Making The Right Choice

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. (John 15:16)

The gospel reading this Sunday included part of the last conversation that Jesus had with his apostles. Chapter 15 verse 16 states that they didn’t choose Him but rather He chose them.  We all like to think that we chose to follow Christ, but He chose us to follow Him.  Does this mean that we had no choice? Does this mean some of us are destined to fall away and that we have no say in the matter?  Some believe that this is the case.  I do not believe this.  I believe that this verse applies to all people that have inhabited this earth from the beginning all the way to the end of time.  

Although we have been chosen, we are free to reject our being grafted to the vine and we can refuse to bear fruit.  If we did not have this freedom we would be nothing but slaves and God wants us to come to Him freely.  This freedom of choice empowers us to live in the freedom of God’s love or to live the life of loneliness and separation that sin provides. 

The thing to remember is that you as a person were chosen to be an adopted son or daughter in the Royal Household.  So we continue our Easter joy by remembering that we have been chosen to live in the freedom and joy our membership in the Household of God provides.  We are truly an Easter People and we can rest assured that if we love God and live as a member of His Household then He for His part will provide everything we need to spend eternity with Him in heaven. 

Until next time, God bless you. 

Michael the Lesser