Isaiah 55: 1-11(page 615 in our pew Bibles) "For my thoughts
are not your thoughts and your ways not my ways, declares the Lord". A
crucified saviour springs to mind.
Acts 10: 44-end (page 919 in our pew Bibles) The Holy Spirit
is poured out on all believers creating a level playing field.
John 15: 9-17 (page 902 in our pew Bibles) Jesus appointed us so that we would
go and bear fruit!
What we
learn from Isaiah here is that God’s ways and thoughts are very different and
higher than ours, which is why God’s way of doing things confounds our human
wisdom.
Also
carrying on the theme that words carry great power and import, we read that God’s
word will accomplish all that it sets out to do.
It was God’s
word that created the universe, his word that is delivered to his people by his
prophets, and his word made flesh – Jesus – who redeems the world.
When we read
from the Bible we end by saying; “This
is the word of the Lord”, conferring divine authority to the words in the Bible.
Because they
are often difficult to understand, or contentious, doesn’t lessen their
validity or the certainty that they will, I quote;
“accomplish
that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it”
So when the
scriptures talk about the Holy Spirit being poured out on both Jews and
gentiles, it will accomplish its goal of producing a church that is a level
playing ground where “living in the Spirit” is not determined by race or class
or gender (which are human ways or dividing people) it is determined solely on
the grounds of having a living faith.
A living
faith that is water to the thirsty and food for the hungry. When they saw the
Romans also displaying the gifts of the Spirit, Peter knew that they could not
withhold baptism from them and commanded that they be baptized into Jesus
Christ, the word made flesh.
Of course
the gospel reading just carries on with the “I am the true vine” section we
started with last week And is about mutual indwelling.
The
sacrificial nature of the love that is being commanded is costly love indeed.
Even to the
extent that you might lay down your life for your friends – and Jesus leading
by example did exactly that.
And as if to
rub it in, referring to my difference of opinion with my training vicar as I
said last week, Jesus says;
“You did not
choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit
and that your fruit will abide.”
Whilst
perhaps not an exhaustive list Paul lists some fruits of the spirit in
Galatians 5. And he says
The fruit of
the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
Fruits which
supplant a much longer list of the works of the flesh, such as enmity, strife,
jealousy fits of anger rivalries, dissensions and divisions to name just a few.
A community where
you see either the fruit of the spirit or the works of the flesh in the
ascendency, you know which way the wind is blowing.
