B Cycle – 5^th Sunday of Easter 24

Jn. 15:1-8

Saul’s reputation as an unbeliever and a persecutor of the so called “Christians” was well known to all in ancient Israel.  He was self-righteous Pharisee, who knew the scriptures and believed they did not affirm Jesus as the Christ.  He had no room for compassion as he was arresting the so called Christians.  His mission was to correct them and convince them they were wrong in their belief.  The teachings they heard and miracles they witnessed were sorcery and blasphemy.  Those who believed in Jesus needed to renounce Him. Paul traveled all over those ancient lands, arresting those who believed in Jesus and brought them back to Jerusalem to stand trial. Their fate depended on them renouncing Jesus.   

It is no wonder the apostles did not warmly embrace him after his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus when Saul became Paul.  Who could believe this man claimed to believe Jesus was the Mesiah.  But who could believe an uneducated fisherman and a tax collector would be healing the sick and proclaiming Jesus as the Christ.  We have thousands of years of history and teaching to help us believe. Those who saw and heard Jesus believed in Him.  Yet they were told by the “righteous elders’ He was a blasphemer.  The Pharisees and elders rejected the signs and wonders and the teachings of Jesus. Their teaching conflicted with the teaching of the Pharisees. 

They could not reconcile what they heard and saw with their long held beliefs about the Messiah.  That same problem exists for us today.  We hold fast to what we believe is acceptable to God and for us to change and trust in the words of Jesus is too challenging, too radical.  So, we take control of our own faith development, believing it is the way to please God.  Today we hear Jesus tell us, “…apart from me you can do nothing.”  Yet we do not know how to abandon our long held beliefs and suddenly open ourselves up for an encounter with Christ.   

Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle after his encounter with Jeus and as the Spirit filled him.  The students of Jesus became disciples as the Spirit came upon them after His resurrection.  It was the transforming power of the Spirit at work in them which allowed them to impact others – to bear fruit.  What the Spirit would prune away would be their long held beliefs about what the Messiah would do within them.  They were looking for a King to overthrow the Roman domination of Israel.  They did not expect a Messiah who would free them from sin. Neither did they expect the Spirit to equip them with all they needed to follow God’s will and proclaim the gospel.  

What they and we fail to understand is how the human heart needs to be set free from sin and corruption.  God, through the prophets, had told them about how their hearts would be changed.  But they failed to understand the prophecy.  They were caught up in the outward actions as they practiced their faith and reciting prayers without engaging the heart.  But God did promise He would, “… give(us) a new heart and put a new Spirit within (us) and (He would) remove (our hearts) of stone from (our) flesh and give (us) a new heart of flesh” (Ez.36:26).   

We are too concerned with doing things which are visible to others and in conformity with acceptable practices of our faith.  Yet what comes out of our hearts separates us from God (Mk.7:21).  Paul the Apostle shows us how attaching ourselves to Jesus changes us.  Saul, who looked upon the “believers” with contempt now looked upon them with new eyes, with compassion and admiration.  He applauds their willingness to follow Christ, while the elders tell them they are wrong.  His anger turned into love and his righteousness into humility.   We could use such a conversion.  The amazing thing is that is exactly what God desires for us – to change our hearts.  It is ours by surrendering our will to Christ’s will.

We will with great conviction say we will not achieve the same results as Saul. We believe that because we are convinced, we do not have to change.  Saul thought that same thing, before he encountered Jesus.  We do not feel adequate; we see our area of influence as limited, and we do not know where to begin.  Neither did Paul.  Uncertainty is the challenge of following Christ.  We must follow, for it is a critical ingredient in our ability to grow spiritually and to bear fruit.   

Last Saturday I was listening to a talk radio program about gardening.  The host was talking to a person who was concerned about his flowering bushes lack of blooms.  The expert talked to him about its need for pruning and told him exactly what branches to prune.  He talked about the method of pruning and ended by saying if he prunes the plant as described its blossoms would more than double. 

What we need to do to reap a harvest of new energized believers begins with us allowing ourselves to be pruned by the Holy Spirit.  As the Spirit changes our hearts we will begin to have an impact in our homes, our workplaces, and our parishes?  We need to expect and experience our own encounter with Christ as Saul of Tarsus did.  We need to spend time in solitude after our encounter with Christ.  Time meditating on of that encounter, inviting the Spirit to give us sight, wisdom, and the ability to articulate our story of conversion, from sinner to discipleship. 

Pentecost is coming soon, and I invite you to pray the novena to the Holy Spirit daily from now to Pentecost.  Pay attention to the gospels in the coming weeks and in your prayers ask Jesus to come to you and speak to your heart.  Be honest, tell Jesus what you fear if you have an encounter with Him. Then listen to what Jesus will tell you in return.  It will not contradict anything God has told you about His desire for you.

“I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare not your demise, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer.29:11).