A little review, from the catechism—“I believe in the Holy Spirit. What does this mean? It means we believe that by our own understanding or strength we cannot believe in Jesus Christ or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called us through the gospel, enlightened us with her gifts, made us holy and kept us in the true faith.” This is at the heart, the very heart, of today’s gospel when Jesus says, “You did not choose me; I chose you.” All that we do is done because God calls and empowers us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Even the desire within us to do the will of God, the work of God, to respond to the call of God—that desire isn’t our own, but is ignited by the Holy Spirit. And so today, as we go forward, as we seek to grow in understanding and obedience to the will of God, remember that God has begun a good work in you, and this isn’t of your own doing, but ordained by God your Father in heaven, revealed to you in fullness by God the Son in Christ Jesus your Lord, and brought to full fruition through the doggedness of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
When I say “the most wonderful place on earth,” what springs to your mind? Perhaps, for some of you Mickey Mouse fans, you think of Disneyworld down in Florida, renowned as the “most magical place on earth,” or maybe its cousin Disneyland in California, known as “the happiest place on earth.” But let me assure you, neither of those holds the top spot in my heart. Some of you may venture to suggest paradises like Hawaii—a destination only a mere 22 days away for me, not that I’m keeping track or anything. Yet, even such a tropical paradise isn’t what I’m thinking of when I say “the most wonderful place on earth.” No—we’ve got to look elsewhere. Perhaps you stroll down memory lane when you hear those words, “the most wonderful place on earth,” to the comforting confines of your childhood home, or the homes of beloved relatives or friends. Yet, those fond recollections, wonderful though they be, aren’t what I’m talking about. Nope. The pinnacle of delight, folks, resides within the hallowed halls of Market Basket, specifically in the produce section.
Behold, the true essence of bliss, “the most wonderful place on earth”—the produce discount cart! Oh, how my heart exults at the prospect of checking out its offerings! To stand before that cart is to embrace the thrill of uncertainty, never knowing which vegetable bounty shall grace my dinner plate. Yes—the produce discount cart at Market Basket is unequivocally, morally, ethically, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably, and reliably the most wonderful place on earth.
But let’s delve deeper into the splendor of the produce discount cart, a realm where bargains abound and frugality reigns supreme. Consider, if you will, an orange, a humble fruit, to be sure, but one that I quite like. From this enchanted cart, you may procure an entire bag of these humble fruits for a sum less than half that of a single orange at its regular price. Yet, heed my cautionary words, for this abundance can conceal a loathsome peril: insidious greenish-white mold—Penicillium digitatum.
Now—I’m allergic to penicillin, so this presents a dire predicament indeed for my exuberance over these produce discount cart oranges. Should a single orange succumb to this nefarious mold, the entire bag becomes forbidden fruit, to play on religious connotation, tainted beyond redemption—at least for me, and I suspect for most, if not all of you. The mere thought of eating an orange from that bag, even one that doesn’t have the visible signs of mold growth on it, makes me shudder. For, as any sage soul who has endured the nuclear, convulsing torment of food poisoning can attest, the risk far outweighs the reward. When doubt creeps in, folks, heed the wisdom of countless ages past: when in doubt, throw it out!
They may say one rotten apple spoils the bunch, but the same is true for oranges! One moldy orange ruins the whole lot!
Okay—in all seriousness, drama and humor somewhat aside…
“I send you into the world to bear fruit,” Jesus tells us today. What he’s saying is he sends us into the world to accomplish something—and specifically to do something, not as his servants, but as his friends, something more than servants, something, or rather someone who’s intimate with him and his ways. Jesus sends us as his friends, as ones who’ve learned from him about true, abundant life lived with God. This is the joy that he speaks of. What he’s done, he’s done because God the Father sent him, and so now he sends us in the same way. He sends us out to bear fruit, to accomplish what he sends us to do, just like he accomplishes what the Father sent him to do. “So will the word that comes out of my mouth not come back empty-handed,” says God through the prophet Isaiah. “It will do the work I send it to do, accomplish the task I give.”
The Word here is none other than Jesus himself, the Word made flesh among us, the very grace of God made human like each and every one of us—like you. And that Word comes among us so that we know the love of God, and that is exactly what Jesus does when he is among us—he unveils and makes real God’s love for us, for you. And now in the same way, Jesus sends us “to bear fruit,” but not just any fruit, but “fruit that will not spoil.
What does this mean?
