“…And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last” (John 15:16)
John 15:9-17 (Year B: 6th Sunday of Easter, 6th May 2018)
Fruitfulness is the result of following Christ. If only we trusted at the outset of our lives, He would lead us in ways that we might never have imagined in our wildest dreams. And it is never too late to say yes and trust in his love no matter what stage of life we find ourselves in.
There is an unhelpful trend and characteristic, in our culture, of relegating persons over a certain age to a state of what is referred to as ‘retirement’. It is almost a matter of ‘what is the point’, ‘he or she is too old’, ‘time for him to move on’ etc. This mentality is not only apparent in the way people are required to stop ‘working’ at a fixed age consistent with life expectancy in Germany in the 19th century when the late Otto Bismark introduced the modern pension! The mentality is also apparent in such diverse fields as education, health care and volunteering. Some wonder and question about the gains from investing in someone whose life expectancy is such as not to warrant an investment of time and money. ‘Lifelong learning’ is spoken of as crossing from cradle to grave but is often confined to the ‘working life’ of someone fixed as spanning 20 to 65 or a little more.
This is regarded as a fixed point after which it is ‘time to move on’. However, length of days, health and better opportunities for travel, education and exploration mean that our notions of ageing, retirement and winding down need radical revision. God calls men and women at all stages of life to things that may commonly be regarded as impossible or even unwise. We need to re-think the assumptions, values and mind-sets of our time. The key to God’s call is to remain in his love through mutual love.
A narrow-based calculation of benefits net of costs over an estimated remainder of a lifetime may reinforce a prejudice towards retirement both among the retired as well as among those who make sure others retire. But, is this calculus in keeping with the way God sees matters?
Even the psalmist declares that ‘Our span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong.’ (Psalm 90:10). 70 to 80 years would have been exceptional 2,500 years ago but not today in much of the world (excepting Methuselah who – according to Genesis 5:27 lived to be 969 years of age – just disappointingly 31 years short of 1,000 although in deference to the author(s) of Genesis it must be admitted that the notion and term of ‘year’ might have been defined differently in ancient societies!).
Indeed, some analysts expect that babies (fortunate) to be born today can expect to live to be a hundred if they maintain a reasonable healthy life course such are the improvements in health care, nutrition and other factors. Hopefully, bar some environmental or political calamity or a further escalation in obesity and addiction to opioids, most babies born, today, will have the opportunity for a long and very fruitful life. In keeping with fruitfulness at all stages of the lifecycle there are opportunities for all of us no matter what age or condition of life we find ourselves in.
A person incapacitated and highly dependent may be able to offer a smile, a word of encouragement, a word of wisdom, a listening ear or a quiet prayer. Even when this is not possible due to bodily or mental infirmity the very presence of someone, now incapacitated, who evokes memories of kindness, wisdom and practical support is a blessing for others.
This Sunday’s passage from the middle of the 15th chapter of St John’s Gospel follows on from the story of the vine and the vinedresser which we heard read last week. A single living organism involves many parts living off each other. It also involves indwelling. The idea of indwelling and mutual inter-dwelling – the Father in the Son and the Son and the Father in us as we live in each other united in a single love is a powerful one. It is based on a love that goes beyond mere sentiment or philosophy. It is a practical, living and never-ending concern for each other and ourselves that moves us to think, act and move as members of the one body (or the one Vine to use that parable).
We need only remember one simple and overriding truth in all our searching and struggling: ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:16). As a direct consequence, ‘whoever lives in love live in God and God in him’. Believing that God is love and acting out this love in a practical way as part of a Christian community of believers and strugglers is our passport to fruitfulness. In this way, we discover our true calling and we are, indeed, equipped and called to be fruitful where we are and, perhaps, in other places too.
The result of all our seeking and all our yearning and all our serving is joy; not just any old joy but that fullness of joy that God alone can give for Jesus says these things to us again today, here, now that His joy may be in us and that this Joy of his in us may be complete (15:11). Joy is the fruit of our discipleship amidst many trials and tribulations; not only the fullness of joy but peace (John 16:33) and the fullness of life (John 10:10), also.
Through following in the way marked out by Jesus, the Face of God, we experience a quiet inner peace and joy. And ‘The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever’ (Isaiah 32:17). In that unmistakable lasting quietness and confidence will be your light, your guidance and your decision.
Joy, peace and life – these are the fruits of true discipleship. And we can experience these fruits at any time in our lives if we are open to these. In living as disciples and active witnesses in ‘retirement’ we can be channels of joy, peace and life for others.
(words above = 1,050)
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Further reading: notes and questions, verse by verse
Preliminaries
We move from the image of the vine and the vinedresser (John 15:1-8) to one of fruitfulness rooted in relationship, obedience, freedom and joy (John 15:9-17).
9: Staying in love
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.
Falling in love is not, perhaps, so hard. Staying in love is challenging for us human mortals. Only the love given by the Father to the Son and by the Father and the Son to us can transform our human love into something lasting, divine and even eternal.
10: it is about 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.
The radical essence of Christianity is love – not any type of love – but love of God the Father for God the Son, love of God the Son for God the Father, the love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit for each and every one of us and the love of each of us for one another – one by one and moment by moment and breath by breath until our last breath on this earth and our breath unto eternity. That all may be one living breath.
11: The point is joy
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
In this sentence, chara or χαρὰ means joy. It can also denote favour or grace. Could it be that the Irish Gaelic word for friend, cara, is rooted in χαρὰ? Over to the linguists, please!
12: Simplifying the rule book
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Religion in not complicated and Christianity is not something detached from material, this-worldly living. It is the aspect of loving ’one another’ that generates the kingdom of God here and now.
13: This is the test
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
14-15: No longer slaves but freed persons called to spread love
You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.
There is a type of religion that was founded, primarily, on fear – fear of retribution in everlasting fires or fear of being regarded negatively by others including one’s own family and community. That sort of religion makes slaves or doúlos of us. In Jesus, God has set us free from such religion to live lives of love. This is, however, costly and involves Hard Gospel, Hard Choices and Hard Discipleship. The price of freedom demands sacrifice. The road to resurrection is via the cross.
16-17: We have a sacred commission
You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
We might think that we have found our way and chosen our situation and calling. It does not work that way necessarily. God is a God of surprises at all times and seasons.
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