John 15:9-17
No Greater Love
Our gospel lesson this morning starts out with Jesus words, continuing from our gospel lesson from last week. (John 15:1-8)
Does anyone remember the verse I asked you to keep with you this year?
“Abide in me as I abide in you.”
Jesus is talking about a love greater than most human beings are capable of.
How many of us as parents or grandparents would love the person who killed our only child or grandchild for no reason?
How many of us are willing to forgive someone who is stabbing them in the back as they are being stabbed?
Can you imagine someone hurting your feelings, and as they are speaking such words against you, you feel love for them instead of anger?
Imagine yourself in a situation where you have not spoken to someone – let’s say a relative or prior friend, for several years because of a fight or argument or disagreement you had.
Let’s take it a step further and say that in this altercation, you were completely right and justified, and the other person was completely wrong.
Now imagine loving that person who hurt you…let’s say they hurt you over and over and over again, no matter how much you tried to be nice to them.
This is the love of Jesus.
Jesus is capable of loving us even when we are angry at Him.
Jesus is capable of loving us even when we haven’t spoken to Him for several years.
Jesus is able to love us even when we hurt Him by denying His existence or taking His name in vain.
There is no greater love than this.
And the ONLY way we can have this kind of love is to allow Jesus to abide with us.
To allow Jesus to remain with us in our heart.
To allow Jesus to heal us from past wounds.
Let’s say your mother abandoned you as a little girl.
Jesus’ love for you is far greater than human love because Jesus will never abandon you.
And we know that God’s love for us is the same as Jesus’ love for us because Jesus was the mirror image of God.
Jesus was the reflection of God.
Our gospel lesson today begins with these words…
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: abide in my love.”
Jesus is saying “Remain in my love.” “Keep my love.”
I’ll say these words again, because they are so very important, I want to make sure everyone is listening…
The only way you can love your enemies, the only way you can love someone else who has deeply wounded you, is to abide in the love that Jesus gives you.
The only way you can love your brother or sister who has hurt you, is to allow Jesus’ love for you to completely take over your heart and leave no room for hatred of even the smallest degree.
You may say, “But I’m not ready to forgive the other person. They deserve to be hated for what they did.”
Jesus wants to give us His peace.
We can hold onto anger and bitterness as long as we want.
We can keep pent up emotions in our hearts and allow those feelings of anger to eat us alive.
We can suffer from ailments such as stomach ulcers, tension headaches, and eating disorders as long as we like.
Jesus gives us the opportunity to do that to ourselves.
Jesus allows us to hold a gun to our heads and pull the trigger.
But Jesus’ will for us is the same as God’s will for us.
God loves us more than we can ever imagine.
There is no greater love than that of the heavenly Father’s love for His children.
All His children.
Even the ones that don’t seem to deserve it.
All anyone has to do is say to Jesus, “Abide in me. I invite you into my heart. Remain with me. Let your love for me just fill me with your Holy Presence.”
“I accept your invitation to dwell in my heart. I accept your invitation to give me peace of mind. I accept your invitation to allow me to forgive even my worst enemy.”
Let’s take a moment of silence right now.
Let’s close our eyes and open our hearts.
Let’s take those steps together.
This is an invitation.
You don’t have to repeat these words in your heart.
But if you want to, this is an opportunity for you to feel a love greater than you can ever imagine.
If you want to experience such a love, pray these words together with me now.
“Jesus… I want you to abide in me…I invite you into my heart…Remain with me…Let your love for me… just fill me… with your Holy Presence.”…
“I accept your invitation…to dwell in my heart…I accept your invitation…to give me peace of mind…I accept your invitation…to allow me…to forgive…even my worst enemy…”
You can open your eyes, if you had them closed.
And if you prayed that prayer with me…you can expect a miracle.
You can expect to feel the peace which passes all understanding.
Whenever the evil one wants to get a hold of you and unhealthy anger seems to want to take control of your emotions, repeat these words….
“Jesus, abide in me. I love you.”
Repeat them over and over again until you feel a peace which seems to encompass all of your being.
Repeat them until you feel a love that penetrates every aspect of your entire soul.
There is no greater love than this.
Let’s try and wipe out any external thoughts from our minds right now.
Let’s try and not think about what time it is, or what we’re going to have for dinner, or who’s going to wash the dishes, or who’s going to leave the tip.
Let’s just try and wipe our minds clean, and open ourselves to God’s peace as we listen to what Jesus is saying to us through John’s gospel.
Close your eyes if you desire.
But as your eyes are closed, listen intently to Jesus words for you.
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
This I command you, to love one another.”
This is the word of the Lord.
(If your eyes are closed, you may open them.)
These are Jesus’ words.
Because you have heard the word of the Lord, you can call Jesus your friend.
And you can tell Him anything, because He is your friend.
If you are/were a little boy or girl, you could tell Him that you just tied your shoe string for the first time.
And because Jesus is your friend, He’d want to hear that from you.
If you are a student, and you’re having trouble with a test because you’re having difficulty studying, Jesus would want to know that.
Jesus would want you to tell Him, because Jesus is your friend.
If you’re an adult, and you’re having difficulty with some part of your life…
Tell Jesus…
Jesus is your friend.
Jesus would want to know.
He already knows anyway, because He knows all things.
But He wants to hear it directly from you.
He wants you to tell Him.
He wants to be your best friend.
He doesn’t want to be some far away, impersonal God.
He wants to be your closest friend.
I learned a little bit about friendship this past week….
Like the friendship between Chip & Bill.
Jesus also wants to be your BEST FRIEND.
He wants to hear your smallest problem and your biggest.
He wants to abide in you and wants you to abide in Him.
Allow yourself to feel the greatest freedom you will ever experience.
Allow yourself to totally be free from any guilt, any anxiety, and any pain from past, hurtful memories.
Let Jesus be your friend.
Amen.
