Breaking the Word

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. (Jn 15:9-11)

Love is in imitation of the other. Jesus gave a commandment to his disciples to love one another. He said love one another as I have loved you (Jn 13,34) This commandment of love is in imitation of Jesus. It is not expressed in anyway. Love has to be expressed as Jesus has expressed and lived.

Jesus also has a model. He says that as the Father has loved so I also love you. Now we know how the Father would love us. The Father would do exactly like Jesus had done. All what Jesus has done would be done by the Father if the Father were to be here present.

Being a disciple of Jesus is to be like the master (Jesus). If we are like Jesus then we are like the Father. So we are called to be God in the world. We have to make God’s presence a reality. A visible reality.

…I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. (Jn 15:1-8 )

Jesus speaks about the intimate relationship that should exist between him and his disciples. In fact they should cultivate such a relationship. The branches that decide it ‘go it alone’ will soon wither and die. They are good for nothing but for fire to be burned to ashes.

How doe we remain in him? We must remain in the community that knows and loves him and celebrates him as the Lord. There is no such thing as solitary Christian. As a follower of Jesus we can never ‘go it alone’. We must make sure to be in touch, in tune with Jesus, knowing him and being known by him.

In this belonging, we must be ready for the pruning knife of the Gardner (Father). The Gardner is close to the vine and its branches when he prunes. Pruning is a must for producing good quality grapes. Also pruning is done to focus their energy towards the light. Pruning is also done to avoid the plant getting entangled with in itself.