Loving God, you call us to abide in your love and to live by the power of your Spirit.  Open our hearts to your Word this day, leading us into the abundant life that only you provide, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            Both the gospel of John and the letters of John talk about overcoming the world, or even, conquering the world (Jn. 16:33; 1 Jn. 5:5).  In fact, the reading that we heard today from First John talks about conquering the world through faith in Jesus Christ.  However, contrary to some of the images of world domination that might come to mind, Jesus never encouraged his followers to gear up, gather their weapons, and take over the world for Jesus.  Instead, we hear things like, “abide in my love” (Jn. 15:9).  So, what exactly is all this talk about conquering the world?

         In the gospel of John, “the world” is associated with darkness, and death, and sin, and lies.  It is the world that hates Jesus and persecutes his followers.  It is the devil who is described as “the ruler of this world” (Jn. 12:31).  For some, at least, this seems like a pretty good description of what we see in the world around us today.  Yet, it is this same world that God loves.  God so loved the world that Jesus was sent – not to condemn the world, but to save it (Jn. 3:16-17).

         In John 16:33 – just a little beyond today’s gospel – Jesus says to his disciples: “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”  The image that comes to mind is of those who believe in Jesus, living in a world that is full of lies and sin and persecution.  Yet, in the midst of these things, those same believers experience joy and love, and even peace, because of their faith and trust in Jesus.  We see this experience repeated any number of times in the book of Acts, as we hear about Stephen gazing up into heaven as he is stoned to death, or Paul and Silas singing hymns in prison, or some of the disciples rejoicing after they have been arrested and beaten.

         These people were not ignoring reality or deluded into becoming masochists.  Rather, their hearts were set on Jesus, and they were abiding in his love, looking to him as their Lord and Saviour, and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.  They were looking beyond their temporary suffering to the bigger picture – willing to lay down their lives for their friends, as Jesus had already done for them.  For them, this was conquering the world through faith in Jesus Christ – allowing love to reign in their hearts, in spite of hatred and persecution and oppression directed towards them.

         Still, many of us have trouble relating to these stories where the followers of Jesus are arrested and beaten and imprisoned and even put to death, simply because of their faith in Jesus.  Thankfully, most of us don’t experience this kind of active persecution because of our faith.  However, it is the case that we see plenty of darkness, and sin, and death, and lies, in this world in which we live.  Have we, then, conquered the world through faith in Jesus Christ?

         What if we were to abide in the love of Jesus, aware of his love for us, and loving one another in the same way – regardless of how anybody else is acting?  What if we were to remain open to the Holy Spirit – allowing God to challenge our prejudice and our preconceived notions of who is acceptable and who is not?  What if we were to speak the truth in love – even when others are spouting falsehoods and lies?  What if we were to act with integrity and faithfulness – even when others are lying, cheating and stealing?  What if we were to look at the world with a deep and abiding faith that Jesus has, in fact, conquered the power of sin, death and the devil?

         While we do not have the ability to control what happens in the world, we do have the ability to choose where our focus lies.  These days, it is easy to give in to lament, and despair, and even anger, as we hear the stories about war, and atrocities, and sociopaths, and drug violence, and greed.  However, what if we were to lift up all of these situations in prayer – giving them to God – while focusing on abiding in the love of Jesus and being open to God’s direction by the power of the Holy Spirit?  What if we were to focus on what God can do through us, rather than on the things that we cannot do?

         After all, abiding in love, producing fruit that lasts, and conquering the world through faith, all happen through the power of the Holy Spirit.  And so, imagine what a difference the fruit of the Spirit can make in our world and in our community: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).  May these be the things that show up in our lives by the power of the Spirit, spreading the light of Christ in our world by loving as Jesus has first loved us.  Amen.  May it be so.  Amen.

Easter 6(B)                                        John 15:9-17

May 5, 2024                                      1 John 5:1-6

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2024 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved