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| |
John 15:9-17
 | Reading the Text:
|
| Historical References, Commentary and
Comparative Texts:
 | The
Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto. |
| Comparative World Scriptures from United
Communities of Spirit:
|
| Primary comparative texts of Rabbinic Wisdom, including
"greatest commandment" parallels, from Mahlon H. Smith's Into His Own: Perspective on the World of
Jesus, Rutgers University. |
|
"Ask, Seek, Knock," The Jesus Database, an online annotated inventory of
the traditions concerning the life and teachings of Jesus. Dr. Gregory C.
Jenks, FaithFutures Foundation. |
|
XLVI.25-33;
Tatian's
Diatessaron
(c. 150-160). |
|
III.XX.2,
IV.XIII.4,
IV.XIV.1, Adversus
Haereses,
Irenaeus of Lyons.
(c. 180) |
|
II.15, Stromata,
Clement of Alexandria (c 200) |
|
Epistle VII
--
Cyprian of Carthage (c.
250) |
|
I.31, Commentary
on the Gospel of John,
Origen.
(c.228) |
|
On the
Unity of the Church,
Cyprian
of Carthage (c. 250) |
|
Epistle LXII
--
Cyprian of Carthage (c.
253) |
| From Augustine's Tractates on John:
 |
Tractate 82
(15:8-10)
| "Love brings about the
keeping of His commandments; but does the keeping of His
commandments bring about love?" |
|
|
Tractate 83
(15:11,12)
| "And so, where there is
love, what can be wanting? and where it is not, what is there
that can possibly be profitable? The devil believes, but does
not love: no one loveth who doth not believe." |
|
|
Tractate 84
(15:13)
| "But if any one shall set
himself in comparison, I say, not with the power. but with the
innocence of Christ, and (I would not say) in thinking that he
is healing the sins of others, but at least that he has no sins
of his own, even so far is his avidity overstepping the
requirements of the method of salvation; it is a matter of
considerable moment for him, only he attains not his desire." |
|
|
Tractate
85 (15:14,15)
| "Let us, brethren, let us
understand, and may the Lord enable us to understand, and enable
us also to do what we understand. And if we know this, we know
of a truth what the Lord doeth; for it is only the Lord that so
enables us, and by such means only do we attain to His
friendship." |
|
|
Tractate 86
(15:15, 16)
| "See then, beloved, how it
is that He chooseth not the good, but maketh those whom He has
chosen good." |
|
|
Tractate 87
(17-19)
| "For who can truly rejoice
who loves not good as the source of his joy? Who can have true
peace, if he have it not with one whom he truly loves? Who can
be long-enduring through persevering continuance in good, save
through fervent love? Who can be kind, if he love not the person
he is aiding? Who can be good, if he is not made so by loving?
Who can be sound in the faith, without that faith which worketh
by love? Whose meekness can be beneficial in character, if not
regulated by love? And who will abstain from that which is
debasing, if he love not that which dignifies?" |
|
|
| From the Geneva Notes.
| "The love of the Father
towards the Son, and of the Son towards us, and of us toward God and
our neighbour, are joined together with an inseparable knot: and
there is nothing more sweet and pleasant than it is." |
|
| From
Matthew
Henry's Commentary.
| "If the same power that first
shed abroad the love of Christ's in our hearts, did not keep us in
that love, we should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us
should direct us to love each other." |
|
| From
Wesley's Notes.
| "Ye are my friends, if ye
do whatsoever I command you - On this condition, not otherwise.
A thunderbolt for Antinomianism! Who then dares assert that God's
love does not at all depend on man's works?" |
|
| From the
Commentary on the Whole Bible
(Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
| "...not, 'Continue to love
Me,' but, 'Continue in the possession and enjoyment of My love to
you'..." |
|
| From The People's
New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
| "Christ's disciples serve him,
but their service is not bondage, but that of love. Hence, they are
friends instead of servants." |
|
|
| Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
|
Comments (commentary) and
Clippings
(technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican
Diocese of Montreal. |
|
"First
Thoughts on Year B Gospel Passages in the Lectionary: Easter
6," William
Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
| "Perhaps the vine image was
wider than that with its image of fruit bearing, but a major crisis
was developing within John’s community which needed Jesus’
instruction and his prayer - or, at least, the members needed to
hear what Jesus would have prayed. The unity was not
‘airy-fairy’, but relational and practical." |
|
|
Gospel Analysis,
Pastor Edward Markquart, Sermons from
Seattle, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle,
Washington. Detailed background and exegesis. |
|
Marginally Mark, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western
Australia. |
| Exegetical
Notes by Brian Stoffregen, at CrossMarks.
| "I believe that if nothing
else, every parishioner in our congregations should leave the
worship services having heard: 'I am someone Jesus loves.'" |
|
|
"I Have Called You Friends," study guide, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at)
"Friendship," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2008. |
|
"The Love of God,"
Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com: A Catholic Resource for This
Sunday's Gospel. Adult Study, Children's Story, Family Activity, Support
Materials.
| "When is love
easy? When is it difficult?" |
|
|
"As I
Have Loved You,"
Jerry Goebel, One
Family Outreach. "Focus on scripture from a justice perspective." Exegesis, study, and teen study
and activities.
| "Are our lives so illustrative of
Christ that someone could tell that we were Christians without our
words, symbols, or bumper stickers?Our Lord tells us to;
'Love one another as I have loved you.'
He is the only religious leader who personalizes the Golden Rule. He
doesn’t just say; 'Love others like you want
to be loved.' He says; 'Love
others like I loved you!'" |
|
|
Wellspring of
the Gospel, Easter 6B, Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn
Turner, Weekly Wellsprings. |
|
"Abiding Love," William Brosend, The Christian Century, 2000. At
Religion Online.
| "The Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich
Nhat Hanh has helped me as much as anyone (except perhaps Brother
Lawrence) to understand what it means to practice the presence of God, to
abide with Christ." |
|
|
Commentary
by Hall Harris at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
|
| "Abiding
in Christ (John 15)," by Robert Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
| "Abiding in Christ (verses
4-8) stressed belief, dependence, and endurance. The emphasis in
verses 9-25 is on obedience. This is “how” we abide in
Christ’s love: “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” (John 15:10)." |
|
| "The
Friends of Jesus," analysis and reflection by Michael Hoy, in Sabbatheology by The
Crossing Community of St Louis, Missouri.
| "Who knows just how full the
community of faith-abiders may become as they eat of this
life-giving fruit!" |
|
| "Incomplete
Joy," analysis and reflection by Ed Schroeder, in Sabbatheology by The
Crossing Community of St Louis, Missouri.
| "Joy in John's theology is the new "friend" relationship sinners
have with Christ and thus with his own Father. Completed joy is such friendship now
concretized in our relationship with our own selves (internal), and with all the world
around us (external)." |
|
|
| Articles & Background:
|
"Friendship," issue theme of Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian
Ethics at Baylor University, 2008.
Articles, study guide, inspirational pieces, worship ideas, and more.
See especially,
"I Have Called You Friends," Gail R. O'Day. |
|
"Friendship in the Bible," Benedict Janecko, Spiritual Life,
2002.
| "In
our culture today, there is much talk about 'love'
but relatively little about friendship." |
|
|
"Joan
Chittister: The Friendship of Women: The Hidden Tradition of the
Bible," Donna Freitas, Publishers Weekly, 2006. |
|
"Worship in
the Fourth Gospel: A Cultural Interpretation of John 14-17," Jerome H.
