES ARE BUILT ON THE FAULTY PREMISE THAT LOVE IS JUST AN EMOTION, FROM THE EXCESSES OF VALENTINE’S DAY TO THE VERY STRANGE ‘PRECIOUS MOMENTS’ PHENOMENON. WE ARE CONSTANTLY ASSAILED WITH IMAGES, ADVERTISMENTS, BOOKS AND MOVIES THAT REINFORCE THE CONCEPT OF LOVE AS AN EMOTION, A FEELING, WHICH SUDDENLY BLOOMS IN US AND OVER WHICH WE HAVE NO CONTROL. THIS MAY BE THE CASE IN SEXUAL ATTRACTION, FRIENDSHIP, FAMILIAL AFFECTION, OR EVEN WHY WE PREFER TO BE AROUND SOME PEOPLE AND NOT OTHERS, BUT THIS EMOTIONAL RESPONSE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KIND OF LOVE JESUS COMMANDS. LOVE, THE TRUE LOVE WHICH JESUS COMMANDS, IS AN ACT OF THE WILL. IT IS CHOOSING TO ACT, TO DO WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ANOTHER, REGARDLESS OF THE COST TO MYSELF. IT IS CHOOSING TO ACCEPT, UNCONDITIONALLY, THAT MY BROTHER OR SISTER IN CHRIST IS ALWAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IN OUR RELATIONSHIP, AND THAT WHAT EVER I DO OR SAY MUST BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE OTHER AND NOT MY OWN. IT IS WILLINGLY CHOOSING TO ACCEPT ANY BURDEN, BEAR ANY CROSS, AND SUFFER ANY LOSS ALL FOR THE SAKE OF THE OTHER. THIS IS THE KIND OF LOVE JESUS COMMANDS US TO HAVE TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER AS HE KNOWS HE IS ABOUT TO FEEL THE AGONY OF THE CROSS FOR US. THIS KIND OF LOVE IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO, AND TO LOVE IS TO HANG ON THE CROSS OF CHRIST AGAIN AND AGAIN. AS C. S. LEWIS WROTE, “LOVE ANYTHING, AND YOUR HEART WILL CERTAINLY BE WRUNG AND POSSIBLY BE BROKEN. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE OF KEEPING IT INTACT, YOU MUST GIVE YOUR HEART TO NO ONE, NOT EVEN TO AN ANIMAL. WRAP IT CAREFULLY ROUND WITH HOBBIES AND LITTLE LUXURIES; AVOID ALL ENTANGLEMENTS; LOCK IT UP SAFE IN THE CASKET OR COFFIN OF YOUR SELFISHNESS. BUT IN THAT CASKET - - SAFE, DARK, MOTIONLESS, AIRLESS - - IT WILL CHANGE. IT WILL NOT BE BROKEN; IT WILL BECOME UNBREAKABLE, IMPENETRABLE, AND IRREDEEMABLE. TO LOVE AT ALL IS TO BE VULNERABLE.” HOW, THEN, DOES EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE ARE THE FOLLOWERS OF THE CHRIST OF GOD? DO THEY SEE US RIVEN WITH STRIFE, FIGHTING FOR PLACE OR POSITION, EACH LOOKING OUT FOR HIMSELF OR HERSELF, TAKING UMBRAGE OVER PERCEIVED INSULTS, AND GENERALLY ACTING LIKE ANY OTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE GATHERED TOGETHER? OR DOES THE WORLD AROUND US SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT US FROM THE WAY PEOPLE ACT NORMALLY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER? IF THE WORLD CAN SEE IN US, BY THE WAY WE LIVE WITH AND ACT TOWARD ONE ANOTHER, THAT WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS JESUS LOVED US, THEN THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT WE ARE HIS DISCIPLES. THAT WE LOVE EACH OTHER AS HE LOVED US IS OUR GREATEST WITNESS TO THE WORLD AND OUR MOST PROFOUND TESTIMONY TO THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD. LITTLE CHILDREN, BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF CHRIST, AND SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD, WE HAVE HEARD THE COMMAND OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. LET US ALL RECOMMIT OURSELVES EACH DAY TO THE LIFE OF LOVE, OPENING OUR ARMS AND HEARTS TO EACH OTHER, JUST AS OUR LORD DID FOR US ON THAT CROSS OF SUFFERING WHICH, THROUGH HIS LOVE, BECAME THE SIGN OF THE GLORY OF GOD. AMEN.
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