The Word of Jesus is Love

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Easter 6, Year C – 1 May 2016

Text: John 14:23-29

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas

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Today’s gospel lesson from John 14 contains some great sound bites:

“Those who love me will keep my word…”

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you…”

“Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid…”

In order to understand what’s going on here, though, it’s helpful to look at some context, and not only biblical context but historical context, as well.

The Gospel of John is the latest of the four gospel accounts. Scholars believe it was written toward the end of the First Century A.D., so possibly around 90 A.D. By the time this gospel was written, the first generation of witnesses to Jesus had begun to die off, leaving fledgling Christian communities that were trying to figure out how they would carry on.

To them, it is one thing to declare faith in Christ when you have first-hand accounts of the people who actually learned from Christ himself. But by the time of John’s gospel, these Christians are losing those first-hand witnesses, and they are beginning to ask, “How will we continue after all the witnesses are gone?”

The person who actually sat down and wrote the words of this gospel is a mystery to us. However, scholars know that this gospel came out of a particular community of Christ-followers – a community called the Johannine community. Early on in Christianity, Christians met in local synagogues – remember that Christianity began among the Jewish people and religion.

We believe that the Johannine community was a group that had eventually been ousted from meeting in the synagogues. They gathered, instead, in homes – this was long before the first church buildings were built.

So – to get to our text from this morning - when Jesus says in today’s text from John that he and his Father will come to the disciples and make their home with them, this is the community acknowledging that – wherever they meet – God dwells with them. Jesus in the Gospel of John is answering the question: “How will we continue after all the witnesses are gone?” One way that Jesus says they should continue is to keep his word, the word given to him to give to us from his Father.

I think that if we were to ask people (not just Christians) today what keeping Jesus’ word means, they would give a variety of answers. I’m wondering if many of those answers would revolve around keeping some kind of moral code that Jesus never taught or following some pious-sounding rule that Jesus never spoke. (For example: “God helps those who help themselves” is nowhere in Scripture, but many people think that it is, and they can then use it as a reason not to help the poor and oppressed.)

What is the word from Jesus that comes across loud and clear, from all four gospels (not just John)? That word is LOVE.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

“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.”

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love…This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Keeping the word of Jesus comes down to keeping a word of love – and not only love for God, but love for others. Even those with whom we disagree. Even those whom we find it difficult to like, let alone love. Even those who push our buttons every.single.time we see them. Keeping the word of Jesus comes down to keeping a word of love.

“Impossible,” we say. “I can’t possibly…” we say.

Well, maybe we’re right. By our own wisdom and strength, we can’t love others the way Christ loves them. But this is where the work of God’s Spirit in and among us enters in. Jesus assures his followers: “the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you,” and so, really, it is the work of the Spirit in and among us that creates love where love does not exist.  The best that we can do is remain open to the Spirit’s work in and among us.

I once heard ministry defined as “Loving those whom God puts in front of you.” Now, ministry is a lot of other things, too – and I’m not just talking about my ministry as a pastor. I’m talking about all of our ministry, together, as the members and friends of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. God’s Spirit calls us and strengthens us to love those whom God puts in front of us.

Last summer, we were called to serve our community by hosting a week-long day camp here. Twenty-two children and their families heard about and experienced the love of Jesus for them through our Spirit-empowered ministry, and we’re doing it again this year.

Let us go forth, empowered by the Spirit, and love those whom God puts in front of us.

Amen.

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