Neyrey, Biblical Theology Bulletin, 2006.
| "...the personnel of worship are
clearly defined: the Patron Father who bestows benefaction on his clients
by means of Jesus, the Broker. Jesus, in turn, brokers the concerns of the
clients to the Patron. Finally, the household with many rooms is not space
out of the world, but relationships brokered by Jesus." |
|
| "That
Every Child Who Wants Might Learn to Dance," Paula M. Cooey, Cross Currents,
1998.
| "Joy suggests the falseness of the alleged dilemma of self-fulfillment vs.
self-sacrifice. Joy is ethically ambiguous. It may be generous, selfish, both, or
ecstatic, though it tends to direct the self outward toward others in some way. Thus, the
context in which joy occurs largely determines its ethical implications." |
|
|
| Articles in
ATLAS Journals. (Direct link when you are
subscribed and logged in to
ATLASerials online collection of Religion and Theology Journals.):
| Burghardt, William, S.J.,
"Gospel Joy, Christian Joy," The Living Pulpit, 1996. (see
Joy issue focus of The Living Pulpit 5.4, 1996.) |
| Esselstyn, Micki Bingham,
"The Angel of Joy Demands Our Participation," The Living Pulpit,
1996. (see
Joy issue focus of The Living Pulpit 5.4, 1996.) |
| Gench, Frances Taylor,
"Between Text & Sermon: John 15:12-17," Interpretation, 2004. |
| O'Day, Gail R.,
"Jesus As Friend in the Gospel of John,"
Interpretation, 2004.
(See also,
Friendship, issue focus of
Interpretation, 2004.) |
| Peterson, Robert A.,
"Is Christ 'The Electing God'?" Presbyterion, 2004. |
| Reid, Barbara E.,
"The Cross and Cycles of Violence," Interpretation, 2004.
(See also entire issue:
Violence in the Bible,
Interpretation, 2004.) |
|
| Reviews:
|
Review:
L. Scott Kellum, The Unity of the Farewell
Discourse: The Literary Integrity of John 13.31-16.33.
T&T Clark, 2004. Review by Joseph Matos in SBL's Review of Biblical
Literature. |
|
Review:
George L. Parsenios, Departure and Consolation: The Johannine Farewell
Discourse in Light of Greco-Roman Literature. Brill, 2005. Review by Jan
van der Watt, Review of Biblical Literature, 2007. |
|
| Sermons:
|
"Among
Friends," Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett,
Episcopal Divinity School, 2004. |
|
"Staying
While We Go..." Rev. Dr. Craig Satterlee, Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago, 2003. |
|
"It's
About Love, Love, Love,"
"It
Is So Simple,"
"The Happy Prince," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle,
Washington. |
|
"Faith, Friendship, and
Fruitfulness," Bishop L. Bevel Jones,
Day 1, 2003. |
|
"The Prime
Directive," The Rev. Barbara Berry-Bailey,
30 Good
Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 1998. |
|
"Commanded to Love," Dean
William Willimon, Duke Chapel Sermon Archive, 1997. |
|
"Everyone!"
John Jewell,
2000. |
|
"We Don't Choose All Our
Friends," the Rev. Duane Steele, Day 1, 1997. |
|
"The
Meaning of Joy," Paul Tillich. From The New Being (1955), at
Religion OnLine. |
|
Father
Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author, Sociologist," Commentary and
Homily
|
|
| With Children:
|
"The
Greatest Commandment - Love," Illustrating the Story (lessons,
children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's
songs. MSSS Crafts. |
|
"Love One
Another," Fr Max Bowers, Kids Church. |
|
"As I Have Loved You,"
Charles Kirkpatrick, Sermons4kids.com. |
|
"Bernie's Payback,"
children's story by Larry Broding, word-sunday.com. |
|
"A Basket of
Summer Fruit,"
"Jesus Calls Us
Friends," Sunday School
Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc. |
|
John 15:12,
John
15:14,
memory verse activity, MSSS Crafts and Resources for Bible
Stories. |
|
| Drama: |
| Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
|
| Hymns and Music:
|
Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate,
David MacGregor. |
|
Hymns with Scripture
Allusions: John 15:10, 13, 14, 15, 16. The Cyber Hymnal. |
|
Hymnal
Scripture References, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship. |
| At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke
files, projection text):
|
|
| Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's
Art Index: |
| Movies scenes with the following themes,
listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
|
| Study Links and Resources for the
Book of John |
|
