the sixth sunday of easter
the PRAYER …
Bountiful God, you gather your people into your realm, and you promise us food from your tree of life. Nourish us with your word, that empowered by your Spirit we may love one another and the world you have made, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
the READING …
Jesus answered [Judas (not Iscariot),] “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them ….” john 14:23-29
the DEVOTION …
“You don’t get something for nothing!” That’s the guidingPrinciple of the world. First to last. Beginning to end. Start to finish. And everything in between is some kind of trade. Some sort of negotiation. Even here in the church. For doors to open, we, first, have to knock. In order to find, we have to seek. To receive, we must ask. It’s all a give-and-take. A barter. A swap. Want the Father to love you … keep Jesus’ word! Want to keep Jesus’ word … love him! It’s as “simple” as that!
Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works. Not here, anyway. In the church, among god’s own, there is no quid-pro-quo. No this-for-that. There’s only grace! Only charity! Only love! God’s grace! God’s charity! God’s love! Pressed down! Shaken together! Running over! Given out of the goodness and the greatness of god’s heart! We don’t, first, love in order to be loved. We love because god so loved … first! And we go on loving because god so loves … forever! No bargain! No deal! Only gift!