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A Sermon by The Reverend Allen Michel
Nelson Cathedral
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Readings for A New Commandment:
Deuteronomy 7:7-11
John 15: 9-17
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”
Let us set the scene in our second reading from the Gospel of John.
It is midway through the Last Supper, the Passover meal. Jesus has just foretold
his betrayal and now in our reading is laying down his farewell commandment to
his disciples. His time with them is drawing to a close. This is the last time he will talk to them as a group. This is the last time for them to hear his teaching for He was starting a journey on which no one will accompany him; it was one that he must take alone.
By following out this new commandment they will be recognised as his followers.
This commandment will keep the early Church in unity.
By this commandment people will recognise Christians, the followers of
Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah.
People will say "See how those Christians love one another"
The New Commandment given by our Lord to his disciples is very familiar to us.
We hear it almost every Sunday and yet have we really thought about it.
When we hear it do we think of the summary of the second part of the Law of
Moses "You shall love your neighbour as yourself" we might even think of the
Golden Rule "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
But this commandment has one important difference.
You and I are replaced by Christ.
We are not to love each other as we love, we are called to love others as Christ
loves us. In this new commandment we are called to be Christ like; to love, to care,
to respect others as he did.
What a calling this is! What a challenge!
Do we love our neighbours, our friends, and our fellow parishioners in this
manner? Imagine a Church congregation or any other group of people whose
motto was "Love each other as Christ loves you".
What a happy, joyful, and harmonious group that would be.
People would be queuing up to belong to it.
So what exactly is Jesus asking us to do. How did he love his disciples?
First of all Jesus loves selflessly.
How often do we think, maybe subconsciously, of what we get from love?
Do we think of the happiness, the thrill, the feeling of being wanted
or on the other hand are we afraid to love because we fear the emptiness and
loneliness of rejection.
How often do we show love to others looking at the benefits for us?
What a contrast to the love of Jesus. He never thought of himself
or what others would think, when he showed love for others that society didn′t
approve of.
His one desire was to give Himself and all he had for others.
Secondly Jesus loves sacrificially.
There was no limit to what his love would give or to where his love would go.
No demand on his love was too much.
Jesus was prepared to go to the Cross for love.
Love is not all ways a bed of roses.
Happiness may only come after rejection, pain and suffering.
To love as he loved we must be prepared to bear a Cross.
Jesus loves understandingly
Having been with his disciple for nearly three years Jesus knew them intimately.
He knew their weaknesses and failings and yet he still loved them.
Do we choose the people we love because of their nature?
Do we still love those who let us down?
How many marriages fail when partners really get to know each other,
warts and all?
The heart of Jesus is big enough, to love us as we are.
Jesus loves forgivingly
Peter was to deny Him; the disciples were all to leave him and flee in his hour
of need. During his years with them they never really understood him.
They could be blind and insensitive to what He was saying and in the end they
were cowards leaving him to the mercy of the High Priest, Pilate, and the crowd.
But Jesus held nothing against them; there was no failure which he
could not forgive. The love that has not learnt to forgive is doomed.
We humans seem to have an inbuilt desire, which makes us, hurt most of all,
the ones we love and those who love us.
So enduring love must be built on forgiveness, for without forgiveness
love will eventually shrivel up and die.
In Jesus we see God loving as we should love, caring as we should care,
until he bore the wounds of love upon the cross.
To love as Christ loved is not easy; it’s a challenge, a vocation that takes lots of
hard work, it has it′s pain, it′s disappointments and feeling of disillusionment but
through it all, comes joy, happiness and a feeling of great contentment.
It brings us closer to God.
Love one another as I have loved you.
One of my favourite poems tells us of the challenge and reward if we love as Christ
loves us. The poem was written by the French priest Michael Quoist and is called
Lord, why did you tell me to Love?
Lord, why did you tell me to love all people, my brothers and my sisters?
I have tried, but I come back to you frightened …
Lord, I was so peaceful at home, I was comfortable and settled.
It was well furnished, and I felt cosy.
I was alone, I was at peace.
Sheltered from the wind, the rain and the mud.
I would have stayed unsullied in my ivory tower.
But, Lord you have discovered a breach in my defences,
You have forced my to open my door,
Like a squall of rain in the face, the cry of people in need has awakened me;
As a ray of light slips in unnoticed, your Grace has stirred and ..
rashly enough, I left my door ajar.
Now, Lord I am lost! Outside people were lying in wait for me.
I did not know they were so near; in this house, in this street, in my office; my neighbour, my colleague, my friend.
As soon as I started to open the door of my heart I saw them, with out stretched hands, burning eyes, and longing hearts.
The first ones came in, Lord.
There was after all some space in my heart.
I welcomed them. I would have cared for them and fondled them, my very own little lambs, my flock.
You would have been pleased, Lord; I would have served and honoured you in a proper, respectful way.
Till then it was sensible …
But the next ones, Lord, the other people, I had not seen them; they were hidden behind the first ones.
There were more of them, they were wretched; they over-powered me without warning.
We had to crowd in, I had to find room for them.
Now they have come from all over, in successive waves, pushing one another, jostling one another.
Lord, they hurt me! They are in the way, they are everywhere.
They are too hungry, they are consuming me!
I can′t do anything anymore; as they come in, they push the door,
and the door opens wider ..
Lord, the door to my heart is wide open!
I can′t stand it anymore! It′s too much! It′s no kind of life!
What about my job? My family? My peace? My liberty?
What about me?
Lord, I have lost everything, I don’t belong to myself any longer;
there is no room for me at home.
Don′t worry, God says you have gained all.
While all manner of people came into you,
I, your Father, I your God slipped in among them.
Lord help us to love, as you love, so that people may say of us
"See how those Christians love one another"
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Amen
The Reverend Allen Michel
This sermon was written and delivered by The Reverend Allen Michel at Nelson Cathedral, 9 November 2008 at 6pm
