Sixth Sunday of Easter C | May 25, 2025 | John 14:23-29 | Luther H. Thoresen |

John 14:23-29        

(New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. All scripture quotes in this sermon are from the NRSVue.)

²³ Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. ²⁸ You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe.

Note: The initial paragraphs in italics of this sermon might be used as the basis for a Children’s message. If not used that way, one might adapt it as the beginning of the “usual” sermon, or insert part of it later in the sermon…or earlier in the service.

There is a simple song that has been included in Vacation Bible School and at Bible Camps on occasion for many years. It’s called “Peace like a River.” [Speaking briefly to the congregation] Anybody out there sung that before? Maybe the adults can sing along with me, and I’ll introduce the words, together with some actions that might be imitated by the younger people here. OK? [Note: I will not describe the actions here, if you want a description, you may contact me via Email] [Now, in an interactive way the words are spoken for the first verse, sung lightly by the leader while the actions are done and then, those are repeated with congregational “support”]

I’ve got peace like a river. I’ve got peace like a river. I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.

I’ve got peace like a river. I’ve got peace like a river. I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.

Next, the second and third verses are introduced more simply (one at a time), and then sung by the congregation supporting the youth as they sing and imitate the actions.

I’ve got joy like a fountain, I’ve got joy like a fountain. I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul…

I’ve got love like an ocean, I’ve got love like an ocean…

Finally, let’s try all three in a single verse [this usually falls apart into laughter].

I’ve got peace joy love like a river fountain ocean, I’ve got peace joy love like a river fountain ocean, I’ve got peace joy love like a river fountain ocean in my soul

Peace, Joy and Love. We hear about all three in today’s Gospel reading. I’ll talk more about these in the regular sermon. Would you pray with me? God thank you for rivers and oceans and fountains, with their beauty and how their water touches our lives. Thank you for sending your Son, and for his gifts to us of peace, joy and love. Help us to share those gifts with others. Amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (v 23)

I recall something from the summer of 1970. It was the summer after my 10^th grade year of High School. In August we went on an extended family vacation. We went through the Black Hills, and both Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks…on our way to Tacoma, WA, near Seattle. Why Tacoma? My dad had a cousin and family there, and we were going there to visit. It was the first time I had seen an ocean. Their house was on a bay. I saw sea gulls, but it was mostly foggy and rainy. I was not particularly impressed. Yes, we had a nice visit with that cousin and family. After a few days we traveled south on our way home by way of Portland, OR. That day we stopped on an ocean beach. Yes, the waves came in. Yes, the water was chilly…we were quite a ways north – Oregon, not southern California. But what did I remember most? The vastness of the ocean. It was hard to comprehend, hard to take in. I could look to the north along the coast and the ocean seemed endless. I could look to the south along the coast and the ocean seemed endless. I could look to the west and the ocean itself seemed endless – only water as far as I could see. I had seen rivers and lakes in many states, but the Pacific was vast!

God’s love is vast indeed! We read in Romans 5, “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” (v 8) Again, in Ephesians 3 the Pauline author writes, “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (v 18-19) In that second quotation a spatial images were used to speak of the love of God in Christ. The author could have said that God’s love is as vast as the ocean – long, wide and deep is the love of God in Christ.

In John’s gospel, many of you know verse 16 in chapter 3; right? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” However, today in chapter 14, Jesus speaks of our love for Jesus. Interesting. Also, you probably know from chapter 10, the “Good Shepherd” chapter, that it was the love of Jesus that led him to lay down his life for his sheep. Our love is to be expressed in both attitudes and in actions. Our love is not rooted in ourselves, but in God’s love for us. We heard just last week from chapter 13. There Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.“ (v 34b)

In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Those who love me will keep my word…” (v 23a) When we hear “keep my word” we might initially think “obey.” However, I think that “keep” is bigger, deeper than that. For example, we might ask someone, “Would you keep my watch while I swim?” The watch might be precious as a family heirloom or simply expensive. If someone “keeps” it, they probably will not toss it onto the deck, or leave it out in the open by a public pool. Instead, they might keep it in hand, or in a pocket…or even in a safe. Again, we might ask someone, “Would you keep our dog while we are on vacation?” If you agree, you would do more than put it in a kennel with food and water for the week. Rather, in keeping the dog you would treat it as if it were your own – walk it, play with it, and scratch it’s belly. Finally, we might ask someone, “Would you keep my son or daughter while we go out for the evening?” You would do more than set food on the table and say, “go to bed.” Rather, you would prepare and share the meal with conversation, read books, play with blocks, and so forth and finally tuck them in…and probably stay in the room until you hear their breathing slow and they are sleeping. With these, you treasure the watch, the dog and the child as if it were your own. With these, you treat the watch, the dog and the child as if it were your own.

Accordingly, we might say that to “keep” Jesus’ word begins with treasuring the words of Jesus. Brian Stoffregen is a Lutheran pastor and commentator¹. He suggests that we might use the phrase “hold dear” for the word “keep.” To treasure or hold dear the words of Jesus leads to action!

A few years ago, I read about the actress, Mary Martin. Some of us are of a certain age to remember her as the actress who portrayed Peter Pan in the 1954 movie. I didn’t see it in the theater, but many times when it was played a few years later on television. She was also a Broadway actress in the 1950’s and ‘60’s. She was cast several times as a lead character in the Broadway play called “South Pacific.” One evening after playing the role many times, as she prepared to go on stage she was handed a note. This was signed by Oscar Hammerstein, who was not well at the time. The note was short, it simply read,

“Dear Mary,

A bell’s not a bell until you ring it. A song’s not a song until you sing it. Love in your heart is not put there to stay. Love isn’t love until you give it away.”

