It seems simple enough...

This week, I was at our annual Mission Assembly. I wrote this devotion, which was read by a congregation member during worship on Sunday.

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The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Easter 5, Year C – 28 April 2013

Devotion for John 13:31-35

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

“The Two Brothers”

There is a surprising quality to love, be it the love of God or that of his people. This Jewish folktale links the surprise of love to an old Temple legend.

There were once two brothers who farmed together. They shared equally in all of the work and split the profits exactly. Each had his own granary. One of the brothers was married and had a large family; the other brother was single.

One day the single brother thought to himself, “It is not fair that we divide the grain evenly. My brother has many mouths to feed, while I have but one. I know what I’ll do, I will take a sack of grain from my granary each evening and put it in my brother’s granary.” So, each night when it was dark, he carefully carried a sack of grain, placing it in his brother’s barn.

Now the married brother thought to himself, “It is not fair that we divide the grain evenly. I have many children to care for me in my old age, and my brother has none. I know what I’ll do, I will take a sack of grain from my granary each evening and put it in my brother’s granary.” And he did.

Each morning the two brothers were amazed to discover that, though the had removed a sack of grain the night before, they had just as many.

One night, the two brothers met each other halfway between their barns, each carrying a sack of grain. Then they understood the mystery. And they embraced, and loved each other deeply.

There is a legend that says that God looked down from heaven, saw the two brothers embracing, and said, “I declare this to be a holy place, for I have witnessed extraordinary love here.” And so it is said that it was on this spot that Solomon built the first Temple.

(From the book, Stories for Telling – William R. White)

This legend does a beautiful job of telling us about two brothers’ deep love for one another. Each wanted to sacrifice for the sake of the other. Each wanted to help care for the other. And I believe this is the kind of love that Jesus is referring to in the instructions he gives the disciples in today’s Gospel lesson. He says, ”I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.”

It seems simple enough, what Jesus is commanding – just love each other, and then others will see your love, and will know that you are my followers. So simple, right? Except we know that sometimes it’s not so simple – sometimes we are called to love even the ones we don’t like very much.

I read recently that someone was having some struggles with two co-workers and so she decided to begin praying regularly for them. Over time, her view of her co-workers changed so that – even though they weren’t best friends – she was at least able to view them with love and compassion and to treat them with more kindness.

It is this kind of love that Jesus calls us to – the kind of love that calls us to pray for and care for everyone – not just those we like, or those who are like us. But the kind of love that calls us to pray for and care for those with whom we struggle, or those who are different than we are. And in this kind of love, others will see and know that we follow Jesus.

Amen.

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