Thoughts for the Day

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

A friend and I have given one another presents over the last few years that included a lemon tree and some olive trees. The lemon tree is more fragile and needs taking in for the winter, but there are beautiful lemons growing on it, and even in October the flowers offer potential for more lemons now that it has come in from the cold. My olive tree is also showing signs of producing some fairly large olives, so who knows we might get enough for a meal. All quite exciting.

Jesus uses the idea of fruit to talk of the disciples' individual growth. When Jesus leaves them, they will take his message of the gospel to the world, but they are also to continue growing as individuals. The gifts that the Spirit gives them will need to be tended and cared for, or they will not mature as Christians. St Paul was later to identify these fruits as 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.' (Galatians 5.22-23).

We too need to continue to grow spiritual fruit in our lives, but it does require constant work. What fruit of the Spirit can we nurture in our life? Can we pick one that is difficult for us and give is some attention today?

Lord Jesus,
help us to acknowledge
our strengths and weaknesses,
particularly the latter.
Help us also to work
on the things we tend to ignore,
those we find more difficult to change.
so that we may grow as Christians,
and take Your message of love
to those around us.
Amen.