PIcked to be Fruitul, Part 4

If you are a parent, then you know the power of friendship.  You watch as your children grow, worrying about who they choose as friends. Our friends have an impact on our lives. David Cunningham, in a commentary called Feasting on the Word, says that “These friendships are the most formative: a true friend who loves as God loves will, in time, teach us how to love as God loves." If that is the case – if being friends with someone can teach us how to love as God loves, then surely being the friend of God can lead us to love as he loves. It’s amazing and it’s radical and it’s life changing.

We are called to this friendship knowing that it will change our lives – knowing that we are called to love and to bear fruit for God. This kind of love is the root of discipleship. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. The word “as” in that sentence is interesting in Greek. It is the word kathos – it is a conjunction that can mean either a comparison – love in the same way that I have loved you – or it can be a cause – love because I have loved you. I like that it can be read both ways – and I like the dimension the word adds to the meaning. We are disciples of Christ. We follow him, learning from him – learning how to love as he has loved. We are also empowered by Christ’s love – we follow him, loving because he is loving us. I John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” So we learn to love, and we are empowered to love.