5/17/20
Lord, may my spoken words be faithful to the written word, and lead us to the living word, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
A few months ago (which probably seems like a lifetime to many in view of what we are facing today), Pastor Jack asked me to present the sermon today. I read today’s gospel at that time, and gave some thought to what I would say, but then the Covid-19 virus invaded our world, and quite frankly, I had forgotten that I was to speak today. Pastor Jack reminded me just a few days ago, and so I re-read John 14, verses 15-21. And I realized right away, that this Gospel is very appropriate for the circumstances that we find ourselves in today.
In this short scripture reading, we find the word “love” four times. This is certainly the time for all of us to love and care for each other, and also important to remember that GOD loves us, and HE will never abandon us.
For those of us who believe, we encounter the Resurrected Christ, the one who has triumphed over the cross and the grave, our Lord Jesus Christ, who says to us as He did to his disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans.”
Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” At first glance, you might think that He is putting a condition on his promise to love and walk with us forever. But, He is only reminding us that keeping the commandments of GOD is simply a natural expression of our love for Him. It should not be difficult, if we truly love and believe in him.
In John’s writings, the commandment to “love one another” is emphasized over and over again. I have a cousin who no longer associates with any particular church. He and I grew up together. Attending the First Baptist Church in Ossining, NY: Sunday school every Sunday morning, followed by the regular church service with the adults. But as we grew older, he moved away from any organized religion, and began to say that his religion was to follow the Golden Rule: “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
This passage is found in both Matthew and Luke. And it’s really not all that different than the passage in John that we are discussing today. When you strive to love the Lord your GOD with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, you gain the help of the Holy Spirit which helps you to love all others.
Well, despite my cousin’s decision not to attend church regularly, and not to stay true to any particular sect, he has followed that path. He has always been drawn to those less fortunate, and no that he is comfortable in life, he has made it his mission to spend as much money on charitable endeavors as he does on himself. For every dollar that he spends on himself, he spends another dollar on one of his favorite charities. He does that religiously, as the saying goes.
Well, there is a need right now, and we are called upon to fill it. When you think about it, following the Golden Rule is very much what every religion is, or should be, about. We want to please those who love and care for us, and they will return that obedience and love in kind, just as GOD has returned that affection by providing us with another advocate, to be with us forever.
There is no shortage of people today who we need to think about and remind them that they are not alone. Those who have lost loved ones to this virus, those who have lost jobs, those who are home alone, those wh are having difficulty putting food on the table, those who are simply living in fear of the unknown.
For the millions of people throughout the world who are facing this dreaded disease, without a knowledge of Christ, who si there to say to them: “Jesus has not left you as an orphan. GOD will never abandon you.” WE ARE HERE TO SAY THIS TO THEM. We are here to bring them comfort, love, compassion, understanding. Our lives are filled with technology: computers, smart phones, big screen tv’s. All these things bring us the news our world. But they can’t bring us what we need most: the love and comfort of Jesus Christ. The knowledge that we are not orphans facing these perilous times alone. Because we are never alone. GOD made that promise to us, and HE has kept that promise. This is a calling for all of us right now to be that voice in the dark.
More than 2000 years ago, Jesus assured us that we would never be alone when he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are not forgotten. We do not have to live in a state of fear, GOD is right there with us through the suffering, pain and frustration.
These are very difficult and trying times for many of us, but remembering that we are not orphans, we are not alone, will help to guide and give us strength. This is an opportunity for all of us to open our eyes, and truly seeeverything around us. An opportunity to reinforce this message to others who may need our help. We can do this through our prayer, our words, our actions, and deeds.
Let us use this opportunity wisely. We will all get through these trying times. Because, we are never alone.
– Bill Kamp