John 15:11-17 January 13, 2002

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.

CCI: The New Commandment establishes a whole new ethic and a whole new way of living.

Intro: This morning, I want to share with you what I believe is the most radical principle for living on this earth that any of us will ever encounter. This Principle supersedes the 10 Commandments, it is beyond the fairness principle, it eclipses even the Golden Rule. This principle, if practiced in our lives will so radically transform us that we will actually appear foolish to the world.

It was the night that Jesus was betrayed. He had eaten the Passover preparation meal with his disciples. He had washed the disciple's feet, a task reserved for only the lowest servant in a household. As they walked across the valley, Jesus told them that they were to be fruitful as they lived for him. Then he said, "If you keep my commands, you will bear much fruit and my Father will be glorified."

And that is when the principle that supersedes all principles was presented to the disciples. Jesus said, "This is my Command, Love each other as I have loved you." Leonard Sweet has called this the Platinum Rule. Just like a Platinum card in your wallet trumps the gold card, so the platinum Rule trumps the Golden Rule.

When I was a child, I was taught to do for others what I would that they would do for me. That is good principle. It has served many people well. We treat one another with respect because we want to be treated with respect. We don't steal because we don't want to be stolen from. We tell the truth because we do not want to be deceived. However, this principle, has an inherent weakness. Despite it's beauty, and despite it's simplicity, it is not complete.

Throughout history, the Golden Rule has been used to justify behavior that is questionable to say the least. Physician-assisted suicide has been justified by Doctors who say, "If I were in that situation, I would want to die because I would not want to be a burden on my family and on society." That sounds very noble, but think about it, who is the measure of what is right and wrong in that situation? Leonard Sweet, in 1999 introduced an essay on principles of behavior in this way, he wrote: "All I wanted was a soft pretzel sans butter. "Sorry, sir, we don't serve pretzels without butter," the attendant announced as she removed from the oven steaming, hot pretzels which she proceeded to dip into the butter.

"You don't understand," I explained hurriedly, as my plane was boarding its final passengers from the Continental Gate at Newark's C Terminal. "Just hand me the pretzel from the oven. Don't dip it into the butter."

"Sorry, sir, we don't serve pretzels without butter."

Sensing a story in the making, I went for broke. "I've had no-butter pretzels at airports all over this country. But let's not argue. I'll give you two for one. Here's the money for two pretzels. You give me that one pretzel there without butter. Deal?"

"No, sir. I would never want, nor can I imagine a soft pretzel without butter. I certainly wouldn't serve you one."

"Let me get this right," I carried on, not wanting the triumph to end of having this story to tell. "You are refusing to sell me one pretzel for the price of two because I want you to leave off the butter?"

"That's right sir. Our pretzels have butter on them."

I walked on the plane with no pretzel, but with a great illustration of Golden Rule Religion at work. Golden Rule Christianity is killing our communities, our churches, our businesses, our faith. The Golden Rule kept me from getting fed. The Golden Rule is based on putting who first? "Do unto others as YOU would have them do unto you." The attendant refused to serve me a pretzel because she couldn't conceive of a pretzel without butter. She was doing unto me as SHE would have done unto her. One has to admire her purpose and principles.

The Principle of the Golden Rule, though good, is not complete. The measure of the principle is me. That is why Jesus did to the Golden Rule what he had done to every other rule that he encountered. He trumped it.

Remember in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus talked about the Law? He said, "You have hear it said, 'You shall not commit murder.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell."

Whenever Jesus encountered rules that could be twisted to justify behavior, he got angry. He set new standards when he said lust was the same as adultery and divorce was an affront to God.

But still it was a set of rules. And so on that last night, after washing their feet to demonstrate what it means to be a servant, he told them to be fruitful by obeying his commands. Then to make it clear he said, "This is my command, that you love one another as I have love you. And just so you get it right, understand, the greatest love that anyone can show is to lay down his life for his friends, and you are my friends."

In essence, Jesus was saying, "If you hear nothing else, hear this, 'Love each other the way I have loved you. Lay your lives down for one another.'" This is the new principle Jesus establishes for his disciples. This is the path to bearing much fruit. To love others the way Christ has loved us.

So practically, what does that mean? It means that our behavior and our understanding of ethics and what is right and wrong, must be determined by a new question. If we are followers of Jesus, we can no longer ask, what would I want Joe, or Dave or Mary to do for me, instead we must ask, "What has Jesus done for me? How can I do that for Joe or Dave or Mary?" The measuring stick becomes Jesus, not me.

So, what has Jesus done? He has shown you Grace at every turn. Grace through forgiveness, grace through acceptance, grace through patience, grace through His love. And he bids you to show that Grace and love to others.

Will it be easy? No. There will be times you will hurt when you love. In the movie Turner and Hooch. Tom Hanks begins to fall for the new veterinarian in town. When she asks him to take a walk with her he responds, "No, because I may begin to like you, and then I would ask you out more, and eventually I would fall in love with you and then you would tell me you need space, and I don't want to be hurt that way." While Hanks is speaking of a very narrow understanding of love, he is onto something.

C.S. Lewis wrote, "Love anything and you heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to be sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness, but in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken, but it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The only place outside of heaven where you can be safe from all dangers of love is hell."

Jesus' love was unconditional. He continued to reach out to Peter, even when he sank in the storm. In fact, he continued to reach out to the disciples even when they did not get out of the boat and walk to him on the water. He continued to show grace to the outcast and the lonely and the stranger and the hated, even when the religious leaders accused him of being a drunkard and a law breaker. He called upon his disciples to forgive without keeping track and then He offered forgiveness to his tormentors even as he hung on the cross.

He continues to offer forgiveness to you and to me when we deny him and ignore him and offend him and mistreat him and betray him. He welcomes us back without question. And his one command is: "Love one another as I have loved you."

When we love one another as Christ has love us, our relationships will be transformed and our actions will take on a whole new direction. Though we may be only one person, we can make a difference. The question we must ask is: If Jesus lay down his life for us so that we could know life and health and truth and peace, what are we willing to lay down for others that they might find? Certainly we can lay down our some of the traditions we like a lot if it will lead others to life and health and truth and peace. Certainly I can lay down my claim to wanting to do everything my way if it will lead others to life and health and truth and peace. Certainly we can lay aside the fear of being thought strange and share our faith with a friend. Certainly we can lay aside some time each day to show compassion to a neighbor who is in need of love if it will lead them to life and health and truth and peace.

Do you want to be a fruit producing vine? Then submit to Jesus call to love one another as he has loved us.

Have you experienced that love? Has the love of Jesus that transcends all rules broken into your heart? He loved you so much, that while you were still his enemy, he died for you. Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. That is great love. But Jesus even trumped his own statement when he lay down his life for us when we were his enemies.

Today he invites you to come to Him, to open your heart to him, and to enter a new relationship with him. He will forgive and accept you and show you the path to bear much fruit and bring Glory to God the Father.

Let us pray.