An important lesson that we can discern today is that mission of Jesus' love stems out of the branches which remain in the true vine of God's love. And the branches of the true vine of God's love reach out wherever Jesus in the Holy Spirit guides and commands. We can see this in how Paul's second mission found its course.
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Today’s Gospel Reading (John 15:18-21) is what immediately follows Jesus’ vine-branches parable to address the unity of us with Jesus as one (John 15:1-17). Through the parable, Jesus expresses his desire for us to remain in him as it means to remain in his love, because it is absolutely necessary for us to be abundantly fruitful on our apostolic missions. This is also for our joy to be complete and to glorify the Father. Jesus reminds that the bottom line of our mission in spread his life-giving words and make disciples is in his new commandment: to love one another as he has loved us (John 15:17; cf. John 13:34).
In John 15:18-27, Jesus wants us to understand why
he sees him as the true vine and us as the branches securely attached in him.
This is not necessarily a physical attachment and oneness but rather spiritual
attachment and oneness through our faith, fortified with the Holy Spirit. With this, we are strong enough to be sent out
in the world, which is rather hostile to Jesus, therefore, to us, as well, for
we remain in him as he in us.
As we are mature enough spiritually and in faith to
be sent out as his apostles, Jesus reminds that we should not be regarded as
his slave but as his chosen appointed friends in observing his commandments in
our apostolic life, as Jesus observes the Father’s commandments on his mission
(John 15:14-16). In John 15:18-27, Jesus expound further on this.
Our apostolic life is also a life of servant
leadership, which Jesus demonstrated through washing his disciples’ feet (John
13:1-17). Jesus is regarded as master and is the one who sends his disciples
out on mission. No servant is greater than his or her master (John 15:20a; cf
John 13:16). Yet, one who is regarded as master is to serve, and this teaching
is what apostolic mission work is about, as the master, Jesus, the Lord,
himself demonstrated to his disciples by doing a servant’s work, feet washing,
and reminded that it was also an example of what it means to love one another
(John 13:34). To love one another as Jesus had done is also what makes us as
his disciples (John 13:35), and by obeying this commandment of Jesus to love,
we shall become abundantly fruitful on our apostolic missions (John 15:12-17).
Remember, the world hates us as it hated Jesus (John
15:18). So, do we forget about Jesus? Because the world hates us for our
identity with Jesus, do we cut ourselves from Jesus? Is it worth to cut
ourselves from the true vine and wither to be burned (John 15:6) for the sake
of not being hated by the world? Remember these encouraging words of Paul:
Do
not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your
mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing
and perfect (Romans 12:2).
We must be in the true vine to stand strong to the
world by renewing our minds through Jesus’ words (John 15:7), which are, in
essence, the Holy Spirit and life (John 6:63), living and active (Hebrews
4:12). And, to discern the will of life, we do need the Holy Spirit as
discernment is a gift that comes through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:10),
we do need to remain in Jesus to discern the will of God on us correctly.
Though we are hated by the world because of Jesus,
we dare to remain in him as the branches remain in the true vine, so that we
are kept in his life through his words (John 15:7), which are the life-giving
living Holy Spirit (John 6:63; Hebrew 4:12). So, no need to be afraid.
Even if we are persecuted because of our apostolic
work, obeying Jesus’ commandment on our missions, it also means persecuting the
one who has sent us, Jesus, though those who keep Jesus’ words rather keep ours
as we convey his words on mission (John 15:20b). Basically, as we go on our
apostolic mission to bear fruit of love, we will be treated by the world as it
treated Jesus, because we are in him and he in us. They persecute us because of
their ignorance of Jesus and his teaching of love (John 15:21). This is why he
sends us in the world to let love, his love, grow abundantly fruitful, through
our mission works, while we remain in him, in his love.
In today’s First Reading (Acts 16:1-10), we see how
Paul’s mission continues on with his second mission journey.
Paul, accompanied by Barnabas, Judas, and Silas,
came to Antioch of Syria, delivered the apostolic letter from Jerusalem, to
tell Gentile Christians of the decision of the Church, as concluded by its
council of Jerusalem, about the proper take on the Mosaic Law for them, and
brought more people to believe in Jesus (Acts 15:22-35). Then, Paul suggested Barnabas
to return to the Roman province of Galatia, where they preached and made new
believers on the first mission journey (Acts 14:1-20)(Acts 15:36). However,
Barnabas insisted to take his cousin, John Mark, with him (Acts 15:37). Because
John Mark dropped out of the first mission journey in its early stage (Acts
13:13), Paul refused to take him on the second mission, and this resulted in
Barnabas not accompanying Paul on his second mission journey (Acts 15:38-39).
So, Paul had Silas to accompany him on his second mission journey (Acts 15:40),
and they started the second mission journey to strengthen the nascent churches
in Syria and Cilicia through Syria (Acts 15:41).
Then, Paul return to Derbe with Silans, this time,
and to Lystra in Galatia. It is where Paul met and recruited Timothy, who was a
highly reputed young believer (disciple) to join on the mission journey to
deliver the decision of the Jerusalem Council on how the Mosaic Law applies to
the Gentile Christians (Acts 15:6-29)(Acts 16:1-5).
Paul, accompanied with Silas and Timothy,
strengthened the newly churches formed through his first mission journey with
Barnabas, delivering the decision of the Jerusalem Council and more follow-up
works in the Roman Province of Galatia. After this, they intended to go to the
Roman Province of Asia Minor. However, this was prevented by the Holy Spirit at
that time (Acts 16:6). Because of this, they were also prevented by the Holy Spirit,
the Spirit of Jesus, from going to Bitynia from Mysia, as it was still in the
province of Asia Minor (Acts 16:7). So, Paul, together with Silas and Timothy, came
to Toroas, a coast town facing the Bosporus Strait, from Mysia (Acts 16:8). And
it was in this coast town, Toroas, Paul had a vision, in which he heard
Macedonians calling on him and his companions for help, as they were eager to
know Jesus (Acts 16:9), and they cross the Bosporus Strait and reached
Macedonia (Acts 16:10).
Today’s First Reading (Acts 16:1-10) teaches a few
important things on mission:
Timothy was more spiritually mature than John Mark,
though both of them were young men. Mark was not reliable at that time. But,
Timothy was.
Paul’s mission is guided by the Holy Spirit, as the
Spirit of Jesus. It reminds that Jesus continues to be with Paul, though he had
already ascended. And, as Jesus said, though he departs (ascends), he still
comes to his disciples, in the form of another Advocate, the Holy Spirit (John
14:16, 26, 28; Matthew 28:20). So, it was Jesus in the Holy Spirit, guided the
way of Paul’s second journey, not the Asia Minor at that time but rather to go
to Macedonia. And, Paul figured out why in his vision, recognizing the urgent
need of his mission work for Macedonians.
The Macedonians must have been calling Jesus for the
fruit of love. And, he directed Paul to take care of “another sheep”(John
10:16) in Macedonia at that time, on his behalf.
Paul followed the direction that Jesus gave through
the Holy Spirit, because he, together with Silas and Timothy, remained in
Jesus, as the branches remain in the true vine, always receiving Jesus’s words,
which are the Holy Spirit and life. Therefore, Paul’s mission in Macedonia is
bound to bear fruit of love abundantly.
You see, how Jesus guides Paul to Macedonia in his vision. Jesus is the GPS on our apostolic life and mission works.
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