Becoming branches of love

By the Rev. Elisabeth Shelton Hartwell

Revised Common Lectionary Reflection, Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B
May 5, 2024

Key verse: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

~ John 15:9-17

Dear fellow preachers: This Sunday’s Gospel lection is a continuation of last week’s. This week Jesus delves deeper into his metaphor of the vine and branches to describe his relationship with us and our relationship with one another. However, whereas last week emphasized what it means to abide in Christ, this Sunday we explore the fruit we bear when we abide in Christ. Jesus is very clear that this fruit is love, and the question with which we wrestle is how to become faithful stewards of the love we are commanded to share.

John’s priority is not so much how we are meant to show love to the larger community or world, but how we share love within our communities. Love within the church was of considerable concern to John, as he sought to fortify the faith and communal commitment of the early church. As we seek to be faithful stewards of love in the present day within our own congregations, here are some possibilities we might explore:

• Verse 11 suggests that when we love, Jesus’ joy is in us and our joy may be complete. Explore with your congregants the joy we experience and live into when we love. How does loving one another make our joy complete?
• In Verse 14, Jesus says that when we follow his commandment to love, we are no longer servants, but friends. Love draws us into a closer relationship with Jesus that is based on mutuality. Invite your congregants to explore how, within our churches, we receive Jesus’ love and in turn share his love.
• Verse 13 highlights how, when it comes to love, it is essential to be willing to make sacrifices for one another. To form authentic community in our churches, what do we need to sacrifice for one another? At times, churches can be reduced to cliques and factions. How do we experience true intimacy with one another as we move beyond these and become willing to make sacrifices?

As Christians, we are commanded to love genuinely, intimately, and sacrificially. This love is not simply an emotion: it is a transformative power, a commitment, and a lifelong pursuit. We practice how to love within our churches before we branch out to share love with our communities and world. Fellow preachers, consider how your own churches might love more fully. What are the unique challenges you face as you try to love one another? How can you inspire your congregants to share love, and thus become stronger branches of the vine?

As followers of Jesus, we are stewards of many things that are valuable: time, money, talents, and faith among them. However, the most precious gift we have is love. Our sermons on John 15:9-17 can enable our congregations to use this gift to the fullest extent possible.

In Worship

Christian love is a unique kind of love: it is not romantic, sentimental, or based on emotions. In the hymns and liturgy you use in worship, how can you emphasize the nature of love as found in John 15:9-17? Invite your congregations to reflect on love as being sacrificial and self-giving. When have they shared this sort of unique love with someone else, and when have they been on the receiving end of it? Emphasize that love is not individualistic, but rather communal and essential to the life of the church. Also highlight the importance of church involvement, how being part of a church is essential to living a Christian life.

With Youth

Explore with you what love looks like from a Christian perspective. Start off by asking them what they believe love is, and talk about different kinds of love: romantic, familial, etc. Talk about how Christian love is distinct in that it emphasizes sacrifice and friendship. How can youth share Christian love in their everyday lives? Invite them also to consider the important contribution they make to their church when they take part in church activities and initiatives that stem from a desire to love.

With Children

Children might have difficulty grasping the concept of Christian love as distinct from other kinds of love. So, with them, you might talk instead about the importance of friendship and being a good friend. Invite them to think about their friends: how did they choose their friends, and what does it mean to be someone’s friend? By exploring friendship, you can teach them about Christian love.

Here are previous reflections for Easter 6B:
2021 – A new song
2018 – Laying it all down
2015 – Chosen, not frozen!