You Would Go And Bear Fruit…

You Would Go And Bear Fruit…

When we were children on the playground the teacher would assign a “captain” for teams. We would play dodgeball or softball or some other team game. The captains would pick their team. Each captain rotating for each pick. No one wanted to be picked last. Everyone wanted to be picked first or second as that would show the other children they were popular and well liked. At the end of the day it didn’t matter if you were picked first or last – you were chosen to be on a particular team.

Jesus Christ does the same thing. Guess what? We’re all last. Jesus picked the twelve a long time ago. The twelve have been teaching us ever since. The twelve were chosen first and second, us, not so much. The thing is…it doesn’t matter. We are exactly the same as the Twelve. We were chosen exactly the same. We did not pick ourselves, Jesus Christ pulled us out of the crowd, placed our feet on solid rock and said – “…keep my commandments.” Jesus went on to say…”These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

Jesus goes on to repeat the Greatest commandment that we love one another as He loves us and there is no greater love than His love for us. Jesus Christ chose us, we did not choose Him. His Love is greater than any Love that we will ever know.

When Jesus says “go” He doesn’t place any caveats. He simply says go. He doesn’t say where,  He doesn’t say what to do, He doesn’t say who to do it with, He doesn’t say in what manner we are to do it. Jesus simply says…go

Jesus Christ believes we are going in His love. Jesus presumes we are going to represent the Kingdom of God. Jesus has given us all the tools that we need in order to be successful – the Holy Spirit gives us whatever we need at just the time we need it.

You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another. ~ John 15:16-17 NASB95

This is not some test that if we act accordingly we get the prize. This is not a game of dodgeball if we are skillful, and agile, enough to dance around the ball we win a blue ribbon. No, this is our life. We are to abide in the Love that Jesus Christ has showered our lives with, that He has filled our heart with and that we are to share that Love, His Love, with as many people as possible. We are to share it freely, openly and without reservations. We were chosen, we did not choose. We are not the “captain” we are the friend that loves as we were chosen to be loved.

Either the Scripture is the divine Word of God teaching us how to live and how to be a reflection of God, or it’s nothing more than a historical account of events.