Our scripture today continues in the Eastertide theme of life in relationship with God. The Gospel reading for last week (which we didn’t read in worship) was about Jesus being the vine and the disciples being the branches. If you’d like to go back and read it in preparation for this Sunday, the gospel text for last week was John 15:1-8. It speaks of the relationship between the vine and the branches, abiding in one another, and the branches being dependent on the vine in order to thrive and bear good fruit.
In our reading today, Jesus continues with that language and presses this point, the life-giving connection between him and his disciples, as he prepares them for his upcoming departure. It’s as if he’s saying, “Even though I won’t be here in person, our connection is real and will be more profound and necessary than ever.” And then, as one often does when giving last minute instructions, he circles back to something important and something he’s said before, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus talks about his love for the disciples and their love for one another using the language of friendship. And, even as we read his words, we might find ourselves asking, “How do we, frail, fallible human beings even come close to fulfilling this commandment?”
We will also recognize Mother’s Day today! We lift up the mothers among us and give thanks for their being! We also acknowledge that Mother’s Day can be hard for many people for a whole host of reasons. Please know that, on this day that can be tender for many, there is a place and a space for you here.
Scripture: John 15:9-17
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