Yes, It’s Still Easter!

As I mentioned several weeks ago, Easter continues for 50 days. Today is the sixth Sunday of the Easter season. This week’s gospel reading is part of a passage that I’ve been working on memorizing. We have to abide–to remain in Jesus and His love–if we have any hope of being fruitful.

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.”

John 15:9-17 (NIV)

How often do we say “I love you, Lord”” and then turn around and attack fellow believers? By His example, Jesus has taught us that we are to love one another. That love is demonstrated in action, including laying down our lives. How well are we loving one another?

Here’s this week’s Sunday contemporary collect:

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good
things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such
love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above
all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we
can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

To consider:

• Ask the Lord how He wants you to demonstrate His love for someone in your community that you find challenging.
• Prayerfully identify practical ways that you can seek unity with other believers who may have some theological differences. How might you build bridges that help show the world what Jesus’ love looks like?

Thank you so much!

As we think about loving our neighbor, that takes me back to what I’ve been talking about in my new Wise Words series. Your notes have been so encouraging – thank you! Are there particular questions or ideas you’d like for me to dig into a bit more?

Image by TC Perch from Pixabay

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