The Diocese of East Tennessee
Sermons

May 21, 2000
Easter V
Delivered at St. JPaul's, Chattanooga

Sermon: The Greatest of These
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

First of all, thanks to the people of St. Paul's for your warm welcome and kind hospitality extended to Annie and me. We have been here for several occasions now, and this is my second official visitation as bishop. It is always a pleasure and a blessing to be with you. Thanks also to your clergy for the work they do here at St. Paul's and as priests in the Diocese of East Tennessee as well. I am grateful for what you do and for who you are.

In our Gospel lesson today, we read these words of Jesus, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments"(14:15). And how straightforwardly appealing that message seems to be. We value the attribute of directness. Indeed, our world is one of cause and effect. Something happens because a prior thing has happened. We appreciate such logic. Thus, Alan Greenspan proclaims some perspective on the world of economics, and lo, it is true! Thus, also, the NBA teams in the playoffs survive in direct relationship to their home court advantage … an advantage that really means something. Logic, directness, cause and effect … such characteristics tell of an ideal world - or, so it seems.

Therefore, it is through the lenses of cause and effect that we view Jesus' words this morning. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." We can understand that, logically. After all, we have been told from a long time ago that if we love someone, then we will surely respond a certain way. "If you love me, then you'll be a good boy." "If you love me, then you'll buy this for me." "If you love me, then you won't do that." Such statements - familiar statements - indicate conditional love. That is, there exists some condition that demands to be met in order for love to be proved.

But, you see, our logical lenses of cause and effect distort Jesus' words in this case. We see an image that is not true. Jesus did not suggest a condition in what he said, even though we may perceive one in the lenses we are accustomed to wearing. Rather, Jesus simply made a statement. Try to hear Jesus' words as a simple statement this time. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." He did not say, "Prove your love by keeping my commandments." If we love Jesus, we will keep his commandments. It's a simple statement, not a conditional suggestion.

What results from the exercise of such love, besides keeping Jesus' commandments? What happens as we keep the commandments of Jesus, which - remember - are basically the command to love? In practice, what comes about is the reality of Christian community. We cannot love Jesus and keep his commandments in isolation. If we love Jesus, then we discover that sense of community - of family - that only comes about within the context of love.

Thus, first comes love of Jesus - and its necessary complement, keeping the commandments. Then, comes the context of love, the Christian community, where love is lived out. And with those basic understandings of this relationship, then we may perceive the rest of the Gospel reading for what it is - the empowerment of the love of Jesus lived within Christian community.

Power for the life of Christian community comes from the Advocate - the one promised by Jesus, the one sent by the Father - the Holy Spirit of truth. Jesus says that the world does not know this spirit, but "You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you"(14:17b). That is, the Spirit of truth will be in you because you love Jesus. That's where the power to live in Christian community comes from. The power is available, in the person of the Holy Spirit, to those who love Jesus.

Our Lord goes on with words of assurance. "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you"(14:18). And Jesus fulfills his promise in the person of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of power, the Spirit of community.

Finally, Jesus concludes with words that sum up his message. "They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them"(14:21).

And so, the message today is a simple one. It's not logical, however. It's not bound by cause and effect. It's too simple for that.

We love Jesus because he first loved us and showed us how to love. We have no choice in this relationship but to keep his commandments. Ironically and self-destructively, we sometimes fail here, but Jesus' love brings us back. In fact, that love will not let us go. And our love makes us want to return to the relationship of love. That relationship brings us into Christian community, in order to express itself. And within that community, there is power and there is assurance, which come from the source of love, who is our Lord.

In conclusion, therefore, I commend to you today the Gospel of our Lord, which is the Gospel of love. That Gospel is accessible to us in its simplicity, and it is real to us precisely because we have known it. The good news of the Gospel is love - love from God in Christ; love that we return to Christ; love lived out in community; and love empowered by the Spirit of Christ himself.

Thus, today, for the love of God - known in Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit - thanks be to God!

Copyright © 2000 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee