Friday within the Octave of the Feast of Whitsunday

Scripture: St. John 15:1-25 (NKJV)

15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 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.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

Devotion

Forgiveness is promised by the Word. The benefits are received through faith. Jesus explains to His believing disciples, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” Today’s text happens after Judas left the upper room to betray Jesus. Earlier in John 13:10b-11, Jesus said, “‘…and you are clean, but not all of you.’ For He knew who would betray Him.” Judas heard the Word, but did not trust in it. Whether Judas ever actually believed is not our concern. To those eleven who did believe, Jesus tells them, “Abide in Me, and I in you,” and “Abide in My love.” We come to faith through the Word, and we abide in Jesus through that same Word. Jesus connects the two when He says, “If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you…”

The Word presents to us the great love of Jesus who, in laying down His life for His friends, gives us new life and great joy. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” We are given the joy of salvation, so that we can bear up when the world hates us. The Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost so that through her ministers the Church will preach the good news of salvation. Some will receive the Word and abide in it. Others will hate us because of our abiding connection to Jesus. When it says that they hated Jesus without a cause, it means that He had done them no wrong. Yet, there is a reason for their hate toward Jesus and Christians. Jesus said, “He who hates Me hates My Father also.”

Prayer: Lord, keep us always in You and Your love. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.