A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin. We conclude a seven Sunday series on “Making Disciples”. Today, we discuss the final step in a nature-based four step metaphor for making disciples: Plant, Sprout, Grow, Bear Fruit. One of the ideas in the devotion comes from Constable’s notes in www.net.bible.org.
Gospel Reading- John 15:7-17
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another
Devotion: Bear Fruit
I really admire the way Jesus says in verse 16: “I chose you” likely he said it this way because in their culture, most folks chose their rabbi, even today students tend to gravitate to a teacher of choice if this is possible. Jesus is turning it around though and sometimes the words of this verse have a special meaning for me, when I begin thinking about why I am choosing the way of life I try to lead. Verse 16 also talks about the fruit they can bear if they abide, of course the fruit of their mission is new converts. Which is the task we acknowledge is now our mission today. I’d like to point out that the last words of the passage are “love one another”. If you will go back and re-read verses 13-16 you may be able to pick up these five characteristics of genuine love: 1- sacrificial, 2- demonstrated in obedience to Christ, 3- always communicates truth, 4- tries to meet the needs of others, and 5- will always bear fruit with abiding results. Let’s share that love!
We pray: “Lord make us more like you – help us love one another. Amen”