A sermon from The Rev. Dr. David A. Marcus, Jr. preached on May 10, 2009 that encourages us to bear fruit in God’s Kingdom.
A sermon based on John 15:1-11
I’m sure we all have some stories from our youth that remind us about our mothers that we reflect upon on a day like today. As we think of our mothers, we remember that on May 10, 1908, at a memorial service for her mother, Anna Jarvis gave a carnation, her mother’s favorite flower to each person who attended to express her affection and admiration for her mother. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother’s Day was observed in a number of large cities in the United States. Finally on May 9, 1914 by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
Perhaps many of our role models in life are mothers. When I was younger some of my role models were athletes. When I became older and was able to learn how many of them provided poor examples of morals, ethics and faith I began to realize that the real heroes in life are often people of faith. If we think about this for awhile I’m sure we can name many people who have shown us how God calls us to live our lives. To find role models we do not have to look very far for many are among us this morning. Role models may be people who quietly go about their daily routine, accompanied without a lot of fanfare. We all have our own heroes who we admire and respect. We all know people who made an impact on our life that made us look at the world differently.
Who are some role models in your life? The world is full of good people, great humanitarians that really care, people who donate funds to various charities, people who raise their voice to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. As I think of role models I believe a worthy candidate would be the lead singer of the rock group U2, Bono. Bono has co-founded the ONE Campaign and Product Red. The ONE Campaign is a non-profit organization backed by more than two million people from around the world dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Bono is the main public spokesperson for Product Red which is a brand that is licensed to certain companies such as GAP and American Express to help raise money to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. For all of his activism, he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, granted knighthood in the United Kingdom, and he was also named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2005. Bono has done a lot of humanitarian work over the years being an activist for the fight against AIDS, poverty, hunger, and debt relief in third world countries. All of his humanitarian work makes him a great role model for people of all ages.
We can also look into Scripture and see people who are role models for our faith. On this occasion of honoring our mother’s another wonderful role model is a person who throughout Christian history rarely receives the fanfare she deserves. This person is Mary, the mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. As I look at the Scriptures, it is amazing to me that Mary was the only person with Jesus throughout his whole life. Many people often marvel about how God chose a teenager to become the mother of His Son. As we look at Mary and her life we see very little in her background that would merit her selection as the mother of God’s Son. Mary was a Jewish girl who was anticipating her wedding day to a man named Joseph, a carpenter. Mary was someone who was not rich, or educated. She lived in a remote, out of the way place called Nazareth. Perhaps there was someone else, someone more influential, less off the beaten path that would be better suited to raise Jesus.
God however thought differently. In Mary God chose a humble person to use as his instrument to accomplish his work in the world. Mary I’m sure did not expect to be confronted with a messenger from heaven. Yet the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said that the Lord was pleased with her. While Mary had the option to say “no” to God’s request to bear his son, she answered “yes” and in doing so her faith was strengthened. As she watched Jesus grow and come to maturity, she probably reflected with great pride the day she said,
Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. (Luke 1:38)
God calls each of us to answer in the same way in our lives. Our gospel lesson from John emphasizes this point. We see in this passage that we are called to bear fruit in our service in God’s Kingdom. It is interesting to note that the grapevine is the most talked about plant in the Bible with nearly 500 references. The grapevine is never planted and cultivated simply as ground cover or for beautification purposes. Harvesting grapes is the major reason for operating a vineyard. On the subject of bearing fruit, I read recently that in Hampton Court near London, there is a grapevine nearly 1,000 years old. This grapevine has one root which is at least two feet thick, and some of the branches are 200 feet long. Despite its age the vine produces several tons of grapes each year. Although some of the smaller branches are 200 feet from the main stem, they still bear the sweet and delicious fruit because they are connected to the vine. Life flows from that single root throughout the vine bringing nourishment and strength to each of the branches.
In a similar way, Jesus promises the same for each of us. He is the “true vine” bringing life to each of the branches, which we represent. The purpose of the vine is to bring nourishment to the branches in order that they might produce fruit. Our strength as Christians is dependent upon our connection to Christ. My favorite verse in this passage is the following from verse nine:
As the father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.
Speaking of love, there is a story about a farmer who was sitting on the front porch one summer evening when a newspaper boy came to deliver his paper. The boy noticed a sign on the front porch which read, “Puppies for Sale.” He got off his bike and said to the farmer, “How much do you want for the pups, mister?” “I want $25 was his reply.” The boy’s face dropped knowing he didn’t have that kind of money. “Well, sir, could I at least see them anyway?” The farmer whistled and in a moment the mother dog came bounding around the corner of the house tagged by 4 cute puppies, wagging their tails and barking happily. Another puppy came straggling around the house, dragging one leg behind. “What’s the matter with that puppy, mister?” the boy asked the farmer. “Well son, that puppy is crippled. We took her to the vet and he took an x-ray. The pup doesn’t have a hip joint and that leg will never be right.” To the amazement of the farmer, the boy dropped his bike, reached for his collection bag, and took out a fifty-cent piece. “Please mister, I want to buy that pup. I’ll pay you 50 cents each week until that $25 is paid. Honest I will, mister.” The farmer said, “But son, you don’t seem to understand. That pup will never be able to run or jump. That pup is going to be a cripple forever. Why in the world would you want such a useless pup as that?” The boy reached down and pulled up his pant leg, revealing a brace, holding his own twisted leg. “Mister,” the boy said, “That pup is going to need someone who understands him to help him in life and to love him.
Love indeed is a powerful force. Mary loved Jesus as he grew up as a young child. The customs of society clearly dictated that she bathed him, fed him, changed his diapers, and sewed his clothes. His childhood was Mary’s focus. Mary loved Jesus in the temple at age twelve when Jesus amazed all of them with his profound wisdom. Mary loved Jesus when they were together at the wedding in Cana, the site of his first miracle. Mary loved Jesus when he told the crowds that Mary and her other sons weren’t Jesus’ true family; those who did the will of God were his true family. Finally, Mary loved Jesus at the foot of the cross, when she had to suffer the pain of watching her son die for the sins of the world. Mary’s life and example should remind us that we as a community of faith have been chosen to become Christ’s ambassadors in the world. To be the best ambassadors, we must choose to live out these words of bearing fruit and abiding in the love of Jesus. Mary understood in her service to God what it would mean to care for and love Jesus.
On this day in which we honor our mothers and those who serve in a mothering role let us remember that we are presented through this Scripture passage instruction. If we follow these instructions we too will bear great fruit in God’s Kingdom. Fruit, of course, represents the good things that we do. It includes our actions, attitudes, words and answers to our prayers. We can only produce that fruit if we are connected with Jesus who tells us:
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. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
Keeping God’s commandments, abiding in his love will bring joy in our lives. Our Stewardship theme for this year summarizes this sentiment well from the gospel, “Forward in Faith, Share the Joy!” How can we experience joy in our lives as Christians? Some simple ways include being part of the life of the church, committed to our fellowship by giving the gifts of our time, talents and treasure through worship and prayer.
This past week our nation celebrated the National Day of Prayer. As we think about prayer it has been written that countless times each day mothers across our nation and world do what no one else can do quite as well. They wipe away a tear, whisper words of hope, and soothe a child when they are afraid. They teach and nurture the next generation of citizens. They challenge and inspire kids to do their best. While this is true of many mothers, I believe the same can be said for those who serve as Christ’s ambassadors in the world. My prayer for us this day is that as living branches, may our words and actions reflect that we too are connected to the True Vine, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Finis
The Rev. Dr. David A. Marcus, Jr.