Chosen by God
by Pastor Matthew Bishop
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‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit’ (John 15:16a).
I well remember the way the two Aussie Rules teams were picked for Friday afternoon primary school sport. All the Year 4–7 boys that had elected to play footy (no AFLW back then) stood around in a group with the two captains out the front. The picking order was nothing but predictable. The bigger and better players were always chosen first. The punier and weaker boys – mostly the Year 4s – were chosen last. As a puny and pretty rubbish Year 4 footballer, I remember consoling myself with the thought that one day I’ll be a much earlier pick as I grow and get better at the game.
It’s entirely different in God’s kingdom. Jesus has only entirely rubbishy people to choose from: sinners! Indeed, your qualification for getting onto Jesus’s team, which is called his vine in today’s reading, was to have zero strength and skill when it came to doing his will. Yet, choose you he did, for he tells us, ‘You did not choose me, but I appointed you …’ That means he loved you at your worst.
Moreover, don’t we all know that sometimes we despair when we are not growing and getting better at being on his vine? When we feel puny, weak, and rubbishy in our sins (or the sins others have committed against us), Jesus invites us instead to remember that the sap of his word pulsing through us cleanses us (verse 3). So much so that contrary to what we are by ourselves, we will even bear his lasting fruit (verse 16). That continues this very day as you now ask for these things in his name!
Lord Jesus, our vine, we’d be thrown away and withered without you. Keep us living in the sap of your word, sending your Holy Spirit to teach us all things and remind us of everything you have said to us. In your name, we pray. Amen.
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