Good morning. Does our Lord make poor choices? Of course not! How then are we to feel when we read John 15? In that chapter of John’s gospel Jesus proclaims that He is the true vine, the Father is the vinedresser, and that we are the branches who are fully dependent upon Him. In the middle of the chapter Jesus tells His disciples that He considers them His friends, saying: I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.John 15:15
What an incredible thought, that we, as disciples of Jesus, are His friends! If that truth seems wonderfully surprising, then what is said in the next verse is even more so: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. John 15:16
To be friends with Jesus is not, first of all, a choice that we make, it is a choice that He makes. Jesus Christ has chosen to call you His personal friend.
I think that we sometimes struggle in accepting this idea. Why would Jesus choose us? We may look at our lives and think that they seem like a hot mess most of the time. But we serve a merciful, loving, and generous God who has chosen us. He has a plan for us, and we can trust Him with it.
As the Holy Spirit leads us in our calling, let us walk in humility coupled with boldness. May we commit to being life-long learners and to grow in our faith, allowing Jesus to mature us into His likeness, day by day. We should boldly accept that the rightness of God revealed in Jesus choosing us is not due to our worthiness, it is due to His loveliness. In Him, the true vine, we, the dependent branches, draw what we need to become worthy.
This worthiness, which is due to what we become in Christ not what we are without Him, leads us, in that friendship with the Lord, to desire to live united in His will and purpose. The next verse of the passage we have shared today, John 15:17, sums up the command of Jesus for those whom He calls His friends: This is my command: Love each other.
Jesus chose you. He did so because He believes in you. He did so because He desires to live powerfully and joyfully within you.
Jesus doesn’t choose poorly, so trust His judgement and live like a best friend should live: loving-laughing-caring-hoping-forgiving-serving. Live so that all will know that Jesus chose well when He called you His own!
Vern