It means fulfilling Jesus’ great commission—“Go and make disciples of all nations,” St. Matthew tells us Jesus commands us, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” It means living our lives as his disciples and seeing everyone we meet, far and near, as another potential disciple to bring into this way of life, life lived with God, with an awareness and contentment in the knowledge and love of God. And it means instructing them to practice all things Jesus commanded us—namely, to love one another as he’s loved us. It means always be ready to give an account of the hope within us, to spread the goodness of the Lord, to bear the fruit of love for the sake of God’s greater glory. It means, as Jesus’ disciples, to have an impact and influence, but more than that—to have a hopeful, faithful, good impact and influence for the sake of the world God so loves, not only to send Jesus into it for our sake, but to send us out in the name of Jesus to continue his fruitful, loving work…to be his disciples for the sake of something bigger than ourselves, for the sake of God’s love for us.
Discipleship, bearing the fruit of love, isn’t just about following Jesus around, taking notes, and leading good lives for our own benefit. It’s about hope, and hope is about soaking up the goodness of God, made real for us in Jesus, and trying to be a little more like Jesus every day. That’s repentance, trying to be a little more like Jesus every day. And then, like Jesus, you’ve got to live your life with and for others, sharing yourself, “bearing fruit.” Our relationship with God isn’t ours alone, but is for the good of the Christian community, in order to keep us all thriving and full of God’s goodness.
When you really, truly live out your relationship with God and are faithful to what Jesus taught us, you broadcast God’s love. Your actions, words, and even just your presence can have a huge impact on the people around you. You embody for them what it means to live with purpose and compassion, with humility and grace. When you truly live out your relationship with God, when you live with hope, you bear the fruit of love, you make the love of God real for them—in, with, and through your very living.
Ultimately, when it comes to the impact and influence of discipleship, it’s all about living out the love of Christ in everything we do and actively taking part in God’s mission to make things right in the world. We’re on a never-ending journey of growing, serving others, and teaming up with God to make his will a reality in our little corner of the world—to make our little corner of the world the most wonderful place on earth because God is there through us.
As friends of Jesus, his disciples, we’re called to bear fruit that won’t spoil, to nourish others with the sweetness of hope and love. When we embrace hope, we spread goodness, we spread love. Wherever we go, we lift others up and inspire them to do the same. Negativity, on the other hand, is like mold that takes over a beautiful and delicious orange. It sours our interactions with others, tarnishes our witness as disciples, and spoils the whole design God first envisioned for us, other people, and the whole creation. “Rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness,” St. James urges us, “and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.”
Welcome Christ and his goodness—the Word that has the power to save our souls. Wickedness, negativity has no place in the life of a faithful disciple. Instead, we must cultivate hope, welcome with joy the transformative power of God’s love, and share that love. For the God who created everything and called it very good has no tolerance for negativity. Who are we to wallow in negativity in the world that God created, takes delight in, and loves so much to come and be part of it with us?
When we’re filled with hope, we have purpose fueling our discipleship, God’s purpose. We’re fired up and ready to tackle whatever comes our way. We trust God’s got our backs. But when hope takes a nosedive, when negativity marks our day-to-day, it’s like someone pulled the plug on our enthusiasm. We start questioning everything, feeling discouraged, and maybe even thinking about throwing in the towel. Living in hope means we’re on the lookout for chances to spread love and joy, making a positive impact on the people and world around us. But when negativity creeps in, the fog of despair clouds our vision, and suddenly, we can only see problems and limitations. Disciples embody hope and are beacons of light, shining bright and inspiring everyone around them. Hopeful disciples are faithful, kind, and generous, but what’s more, their faithfulness, kindness, and generosity are contagious, and draw others in, making them want to become disciples too. But negativity? Well, such folks, although they might rightly be called Christians, baptized and all, can hardly be called faithful disciples who do as Jesus commands us, to bear fruit that doesn’t spoil. Instead of spreading hope and encouragement, they bring others down with their negativity. Their negativity spoils every, like insidious greenish-white mold that ruins a whole bag of orange goodness.
Jesus sends us to bear fruit that doesn’t spoil, the fruit of love—not negativity that corrupts and leads to despair.
God sent Jesus to us in order that we might know just how much God loves us; so that even in the depths of despondency, we might know that nothing stands in the way of God’s love of us. We who know the love of God in
Christ Jesus are never removed from him, and so wherever we are is a wonderful place—because in that place the love of God is known and lived. In the same way God sent Jesus to make his love known to and for us, Jesus sends us out to bear fruit that won’t spoil—to bear hope and love to a world that desperately needs it. He sends us to bear his goodness, the same goodness he brought to us. He sends us with joy, not negativity. God sent Jesus to reveal boundless love for us, and so Jesus sends us, to reveal that same boundless love, to bear fruit that doesn’t spoil, and so ensure that wherever we are, there God is with his love known and lived. And where God’s love is known and lived, truly, that’s the most wonderful place on earth.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Rev'd Daniel W. Spigelmyer, Jr. 