John 15:1-17
Love One Another
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept 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 command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Love is the Great Worldly Connection...Love one another...That is seemingly a simple statement, yet today seems so hard to do...It seems our world is losing its sense of connection for each other...We are losing the Great Fruit that Jesus talks about...
Jesus is our Master and Teacher...He also is a Mentor...He tells us to love each other...He mentored His Twelve Disciples with his most immediate attention, and also Mentored many others...During His mentoring He taught His Disciples the importance of fellowship and love for each other...He tells us that the two of God's Greatest Commandments are to love God and to love neighbor...His teachings are much of a loving fellowship among other people (our neighbors) and our love for His Father...Faith in Jesus teaches us this unique kind of Christian fellowship that encourages and gives support to others...Unique in the sense of His Divine teachings of LOVE that God had for Him, and that He has for His Disciples...This loving fellowship revolves around faith in this Mentor...This fellowship transforms communities to love and prosper and enjoyment...And without this fellowship of love the community breaks down in a dangerous and a scary and reckless place, instead of a loving and caring community...Instead of living an abundant life as Jesus teaches, one just tries to survive in a non-loving community...However, Christian fellowship is embodied in loving actions and loving deeds toward others...This type of fellowship helps others and supports others for those in need...But it also provides a love that permeates the entire community...Jesus teaches us to love one another as He has LOVED His Disciples...
Showing love and encouragement is priceless in the Christian community and in our fellowship and relationships...St. Paul tells us to be devoted to one another in love and honor one another above yourselves....The proverbs teaches us much about wisdom...Wisdom is of great value in our relationships...To love is wise, and to harm is for fools...The author of Provers tells us to walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm...
We can learn much from the Mentoring of Jesus and His teachings and His wisdom...Let us learn from the Great Mentor, the Great Teacher and teach others the importance of love and fellowship in our communities...Love one another...