In his parable of the vine and the branches (John 15:1-17), Jesus calls us to be in him, as the branches are in the vine, as he is in the Father. His words now reach out to each of us as the life-giving water and nutrients flows from the vine to the branches. He brings the Father to us, saying that he has loved us as the Father has loved him (John 15:9a). This echoes, the Father speaking from heaven to Jesus of His love for him upon his baptism (i.e. Matthew 3:17) and at his transfiguration (i.e. Matthew 17:5), in the tone of Jesus commanding us to love one another as he has loved us as his disciples (John 13:34-35). So, he calls us to remain in his love (John 15:9b).
Now we know that remaining in him as the branches
remain in the vine (John 15:4, 6-7), to be abundantly fruitful for the Father’s
glory and for showing ourselves as his disciples (John 15:8), means to remain
in the love of Jesus, after all – as he loves us, just as the Father has loved
him (John 15:9).
We also know now what kind of vine Jesus is, saying
that he is the true vine grown by the Father (John 15:1). Jesus is the love
vine, receiving the Holy Spirit in the species of the living water (John
7:37-39) and the necessary nutrients, as the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
12:1-11) for its branches, us, to bear abundant fruits with its essence: love
(Galatians 5:22), along with joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And love is
essential and above all of these, as they may not have meaning without love (1
Corinthians 13:1-13).
And Jesus explains that remaining in him, which is
to remain in his love, means to obey his commandments, as he remains in the
Father’s love by obeying His commandments (John 15:10). This expounds what
Jesus has taught: We must learn and teach on our apostolic mission that Jesus
does exactly as the Father commanded him as he loves the Father (John 14:31);
To love him, we must obey what Jesus commanded and taught (John 14:15, 21, 23);
Those who love Jesus by obeying his commandments are also loved by him and the
Father (John 15:21).
For us to remain in him, in his love, Jesus wants us to obey his commandments, as he himself obeys the Father’s commandments (John 15:10). And, what is the greatest commandment of Jesus?
It is to love one another as he has loves us (John
13:14).
And what is the greatest way to observe this
commandment of Jesus to love?
To lay one’s own life for others, as exemplified by Jesus the Good Shepherd, who
has laid his life for us, his sheep (John 10:11, 14-15), and this is because
Jesus obeys the Father’s commandment to lay his life as the greatest love (John
10:10:17-18). This is why Jesus reminds us that we observe his commandments as
he observe the Father’s commandments (John 15:10). So, Jesus reminds us what
his commandment is: To love each other as he has (John 15:12), reiterating his
new commandment (John 13:34).
Indeed, it is our joy to be complete as Jesus’ joy
to be in us that we remain in him, in his love, by obeying his commandments, as
he obeys the Father’s (John 15:11)
Thus, today’s Gospel Reading (John 15:9-11) teaches
us how we can remain in the love of Jesus, as he is the love vine, and how it
leads to our complete joy, having his joy in us. Love and joy – these are the
first two elements in the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). And these
are what we experience as Jesus leaves his peace with us (John 14:27), as he
comes back to us though departing for the Father (John 14:18, 28), in the Holy
Spirit, another Advocate (John 14:16).
Love, joy, and peace – elements of the fruit of the
Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The Holy Spirit as another Advocate (John 14:16,
26). All of these are involved in order for us to remain in our true vine of love,
Jesus, as the fruitful branches, so that we can bear fruit of love abundantly,
remaining in his love, which is, in essence, the love of the Father.
Stay tune, as we go further on love.
Jesus is preparing us to be sent out on our
apostolic missions to bring forth abundant fruits of love by preaching on Jesus
and his words of love.
So, Paul and Barnabas just completed their mission
of love and won many Gentile souls and some Jewish souls to Christ on the first
mission journey (Acts 13:4-14:28). This is after Peter reached out to Cornelius
and his family with the love of Jesus (Acts 10:23b-48).
Now, Paul and Barnabas were back from their first
mission journey, and the first council of Jerusalem was convened to address the
Judaizers’ concerns about bringing the Gentiles to the Church without fully
enforcing the Mosaic Law (Acts 15:1-15).
In today’s First Reading (Acts 15:7-21), describes
how the nascent Church responded with concerns and challenges by having a
council. Before this council of Jerusalem to address Judaizer’s voice on making
Gentiles Christians without demanding them to observe the Mosaic Law, the early
Church held a council in response to the Hellenized Jewish widows complained
about their feeling of “discrimination”(Acts 6:1-7).
First, Peter spoke for reaching out to Gentiles
(Acts 15:7-11), based on his own experience in reaching out to Gentiles on
behalf of Jesus, as instructed by God in the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:9-49). Read Peter’s
speech at the council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:7-11) in connection to his speech
at Cornelius’ house, explaining why Peter, a Jew, entered a house of Gentile
and mingled with now-Jews, though it is rather contrary to the Torah (Acts
10:34-43), and his explanation for baptizing Gentiles, including Cornelius
(Acts 11:1-18).
Peter made it clear that it was not Peter’s will to
have ministered to and baptized Cornelius and his Gentile family but solely by
the will of God, commanded to him in his vision. Likewise, at the council of Jerusalem,
Peter supports Paul’s position of not imposing the Mosaic Law to Gentiles, as
long as they are genuinely willing to accept and believe in Jesus with pure
harts. And he also reiterated the truth that God’s love does not discriminate
whether Jews or Gentiles (Acts 15:9; cf. 10:34).
Peter’s explanation made those who at the council
silent. Then, Paul and Barnabas described how God worked through them with
signs and wonders during their mission journeys to Gentiles, in response to
Peter’s words (Acts 15:12).
Then, James the less spoke on the matter of
including Gentiles from in reference to the Law that the Judaizers were
concerned, to argue that Gentiles should not be troubled with the Mosaic Law,
as long as they turn to God, citing Amos 9:11-12 (Acts 15:19). However, Gentile
Christians are also governed by the Mosaic Law on certain aspects: avoiding
spiritual pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals,
and blood, in reference to Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 3:17; 17:10–14 (Acts 15:20).
Both Peter and James wanted to keep the unity of the
Church, Jews and Gentiles. And, Gentile Christians are what Jesus called
another sheep to be brought in (John 10:16). And, Peter, James, Paul, and
Barnabas, were voicing their God-inspired support to bring more Gentiles to the
Church, making it a place where all faithful are welcome (Isaiah 56:1-8),
reflecting Jesus’ prayer (John 17:20-24).
The way the Church responded to the Judaizers’
legalistic concerns to impose the Mosaic Law to Gentile Christians to make sure
the unity in the Church is not troubled by the Pharisaic legalism (Acts 15:1-21) is, after all, a reflection of
the fruit that Jesus the true vine wants his branches to bear: love (John
15:9-17). Indeed, love is to keep the unity (Colossians 3:14).
Let our holy catholic apostolic Church as the house
where all are welcome and united, while diversity thrives, as rich with fruits
of love, attached to the vine of love, Jesus.
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