Love Binds and Unites: Love Obeys and Sacrifices
Dear Children of God! We are in the last week of the 21 Days Reflection. I am confident to call you a child of God at this point because I believe after 2 week of our reflection, studying the word and invitation to God’s Kingdom, we must by now bear the mark of God. Indeed, we must have allowed the light of God to pour into our souls and in turn reflect the light of God.
In our reflection today we hear Jesus throwing more light into some of the teachings and commandments he gave his disciples, which includes you and me. Jesus clears the air on his promise to answer the prayers of his disciples. This is likened to the ability to bear fruit. We find this in today’s bible reading in John chapter 15
Click below to read the full text of John Chapter 15
21 Day Lighting Experience – John Chapter 15
15 “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit. 3 You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you. 4 Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me. 6 Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it. 8 My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples. 9 I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. 13 The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. 14 And you are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because servants do not know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name. 17 This, then, is what I command you: love one another.
The World's Hatred
18 “If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from this world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘Slaves are not greater than their master.’ If people persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. 21 But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not come and spoken to them; as it is, they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not done among them the things that no one else ever did; as it is, they have seen what I did, and they hate both me and my Father. 25 This, however, was bound to happen so that what is written in their Law may come true: ‘They hated me for no reason at all.’ 26 “The Helper will come—the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me. 27 And you, too, will speak about me, because you have been with me from the very beginning.
The ability for a Christian to say a word of prayer and get response from God is always a contentious issue in the lives of believers. Christians have often been criticized for believing or preaching about miracles but only wait for a man of God to actually effect this claim to receive from God what we ask of.
Today Jesus teaches us that our prayers would be answered if we have been able to maintain this union with God such that we act in God and God acts in us. Jesus draws us into a union with God so that our joy may be complete.
Jesus uses the analogy of the Gardener, the Vine and the Branches. This analogy expressly shows us that the branches of the vine are expected to bear the grapes of the vine. The gardener who nurtures the vine has its expectation. Similar, the vine expects the branches to bear fruits, which is actually the desire of the gardener. Every pruning and nurturing has been done to ensure that the branch bears fruit or else it is cut off to allow new branches and bearing of fruits. The essence of God’s love is to bear fruit as discussed in reflection of Day 14.
If we are united with God, we would be moved to desire God’s purpose (in prayers) and God’s purpose would be perfected in us, in the bearing of fruits!
The analogy expresses our life in Christ Jesus and the call to bear fruits. Our ability to bear fruit, work miracles or get answers to prayers if we obey and work in line with the commandments of Jesus and do the will of God. At this point Jesus reiterates his commandment; Love – love one another!
Yesterday we celebrated Valentine’s Day and discussed the Essence of God’s love. We are again drawn into the essence of God’s love as a love that binds and unites us with God. A love that makes us create and be fruitful: A love that brings into abundance. In today’s reflection, Jesus tells us how to attain God’s love, and this is by being obedient and willing to sacrifice (or align) our will for God’s will.
Today we ask that important question, how do we remain in Jesus or in God? How do we get united with God? How do we get our prayers answered and bear fruits? The love that unites us with God and make us bear fruit is only possible when we understand the words of Jesus in John 15:7-10
Accordingly, Jesus reemphasizes the command for us to love one another. Love separates and differentiates us from the world. The world tends to act in hatred but our love shows that we are children and one with God. The actions of this hateful people if further explained in the remaining part of the chapter. Those who hate choose to persecute others. This is also captured in our psalm for reflection, psalm 36.
Click below to read the full text of Psalm 36
21 Day Lighting Experience – Psalm 36 (GNT)
Human Wickedness
Sin speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; they reject God and do not have reverence for him. 2 Because they think so highly of themselves, they think that God will not discover their sin and condemn it. 3 Their speech is wicked and full of lies; they no longer do what is wise and good. 4 They make evil plans as they lie in bed; nothing they do is good, and they never reject anything evil.
The Goodness of God
5 Lord, your constant love reaches the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is towering like the mountains; your justice is like the depths of the sea. People and animals are in your care. 7 How precious, O God, is your constant love! We find[b] protection under the shadow of your wings. 8 We feast on the abundant food you provide; you let us drink from the river of your goodness. 9 You are the source of all life, and because of your light we see the light. 10 Continue to love those who know you and to do good to those who are righteous. 11 Do not let proud people attack me or the wicked make me run away. 12 See where evil people have fallen. There they lie, unable to rise.
The hateful ones cannot love or unite with God. Instead of loving God, they reject him and have no reverence for him. They close their hearts to obeying God’s will and pursue their own will, believing that they are right or perhaps God will not discover. Their speech are evil, like wise their plans. They do not bear fruit. At this point, we ask some questions. Are we truly united with God? Do we love as God desires us to love? Do we bear fruit and receive answers to our prayers? Do we bear hatred and devise evil? Do we reject God and refuse to be branches to his vine? Does our inability to get answers to our prayers further separate us from God instead of seeking to be united with God? There is a thin line between love and hate, but the consequences are far apart.
Let’s us pray for the helper – the Spirit who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. We need the Spirit to reveal to us this love that unites. We need the spirit to help us to obey and make the right sacrifices. Amen!
Join us tomorrow, 16th February for Lighting Experience – Day 16
Speechlesswaters
PS
We are often worried or complain that God doesn’t answer our prayers. The reflection today teaches us that our prayers would certainly be answered if we are one with God. This means that if we unite ourselves with God we would know what God wants and act in line with what God wants. Ultimately, our will would align with God’s will and God would be pleased to glorify himself by answering our prayers. God would perfect his will in us. This is simple: if we are united with God, we would be moved to desire God’s purpose (in prayers) and God’s purpose would be perfected in us, in the bearing of fruits! Read also, Psalm 36:10.