6th SUNDAY OF EASTER-B
I Reading: Acts 10:25-26: Peter visits the house of a Roman,
Cornelius, and learns that God does not have favourites.
II Reading: 1John 4:7-10: It is through the experience of love
that we can come to know God.
Gospel: John 15:9-11: Remain in my love, and let your joy be
complete.
The
reading follows on from where the Gospel ended last week. In it was revealed
how the disciples are united to Christ as branch to stem; today we see how the
disciples are united in love in Christ to one another.
Today’s
gospel presents the gift of Jesus’ love. The message contains that you may
doubt about everything in the world; but there is one thing of which you can be
absolutely certain: that God loves you!
i.
A love which the Jews could not understand.
ii.
God loves people individually, one by one. God loved the world so much, God is
love, Jesus loved his disciples.
iii.
A lesson on love given by Jesus himself. “ As the Father has loved me, so I have
loved you…love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:9-12).
iv.
God loves not only people but whatever he created. “God saw that it was good”. In
other words, God was delighted with whatever he created; He loved it. God loves
the sun, the moon, the stars, ocean, grass, flowers, trees..
Jesus
also loves in the same way and finally shows his sacrificial love on the cross
and in the Eucharist by giving his body and blood for our spiritual nourishment
and eternal life.
So
let us love God and love our neighbours as ourselves according to the new
commandments of Jesus. Unless we love
God, we cannot love people. Love is the source of all genuine joys in life, it
will be the same in heaven.
The Relationship of Jesus to Believers, Jn 15:9-11
Jesus
has a very special relationship with believer, a relationship that delivers
them from an existence that is barren, empty, lonely, unmeaningful and sad.
1.
He has loved believers (v.9)
2.
He has one great charge for believers: Continue-abide in His love (v.9-10)
a.
Abiding is conditional
b.
Abiding has a standard-the obedience of Jesus
3.
He has one great purpose for believers: The completion of their joy (v.11)
Thought:
Jesus Christ loves us because we God’s children, brothers and sisters, the
household and family of God. He also loves us because we believe God, we
earnestly seek God, we obey his commands and we deny self, take up our cross
and die daily in order to follow Jesus (Lk 9:23).
John 15:12-17: What I command you is to love one another.
The Relationship of Believers to Believers, Jn 15:12-17
How
believers relate to other believers is of critical importance. Division will
destroy a body of people quicker than any other single thing.
Division
can….
·
Destroy
the body of Christ
·
Destroy
the fellowship of believers
·
Destroy
the witness of believers
·
Destroy
the human soul seeking God
The
relationship of believers to each other is of critical importance.
1.
The supreme command of believers: Love one another (v.12)
2.
The supreme standard of believers: The love of Jesus (v.12-13)
3.
The supreme bond of believers: “friends” of Jesus (14-15)
a.
Is conditional: “If”
b.
Is based upon revelation: The words of the Father make known by Christ
4.
The supreme purpose of believers: Chosen and appointed to go (v.16)
a.
To go forth
b.
To bear fruit
c.
To receive of God
5.
Conclusion: The supreme command repeated (v.17): love (agape love=sacrificial
love) each other
Thought: Our
love must be the sacrificial love (agape love) to love one another as God loved
the world so much and gave His Son and Jesus loved us to save from sin and
death by his supreme sacrifice on the cross.
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