Hello, I’m Jeff Cavin’s and today we’re looking at the readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter. In today’s readings, all three talk about love.
In the first reading in the book of Acts, we see that the Holy Spirit is going to be poured out on the Gentiles. The Gentiles are everybody in the world who is not Jewish. I am a Gentile who’s come into the family of God and the odds are, you are as well.
The second reading, John reveals in 1st John chapter 4, that love is of God. And now we come to the Gospel reading, John chapter 15. We find out that we now, as Gentiles who have been brought into the family of God and the Holy Spirit has been given to us, we are to share this love for one another. In fact, this is the way that we really show that we are disciples of the Lord is our love for one another.
I want to read this and I want to point out something that is really foundational to being disciples in the modern world. It says in John chapter 15, starting in verse 9
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.”
Now listen to the relationship between Jesus and us:
“As the Father has loved me so I have loved you. Abide in my love. 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.” And then verse 12: “This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Now if you think about that reading, you might notice a pattern there. And the pattern is, is that what Jesus does, we are to do as well. And what we see in the reading here is, we see the foundation of discipleship, which is imitation. And we can go all the way back into the Old Testament and even see God’s relationship with Israel where he says to them “You be holy as I am holy.” And all throughout the Old Testament we see God discipling his people.
And we come to the New Testament and what is Jesus doing? Jesus is imitating the Father. He is obeying the Father’s commands and now he says we are to obey him the way he obeys the Father. And so, imitation is the key here. Now we know that the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us. We know that God is love.
And now we’re going to demonstrate that, how? Not by just saying it, but by doing it. And that means that we’re going to love one another. And we’re not making this up, we’re not the first to do it. Jesus is the one who loves, even his enemies.
And that’s the pattern that we’re living from, is that Jesus is imitating the Father, we’re imitating Jesus, and Paul even says “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Now as we go into this week, I want you to think for a moment: Who’s following you? Who’s watching your life? Who is seeing the love of God, which has been poured out in our hearts, demonstrated in real time in the real world.
Video Source
- Title: The Foundation of Discipleship
- Author: Jeff Cavins
- Source: YouTube: Sundays with Ascension
- Aired: May 3, 2018
- AscensionPress.com
Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church 