FRIENDS - CALLED TO SERVE
Acts 10:25-26,34-35,44-48; 1 John
4:7-10;
John 15:9-17 (Easter B/6)
“In him the complete being of God ... has been made visible to us, alleluia” (DO)
We love our friends. We want the love of
our friends. Our friends expect our love. If we do not have friends, we miss
something important in our lives. True friendship is really beneficial for our
spiritual life. Today, Jesus teaches us that he is the vine and, we his
disciples are the branches. We learn that our union with Jesus will lead us to
have true friendship with him yielding in fruitful service. Jesus describes the
kind of service that his followers are called upon to offer to others. What is
the greatest act of love for others? Jesus defines friendship as the
willingness to give totally of oneself - even to the point of death. How is
such love possible?
The Holy Bible tells us that God is love
(1 Jn 4:8). Everything that God does flows from his immense love for us. He
loves us so much that he was willing to pay the price of his Son’s precious
blood to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death; and adopt us as his
beloved sons and daughters in Christ (Rom 8:14-17). He poured his love into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). It is an enduring love that has power
to change and transform us to be like him - merciful, gracious, kind,
forgiving, and steadfast in showing love not only for our friends but also for
our enemies. That’s why God made us in love for love.
If we open our hearts to him, Jesus gives
us a new commandment - a new way of loving and serving one another. It is very
difficult to serve for the welfare of others. But, our love for God and our
willingness to struggle for others would be a response to the exceeding love
that God has given us in Christ. Paul the Apostle states, “Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ?... For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35,38-39).
The Lord Jesus loves us whole-heartedly
and unconditionally. In the same way, he wants us to love one another
unconditionally if we love God. His love fills our hearts and transforms our
minds and, frees us to give ourselves in loving service to others. If we open
our hearts to his love and obey his command to love our neighbor, then we will
bear much fruit in our lives, fruit that will last for eternity. God called Abraham
friend (Is 41:8). God called Moses friend (Ex 33:11). Jesus calls us friends
rather than his servants. In a good and happy marriage the two spouses will be
one another’s best friends. Parents are friends to the children and children
friends to the parents. Families in the neighborhoods remain friends to serve if
we the branches live in Jesus the vine.
“God has reconciled us to
himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation” (DO)
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