“I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another”, said Jesus. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Jesus was ready to give up all of his time, and his whole life, for the sake of others. To be a friend of Jesus, he asks us to be ready to do that too.

Jesus would also spend time alone in prayer, because God is always there, waiting for us to come and talk to him as well. The rest of his time would be spent with others: talking to them, listening to them, and healing them.

After Jesus had ascended to his Father, the disciples continued to pray and to give up their time for the sake of others, following in the footsteps of Jesus, as we hear in our readings from the book of Acts.

I encourage you to read again the whole story of Cornelius in Chapter 10. Cornelius used to spend time in prayer and help others. One day God sent a vision of an angel who told him to send for Peter. Peter’s culture said that he wasn’t allowed to eat with foreigners, and so God sent him a vision as well, to tell him that it was OK, God wanted him to go to see Cornelius. When Peter went there and told those gathered about Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God visibly blessed them all, so that Peter and all of the disciples would know that God loves everybody and wants us all to follow Jesus. Cornelius’s family and friends were all baptised. What joy!

What would have happened, I wonder, if Peter had said to himself ‘I can’t be bothered to travel all that way, I’d rather stay at home and relax.’ Or if Cornelius had said to himself ‘I’ll keep the vision to myself, because I don’t want people to think I’m making it up.’ Both men were very brave, they listened to God and were ready to give up their time and lay down their reputations so that they would serve God in the same way as Jesus did. They both needed to go to a lot of effort.

What does this tell us, do you think?

What does God want us to do, you and me, today and for the rest of our lives?

Jesus shows us the way - God wants us to spend time with him and with other people. He wants us t make the effort.

What will happen when we do this?

Who used to enjoy blowing dandelion clocks? Like a dandelion clock when we blow it, when we spend time with God and with other people the seeds of God’s love will spread far and wide! What joy!

We need to tread carefully as we follow Jesus, or the joy may not be lasting.

It’s good if we all see time as a precious gift we are being given, but some don’t have an attitude of gratitude, and they might rob us of our time, like birds who come and eat all of the seeds - leaving none for anyone else.

We might neglect spending time with our close families and friends when others make demands of us. Dandelions need each other to thrive.

It’s good if we are all as ready to give as to receive, and vice versa. We each need to be nourished and encouraged - a dandelion without water or soil will wither.

It’s good if we see everyone as an individual to be treasured and don’t take anyone for granted, or we may trample on their feelings like someone who treads on a dandelion and crushes it.

Those who visit the church can pick up a bookmark which portrays a picture of a dandelion clock as a reminder of God’s precious gift of the time we have been given. You might write the name on the back of those people you will try to give more of your time to, and keep the bookmark in a prominent place as a reminder. If you are not able to visit the church, perhaps make a bookmark of your own.

And so let’s give our precious time generously but wisely to everyone, as we listen to them as well as talking to them.

As God is always there, waiting for us to come and talk to him as well, let’s do that too, and listen to him.

Let’s abide in the love of Jesus, and be his friend by following him.

Let’s make the effort - let’s boldly send the seeds of God’s love out to be spread far and wide!

What joy!

“I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another”, said Jesus. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Amen.

Julie Rubidge, Lay Minister