Year B 2nd Easter WED 2018 Abide

Year B 2nd Easter WEDNESDAY 11 April 2018
St James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA
“Abide”

Ps 119:1-24
Exodus 15:22-16:10
I Peter 2:1-10
John 15:1-11
Jesus said: ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 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. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.’

I tell this to my girls all the time, “Just do what I say and we all can be happy.”

No, that’s not true. I may think it, too often, but I do not say it.

But think about it. That is what Jesus is saying to us. “You wanna be happy? Really happy? Do what I am telling you to do.” Now the Bible version is not that colloquial, but it is saying that.

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

What does it look like to abide in Christ’s love? What does that feel like? How does that come to reality in our lives?

We obey his commandments. Love everybody. Even those who hurt and hate you. Do good. Love God. Love Neighbor. Love Self. You seeing a theme here?

Spring is finally here, I think, maybe despite the snowflakes the last few days. And as we enter into spring, I think on gardens and planting. I think on abiding.
“Abide in my love,” says Jesus. “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

We are not plants though, we wander and move. But going back to the original metaphor of a vine, we choose to be grafted onto God and God’s work.

Does think make God happy? Yes, of course.

But instead of losing out, we gain everything.

“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. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

God wants us to be joyfilled. God wants our complete joy. Not halfway. Not three quarters. God wants us to be filled to the brim and overflowing, so our cup can “runneth over.”

And as I say this, I always have to add the caveat, do not confuse joy with happiness. Things make us happy or unhappy. Situations, pleasures, and entertainments.

Joy comes from within, no matter our situation. Joy is our appreciation of who we are, and whose we are. Joy is the attitude of gratitude for all that we have been given, and all that we have been enabled to do. Happiness is a feeling, while Joy is a choice.

And God wants us to choose to abide, and in so doing, God wants our Joy to be complete.

What is your Joy? Are you staying grafted into the Vine so that you are being all you can be? Amen.