Jesus calls us

John 15:12  "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13  No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14  You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15  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. 16  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. 17  I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. 18  "If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19  If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world--therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21  But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

“I have loved you...I have called you...I chose you...I appointed you...” The good news of our faith is the assurance that we do not go in search of God – instead God comes in search of us! But just when we are tempted to settle back into the contented comfort of being loved by the divine, we are challenged to hear that God chooses us “to go and bear fruit...to love one another”. This will be difficult, possibly involving hatred and persecution, but this is no more than was done to Jesus.

In short: God chooses us to become productive, loving Jesus-followers. This is to be achieved, despite hardships and obstacles – because God, our partner, calls us to it.

For Thought

1.    Jesus calls us o’er the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

2. Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
   Savior, may we hear Thy call,
   Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
   Serve and love Thee best of all.

Cecil F. Alexander

The Second Sunday in Lent

The Cost of Discipleship

The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 112.

This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.