Abiding in Love

(Sermons to Myself)

John 15:9-17

(I John 5:1-5) (Acts 10:44-48)

 

It remains the liturgical season of Easter.  In the lectionary passages one might have an eye and an ear out for the new life, the new hope, instructions for the resurrection way to live life.  These past weeks seem to be hitting hard the theme of staying close to the one who gives life; being close to the Good Shepherd who willing lays down his life, setting himself aside; the reminder from Jesus to ABIDE in him, abide in God, to reside in the One from whom there is life.  Easter living is abiding, residing in God, in Love

 

This is God-talk directed at one/me who within a week’s time already can forget the vocation, the calling from the Word of the Lord… ‘Abide in, reside in me’.  Residency plans are all about love – all forgotten.  So today’s lectio comes again as reminder:  Abide in my love, apart from it you can do nothing, in it you have life.

 

Today’s Gospel lesson: 

1.  Abiding in love first seems to be staying/remaining in God.  Don’t go drifting off on your own.   Also, this abiding love is both a noun and a verb.  Abiding in love is both a state of being, a conscious locale, and it is actively living in that state.

 

2.  Abiding love is possible when we hear and we live by the commandments to love:  love God and love one another.  Whoever lives and loves in relationship to other in this way abides in God. 

 

3.  Whoever abides in this love, in this way of both being and living, has joy, full joy, God’s joy.

 

4.  This is what that state of being and living looks like: it looks like the way in which Jesus loved his friends, it looks like a willingness to set self aside, to set oneself down, in behalf of the other.  It looks like finally letting go of ego and all the ego’s needs in order to ‘en-lifen” another.  Jesus was available, extended himself, poured out compassion, inclusion, time, energy…especially to the marginalized.

 

5.  This abiding, self giving love is not imposed upon us, as in slavery, but an invitation of friendship, shared companionship.  This is a God- choice and yet not imposed.   “You did not choose me, I chose you” said Jesus.  Is this a choice, and an appointment.   Is this a job, a chore to do, a task, or an honor?  Disciples are giving the gift to love, to be productive(?) in bearing the fruit of love.

 

 

6.  It always comes back to being seen in the evidence of how we love others.  You want to truly love God? then love those around you.  You want to offer yourself up to God? then offer yourself, by laying down the self in behalf of others.  As Mother Teresa taught that we see Christ, we come to recognize God in other people.  When we love others,  we are loving God.

 

2 examples. 

Acts 10 tells the story of Peter, who is growing up in his abiding in Christ’s life.  The long story that is repeated in the next chapter is Peter’s conversion of sorts, his beginning to understand the wide embrace of God, and set aside his own agenda to get out of the way for God’s life and love to use him.  To Peter’s credit, he did not shut out the unusual dream, request, and action that placed him out of his regular context.  A “good” Jew did not go off with strangers and enter the house of gentiles or expect God’s Spirit to engage “those” people.  Peter was abiding enough in the presence of God, that he trusted the activity of God in dreams, knocks at the door, and the could see evidence of the Spirit in unsuspecting places.  He set himself aside, down in order to abide in God’s presence and leading.

 

“Seven Pounds” newer movie with Will Smith tells the story of a man who willingly gave himself away and in the end laid down his life in behalf of others, so that others might live.  While the movie did not win any Oscars, it offers some clarity for examination regarding love that lays itself down as an act of faith-filled obedience.  “Ben Thomas”, the name Will Smith introduces himself as through out the movie, is the hero of sorts, he is a savior figure for many he encounters in the film.  In various ways over time he literally gave his life away, piece by piece.  One might speculate his giving was based on love.  The tragedy is that his giving was based on guilt and he made sure his recipients were “good” people, worthy of his gift of life for them.  While this is honorable and we would see him heroic, this is not the same as Jesus’ words about abiding in LOVE, and willing to lay down one’s life for another.  Smith was abiding in guilt.  Guilt motivated his action.  Guilt killed him. 

 

Jesus resided in God’s  love and invites us to abide in love. When one lays down their life, gives it away, out of a residency in LOVE, the joy gives life even to the giver as well as to the recipient of life.  Jesus did not offer his life out of guilt, but in abiding love.  Jesus did not set his life aside in behalf of only “good” or “worthy” people.  Even his closest friends were betrayers and deniers.  Like Christ, when we reside securely and confidently in God’s love, in God’s grace, the giving ourselves away is a way of continuing to abide in God… and the result is to know joy.

 

Are you joyful?  Am I joyful?  It may be a key as to how well one is abiding in love, abiding in God.  If there is no sense of joy, perhaps the ego is still clinging elsewhere.  Check it.  If there is joy, real joy that is beyond “happy feelings”, then look around, God is likely to be everywhere. 

 

Abiding in love, abiding in God, loving as a state of being and a mode of operation, giving one’s self away, perhaps is the whole vocation of God… the whole of God’s calling, choosing, and loving each one of us.  A grand career, vocational choice.  Start vocational training now.  It always takes practice and time.