FOURTH SUNDAY EASTER

Fourth Sunday of Easter John 10: 1-10 9 AM 2008
Story:
In her book, Lessons of the Heart, Pat Livingston describes an afternoon with four year old niece, Clare. Clare introduced her Aunt Pat to all her dolls. She told Pat the names of each doll and when they were born. Clare told Pat all about what each doll had done, when they were good and when they were bad.
The next day after Pat had returned home, her sister called to tell her Clare had drawn stick figures. One of her mother, dad, brother and Aunt Pat. One Aunt Pat’s head were two big circles.
Her mother asked Clare what the circles were. Clare answered, “There ears. Aunt Pat always listens to me. She makes me feel special.
The question this story brings up is this: Do we really listen to Jesus when he speaks to us through the gospel story?
Today Jesus makes a statement that is as pivotal to the gospel as the sun is for daylight. I have come that you may have life to the fullest.
Listening to Jesus’ words is not just hearing them by allowing them to go into one ear and out the other as though your mind were a wind tunnel.
You have to absorb and internalize Jesus’ words which, for example, form, energize, guide and direct the totality of your life and relationships, his words that make you more Christ-like.
Jesus not only says I have come that you may have life to the fullest, he is always giving you the power to seek fullness of life. Fullness of life symbolizes continued growth, for example, the expansion of mind, heart, will, character, selflessness, spiritual development.
But expansion can also go in the opposite direction, for example, the expansion of selfishness, spiritual mediocrity, inconsistency and indifferfence toward the fullness of life.
Then there is a middle of the road choice too, for example, you can develop to a certain point and then quit like an exhausted athlete or a lazy employee.
This may be the position many of you find yourselves in. For example, you expand your minds with knowledge but then you become self-satisfied and stop the process of lifelong learning. Or, for example, you expand your affection and then start asking yourself, What’s in it for me? Or how much can I be expected to give?
Doesn’t seeking the fullness of life Jesus promises and is eager to give you require your ceaseless, daily efforts to grow and expand in every area of your life? For example, the physical, mental, emotional, psychological, moral, social and spiritual areas. This is hard work. But isn’t this work symbolized in your taking up your cross each and every day?
The fullness of life is not automatic like pushing a button on a gadget. Rather you have to sacrifice your tendency to slough off. You have to roll up your sleeves and plunge into the escalating labor of becoming all God wants you to be. The paradox here is that the more you sacrifice yourself, the fuller your life becomes.
When you seek the fullness of life, you are not doing it in robust isolation.
Morton Kelsey in his book, The Drama of Christmas, says, Our growth into the fullness of our potential as children of the divine Creator can be measured accurately by the healing love and caring we give to others.
Ask Jesus to help you to listen and internalize his words so that you can continue in the process of becoming all you can be and enter more and more into the fullness of life Jesus so ardently wants you to have.
HUMOR
There is a humorous story about internalizing:
This is a story about a little boy saying his prayers. “Dear God,” he prayed. “Please help me to be good and kind. Like Jesus.”
Later he asked his mother, “Can I change my mind about being like Jesus?”
“Why would you want to change your mind?” his mother asked, perplexed.
Just in case I decide to grow up and be like daddy.”
THOUGHT
Always make Jesus’ words your actions.