Acts 9:26-31 / 1 John 3:18-24 / John 15:1-8
When we came into this world, we were like a blank piece of paper.
From the moment we were born, the people around us began writing on that piece of paper, the paper of our lives.
Our parents wrote on it, and they wrote things that we treasure, like love, joy, care, protection, happiness, concern and family values.
Our siblings wrote about sharing and helping each other.
As we journey on in life, our relatives and friends, our teachers, our schoolmates, our colleagues also wrote on our paper of life.
In that paper of life, there was some good and beautiful things that made us into a good and pleasant person.
But, there were also some bad and unpleasant things that made us behave badly and poorly.
Then we came to know about Jesus Christ, who also wants to write something on our paper of life.
But, Jesus is not just one among the many others who wrote on the paper of life. He is the Author of our lives.
He created that paper of our lives, and Jesus wants to write His Word of love and truth on that paper.
That paper of our life can also be called the paper of our hearts.
Jesus wants to write the word “home” on that paper of our hearts, because He wants to make His home in our hearts.
In the gospel Jesus says that He is the vine and that we are the branches.
When we are united with Jesus like the vine and the branches, He will make His home in our hearts.
He will also look at what is written in that paper of our hearts.
From what is good in there, He will make it bear fruit, good and abundant fruit.
Or what is bad, like mistakes and regrets, bitterness and resentment, hurts and pains, Jesus will correct it.
He will prune it, He will heal it, so that what seems to be dead will be brought to life, and once again to bear fruit, and to bear good fruit.
When we reflect about our lives, and what is written in our hearts, we will come to see that the good that we do, and the good that we can do, comes from the love and truth that Jesus writes in our hearts.
There is a story of an old man who met a young man, and the young man asked him, "Do you remember me?”
And the old man says “No.” Then the young man tells him he was his student, and the teacher, that old man asks,“What do you do in life?”
The young man answers,“Well, I became a teacher.”
“Ah, how good, like me?” asks the old man.
“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”
The old man, who was curious, asked the young man at what point in his life did he decided to become a teacher.
And the young man tells him the following story:
“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.
I stole it, I took it out of his bag when nobody was looking.
Shortly after, my friend noticed his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.
Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student's watch was stolen during class today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’
I didn't give it back because I was afraid to do so.
You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle and to look outwards.
You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.
However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for the watch if we all had our eyes closed.
We did as instructed.
You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done, you said ‘Open your eyes. We have found the watch.’
You didn't say it was me who stole the watch, and you never mentioned the episode.
That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.
But that is also the day I decided not to become a thief, or a bad person.
You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.
I received your message clearly.
Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.
Do you remember this episode, teacher?
The old teacher answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’
That is the essence of teaching:
Correction does not require humiliation.
Jesus is our Master and our Teacher. He teaches us what is good, and He also corrects what is needed.
But we must be united with Jesus, and accept to be pruned and corrected.
Then we will bear good fruit for glory of God and for the good of others.