John 15-16
The Vine and the Branches. Fruit bearing. Am I? Are you? "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you...You can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me." Does that mean good deeds can't be done? Or does it mean that we may be joined to the vine even before we know it (prevenient grace-that going before action and grace of God in our lives)? When we're joined (presumed consciously), the harvest will be abundant. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood (free will to separate?). When you produce grapes, you mature as my disciples.
Jesus: "I kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love." You do that, too, so that my joy might be your joy. Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.
Suffering and dying as a choice.
You didn't choose me; I chose you. I put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil (living water that never runs out). Endless, endless, endless.
Love one another.
"If you find the godless world hating you, remember it got its start from hating me. If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and not the world's, the world is going to hate you."
What does it look like to live opposed to the world--to its power brokers, to its dominant ideology, dominant systems? Who is dominant? What do they look like? How am I in a dominant role? If I am in a dominant role, is it possible for me to take a step toward God's side? Not by my strength, but in the strength of the one who gives me strength. Do I have the will to make that choice, to use my free will in that direction?
If you choose God's way, you will get beaten. I will get beaten. There is no excuse, as Jesus spoke in plain language. Have I seen God signs and hated God anyway? Turned from God as if God didn't exist?
Friend. Spirit of Truth. Issues from the Father. He'll confirm everything about me. You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence...
You're going to get in big trouble if you really follow Jesus, if you do what he did, say what he said, stand against power as he did. Those who slam you for these things will think they are doing God a favor.
"You are called to live a prophetic lifestyle, and to call others to that prophetic lifestyle. That is who I have always known you to be." Thanks, Meb. I need to be reminded.
It's better for you that I leave; otherwise the Friend won't come. If I go, I'll send him to you...so let me go!
"When he comes, he'll expose the error of the godless world's view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He'll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted. I've got more to tell you, but you can't handle them now." The Friend will take them on with you.
"You're going to be in deep mourning while this godless world throws a party. You'll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness."
"Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I have revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks."
"Then you can make your requests directly to the Father in relation to this life I've revealed to you. I won't continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. I won't need to. Because you've gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly."
15 times Jesus says I'm leaving you and going to the Father. He also says he is sending the Friend, the Holy Spirit-26 times. The leaving isn't abandonment; He isn't cutting off communication. He isn't leaving them to themselves. The Holy Spirit will do in them what Jesus did among them. God's way of being present with us will make their life and work continuous with Jesus' life and work. Everything Jesus said and did among them is to be continued in what they say and do. And in what we say and do.
Disciples think they've finally got it, and Jesus tells them they are about to make a break for it, to abandon him...
1 Peter 1-2
"You are the Messiah, the Christ." Letters show qualities of Jesus Christ shaped in Peter: a readiness to embrace suffering rather than prestige, a wisdom developed from experience and not imposed from a book, a humility that lacked nothing in vigor or imagination. Peter wasn't a bully, but a boldly confident and humbly self-effacing servant of Jesus Christ. He gave witness to "a brand new life, with everything to live for."
Exiles scattered to the four winds-not one is missing, not one forgotten. God has his eye on each one of you--hallelujah!
Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven--and the future starts now...the day is coming when you will have it all-life healed and whole.
It's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. You never say him, yet you love and trust him, and you've kept on believing: total salvation.
Your life is a deep journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. The Word has conceived new life in you. Clean house. Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You've had a taste of God...drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God.
The Living Stone, the source of life. To you who trust him, he's a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him, they'll trip because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.
But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for this high calling of priestly work, chosen to be holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night and day difference he made for you--from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives.
"Make the master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think they're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government."
Be good servants to both good and bad masters. Put up with it for God's sake when you are treated badly for no good reason. Brook's experience at Weiland's reflects some of this last paragraph. How may I help him to see that?
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