When the play was over, cast members asked her backstage, “What happened? We’ve never seen you perform that way before?” Mary read to them Oscar’s note and then said, “Tonight, I gave my love away.”

“Those who love me will keep my word,” says Jesus. Our actions of love are rooted in the words of Jesus treasured by us. You might recall from last Sunday that Jesus said, “I give you to you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should love one another.” (John 13:34). To love Jesus is to keep his word, to hold dear his word AND to love others.

In today’s Gospel Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” (v 27a) Some of you may know that I graduated from Osage High School in north central Iowa. Often when I was a child we would go for a picnic and spend Sunday afternoon at Spring Park along the Cedar River just west of town, or at Interstate Park on the same river upstream a ways at the small village called Mitchell. That river may be more “exciting” farther downstream at Cedar Falls or Cedar Rapids…because of the historic falls and rapids at those respective towns. But near Osage the Cedar seemed to be a “lazy river.” There was plenty of slow moving water, and with mostly a very calm surface. There was good fishing at both parks and a swimming beach at one. Many people like to sit by the river, soak up the sun and soak up the river’s serenity at the same time. Still, for reasons like the force of gravity, the overall slope of the land, there is “power” in every river. A river’s power can be used to turn mills and grind grain, or turn turbines and make electricity. When we stand knee deep, or up to our waist, we can feel the river’s power against our legs. As we walk, especially if we walk against the current, we can feel the water flowing and pushing against us.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Jesus’ peace is a gift given to us. A river’s power is under the surface yet present. So also, the peace Jesus gives has a power to help us meet troubles in life…even if that power is under the surface. The peace Jesus gives has power to meet anxiety and fear. The peace Jesus gives has power to meet troubled and trembling hearts. Jesus adds, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (27c) This peace Jesus gave to his disciples. This peace Jesus gives to you and me as a gift. This peace Jesus wants us to give to others. We might do this in the words and greeting in worship, “The peace of the Lord be with you” and more deeply in our life together as God’s people. Have any of you, when you were experiencing a troubled or trembling heart, found another person in the congregation to be the presence of Christ for you bringing the peace of Christ to you?

Again, peace is both gift and action – with power for us, and with peace to empower us. Maybe you have heard the gospel song – [the preacher might lightly sing, or read the text]

Peace is flowing like a river, flowing out of you and me;

Flowing out into the desert; setting all the captives free. [Author unknown]

So far, we have touched on “love like an ocean and peace like a river.” What’s next but “joy like a fountain?” I recall in 1991 I was in Dallas, TX with 8 or 10 High School youth from the congregations I was serving at the time. We were there for the National Youth Gathering. It was hot in Dallas in July, like H.O.T. One particular day, the afternoon and evening programming was over. We stepped outside and there we saw a large fountain spraying water over an area about 40 feet by 40 feet. There were water jets in the cement bottom, and the standing water about a foot deep. As we walked outside there were 50 or more youth splashing and having fun. It was unplanned, but our youth joined right in. It was similar in 1994 when we were at Atlanta for a similar gathering. Again there was a fountain in the area near the venue for the events. This time we planned for time in the water – with 100’s of youth standing and walking in the water, running under sprinklers. Some 16-18 year olds were behaving like 5 & 6 year olds with a backyard sprinkler. Yes, fountains can be just plain fun. What did Jesus say, “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father…” (v 28a,b) Jesus invites joy or rejoicing, even if we don’t understand, just as the disciples didn’t understand as Jesus offered these words. I think the 12^th century hymn writer, St. Bernard of Clairvaux knew of Jesus gift of joy. One of his texts we sing to an English tune from the 1800’s – [the preacher might sing this lightly, or speak the words]

O Jesus joy of loving hearts, the fount of love the light of all

From every bliss that earth imparts, we turn unfilled to hear your call

Love, joy and peace – these are quite the trio…like the three musketeers traveling together, or three stooges in trouble together. There are several places in the New Testament where love, joy and peace are found together. For example, in Paul’s list of the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, the first three of the things are love, joy and peace. It is good news that these three, love, joy and peace, are not our creation, but rather the produce, the fruit of God’s Spirit.

Is it a coincidence that love, joy and peace are “together” in close proximity in today’s Gospel? Maybe, maybe not; yet it is opportune. We hear of love in v 23, peace in v 27 and joy in v 28.

A few years ago I read the book, An Altar in the World, written by the Episcopal Priest or Pastor, Barbara Brown Taylor. In it she shares a quote from one of the 5^th century desert fathers called Abbot Pastor, He once said, “If you have a chest full of clothing, and leave it for a long time, the clothing will rot inside it. It is the same with the thoughts of our heart. If we do not carry them out by physical action, after a long while they will spoil and turn bad.” I think this is true with the gifts of love, joy and peace. These are gifts from God, and they become action…or they spoil, they rot. How’s that for a kick in the pants? Yes, a good kick to move us by God’s power to live in love, joy and peace and to share these with others. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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©Pr. Luther H. Thoresen, ELCA, STS, retired; thoresenluther54@gmail.com; Grundy Center, IA, USA

¹ Stoffregen has published essays with commentary and reflection for most RCL Gospel readings at https://www.crossmarks.com/

² I found this anecdote originally in an email service of lectionary based illustrations from United Methodist Pastor Brett Blair, who formerly maintained a website called Christian Globe. I no longer have access to provide a more specific attribution. However, I can say that goodreads.com attributes the quote to Hammerstein.