Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: John 15: 9-11

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that
my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This Gospel passage is a tiny excerpt from the final words that Jesus speaks to his disciples before his betrayal and arrest. He tells them many things about where he’s from and where he’s going.

Then he concludes with the words, “I no longer call you slaves, but friends.”

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In Christ’s time, there was an elaborate social hierarchy. 

At the bottom, there were slaves and commoners. Above them were merchants, soldiers, generals, and advisors of the king.

At the very top, there was a select group of people known as, “friends of the emperor.” 

These “friends” had unlimited access to the king. They could approach him at anytime, even in his bedchamber. Meaning, they interacted with him while he was vulnerable; unarmed; arrestingly human. 

They had access to the king’s heart.

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The disciples have become that type of friend to Jesus. Over the last three years, they’ve seen him weep; watched him pray; listened to him as he poured out his heart.

In Jesus, the disciples have access to the heart of God.

We can have that same intimacy with him. Jesus will speak to us, console us, and reveal himself to us.

To be his “friend,” he asks only one thing: “Keep my commandments,” of loving God and our neighbor as ourselves.

What does that mean for me today?

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Image credits: (1) Walking With Purpose (2) A Ransomed Soul, WordPress (3) Fresh Heart Ministries, Paul Waterman

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Gospel: John 15: 1-8

Jesus said to his disciples:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There are two types of branches that grow on a vine: those that bear fruit and those that wither.

Imagine a withering branch. It’s dark, limp, and slow to die. But even as it withers, that branch demands energy, sapping nutrients from the vine.

I find that a fascinating truth: withering branches take energy to die. 

It’s why gardeners must prune them; they steal life from the healthy branches.

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In the Gospel, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit.”

It’s God’s ardent desire to prune any withering branch in our heart, those that sap our energy but give nothing in return.

Consider things like unhealthy habits, relationships, addictions, or grudges. These things are not fruitful and need to go.

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Do I have a withering branch in my heart, a person, habit, or sin that saps my time and energy without giving me life?

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Although pruning may be painful, it makes us happier, healthier people.

So, will you open our heart and let the Divine Gardener in?

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Image credits: (1) Jesus as Gardener, Willem Van Help (2) Gardening Know How (3) The Spruce

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Acts: 14: 19-28

In those days, some Jews from Antioch and Iconium
arrived and won over the crowds. 
They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city,
supposing that he was dead.
But when the disciples gathered around him,
he got up and entered the city. 
On the following day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

After they had proclaimed the good news to that city
and made a considerable number of disciples,
they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch.
They strengthened the spirits of the disciples
and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying,
“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships
to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They appointed presbyters for them in each Church and,
with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord
in whom they had put their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia.
After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia.
From there they sailed to Antioch,
where they had been commended to the grace of God
for the work they had now accomplished. 
And when they arrived, they called the Church together
and reported what God had done with them
and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Then they spent no little time with the disciples.

The Word of the Lord.

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Can you recall a moment in your life that demanded courage? 

Perhaps it was an extended period of time, like serving a tour of duty overseas.

Maybe it was a single moment like a grace-filled confession.

At times, we all need courage.

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In our first reading, the Apostle Paul demonstrates tremendous courage for the sake of the Gospel.

He and Barnabas have been preaching all over Greece and Turkey. At times their message is well-received. At others they’re outright rejected.

Today was a case of the latter. The people literally try stoning Paul to death before dragging his life-less body out of town. When he comes to his senses, Paul stands up and walks right back into town, preaching the same message to the same people!

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His courage that day moved hearts quicker and deeper than a thousand sermons ever could. 

“Where did he get this courage from? Is he crazy?” Many must’ve wondered.

There’s no way that Paul could’ve mustered up the strength to risk his life again unless his message was true.

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Imagine him emerging from that pile of rubble, dusting himself off, and telling you face-to-face:

Jesus Christ was nailed to a tree, then placed in a tomb. But God raised him up from the dead – and will raise up not only him, but all who believe in his name.

How does this good news change your outlook on life today? Does it give you courage to share it with others?

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Image credits: (1) statustown.com (2) The Stoning of St. Paul and Barnabas at Lystra (3) MapleRidge Church