My sermon today is, That’s Enough. The title comes from a fascinating story that’s nearly two thousand years old.

As best we know, the writer of the Gospel of John and the writer of the three letters of John (and perhaps the Revelation of John) are one and the same person. And, furthermore, we believe that, John, the writer of these documents, was different than many of the other giants of the New Testament. Peter, Paul, and James--like John--all wrote documents that have a significant place in the New Testament. But, unlike John--each one of them--Peter, Paul, and James--were put to death (like Jesus) at an early age because of their faith.

John, you see, was the one exception. Quite to his surprise (and even to his disappointment!), John lived a long, long time. And, while his gospel may have been written when he was a young or even a middle-aged man, his letters were not.

John wrote his letters as an old man. In fact, in each of these letters, John simply calls himself, the Elder (which is probably better translated as, “the old man”!).

It’s at this point, late in his long, long life that today’s story is told. (And it’s from this story that today’s sermon gets its title).

Here it is, told by Australian Bible scholar, Matthew Malcolm.

The letter that Matthew Malcolm mentions at the end there is the first letter of John, from which today’s second reading comes.

Let’s be sure you were able to follow what Malcolm was saying. The ancient Christian writer Jerome reports that, when he was an old, old man, John would ask to be carried into church where, week after week, he would say the same thing to the congregation: Little children, love one another!

He would do it this week: Little children, love one another! He would do it next week: Little children, love one another! And he would do it the week after that (and every week after that!): Little children, love one another!

What was he, senile? That’s evidently what people around him thought, until one brave soul actually asked him, “Why are you telling us that again?”

John’s answer was brilliant and to the point. “That’s what Jesus commanded,” the old man rightly said, “so, if you love one another, that’s enough ...”.

That’s enough ...

I’ve started reading Walter Isaacson’s new biography of Steve Jobs. (By the way, did you know that Jobs was raised Lutheran by every-Sunday-worshipping parents?) Jobs worked tirelessly--obsessively--to design devices that were beautiful and elegant in their simplicity. Simple to operate. Simple to understand. And simple (as opposed to complex) in their appearance.

He was always this way! Here, for instance, is the very first brochure for the Apple II, the first mass-marketed Apple computer. With an apple in the center, the text at the top says, Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication (a saying attributed to Leonardo daVinci) while, at the bottom, it reads, Introducing Apple II, the personal computer.

He would do it this week: Little children, love one another! He would do it next week: Little children, love one another! And he would do it the week after that (and every week after that!): Little children, love one another!

What was he, senile? “Why are you telling us that again?”

“That’s what Jesus commanded,” the old man rightly said, “so, if you love one another, that’s enough ...”.

Simplicity really is the ultimate sophistication!

There’s more to the story about John, the Elder (Old Man John!). The three letters of John were all written at the same time, to be read at the same time, but in reverse order! What we call the third letter of John was intended to be read first, in order to introduce the second letter which, in turn, introduces the first letter of John!

Read in that order, you realize what Old Man John is writing about, and why! Even though he founded the congregation that he’s writing to, someone named Diotrephes has convinced the congregation that John is no longer to be listened to or trusted. John’s letters--which is like saying his phone calls--will not be read or received.

Old Man John has been excommunicated from the congregations that he, himself, had founded! And, while John is clear about what now needs to be done--in his second letter he instructs the leaders of the congregation to excommunicate Diotrephes in turn--when it comes time to finally be able to speak to the whole congregation once again, what does John say?

“Little children, love one another.” In 105 verse, in just about every way imaginable, Old Man John keeps saying, over and over again, “Little children, love one another.”

Where you or I might seek revenge on those who had wronged him (after all, the congregation had followed Diotrephes in letting Old Man John be excommunicated from them!), John responded in the way that Jesus had commanded. “Little children, love one another!”

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication! Hours can be spent discussing it. Books can be written and read detailing it. But simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Jesus commanded us to love one another. He said it. He meant it. And he expects it!
In the portion of Old Man John’s letter that we read today, John is saying that God loves us so much that he has adopted us into his very own family, calling us his beloved children.
It’s yet another way that Old Man John is saying, yet again, “Little children, love one another!” And that’s enough.

There is a lot, says John, that we don’t know. We don’t know, for instance, says John, how we will appear when we are resurrected into the presence of God. Will we be our young selves? Will we be the way we look when we die?

We don’t know, says John. But we do know that when God appears, we will be like him. There will be a family resemblance between ourselves and God and between ourselves and one another.

And, do you know what? That’s enough! That’s enough to sustain us. That’s enough to fuel us on a daily basis for the rest of our lives, even if, like Old Man John, our lives are very long indeed.

That’s enough. "Little children, love one another!” In Jesus’ name. Amen!