“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be complete.”
-John 15:9-11
The passage I chose for today comes from the Gospel of John and is an excerpt of a longer section commonly referred to as Jesus’ Farewell Discourse. The discourse comes just before Jesus’ arrest, making it his last set of teachings to his disciples. I chose this passage for a few reasons, but in part because of the way in which it just feels like a comforting and reassuring passage. Which is in part what Jesus’ Farewell discourse is about. Not only is he seeking to offer some final words of wisdom, Jesus seeks to comfort his disciples as they prepare for what is to come. So you may be wondering how this is relevant to us, today. I believe that this passage still speaks to us because we too know what it’s like to find ourselves feeling a bit lost and uncertain about the future. And so, Jesus speaks through time to us, offering a message of comfort and hope that we will know love and know joy. Which is what stands out to me with these three verses. Here, Jesus speaks about the love he has for his disciples while also including an invitation. And the invitation is this: for them to “abide” or stay in his love, which is with them always. Jesus says “as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.” Jesus promises his disciples and us that the love of God is always with us. But there’s more. Jesus goes on in verse eleven to say: “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” Which is interesting! Jesus states that his desire is for his disciples and to know joy. Another words, Jesus invites us to stay in his love so that we might come to know complete joy. A message I believe is for us as well. In the Farewell Discourse, Jesus seeks to offer reassurance that he is always with us, even when he may not be physically present. His reassurance also reminds us that love abides through all things. And so we are invited to trust in this love and in him, as we seek to follow in his Way. Yet we might wonder what this joy looks like, because when we think of joy we often think of something exuberant. When we speak of joy, often what comes to mind are images such as an excited child on Christmas morning! Which is most definitely one image that depicts joy, but joy goes much deeper than this. Especially here in this passage when Jesus speaks about “complete joy.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers several definitions for joy, including this: “a state of happiness. . .” In this instance, joy is a state of being, rather than a singular moment of excitement or delight. And when joy is a state of being, one can also think about the idea of contentment. Personally speaking, there is joy when I feel content within myself but also when I trust that the love Christ offers is with me always. Which is what is so beautiful about this passage. That even when the future is uncertain, we are held in God’s love offered to us in Christ. And so, I encourage you to hear this passage as one of comfort and encouragement for daily life. Hold onto the knowledge that we are always held in love, as we seek to journey through life. A love which seeks to create joy within our hearts and remind us of where our weary souls can always find rest. In the one who first loved us, the one who still loves us and welcomes us as we seek to walk in his Way. The Way of Christ. The Way of love.
Devotional was written by Rev. Tara Ann Gourson, May 2021.
Bideford Pastoral Charge 