Lectionary Notebook. Homily for John 14-15-21

8/6/2019 Lectionary Notebook. Homily for John 14-15-21

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Lectionary Notebook. Homily for John

14:15-21

Thoughts on the Gospel Reading

Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter, Year A

(See TEXT below John 14:15-21)

May 29, 2011

The Lectionary Gospel reading for the 6th Sunday ofEaster opens to us a quiet time of communion between

Jesus and the disciples. Those final few hours before theLORD departs for his suffering, his trial and his publicexecution he spends sharing confidences with those mostimportant to him.

This makes sense. It makes sense to us that he wouldwant to prepare his followers for this departure and forhis death. Likewise, it makes sense for him to explainhow they will get along once he is gone. His passing willleave a huge hole in their lives, but he wants hisfollowers to know that they will survive.

For today's Homily I would like to offer three statementsto help us unpack this text:

1) Christ, their Advocate, will send another2) Christ, their life, will continue with them, even whenhe's gone3) Christ, their calling, will be loved through obedience


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CHRIST, THEIR ADVOCATE, WILL SEND ANOTHER

The text reads: "And I will ask the Father, and he willgive you another Advocate to be with you always, theSpirit of truth..."

Jesus, their Advocate, their Comforter, theirparkltos() -- the one who comes along side -- wasleaving, but would send another helper to take his place.

Up to that point there was no need for another; Jesus

was with them. But with his death who would empowerthem to obey, to follow the practices he had taughtthem? No, certainly they would need help, and that helpwas coming in the person of the Spirit-of-Truth.

Later in our text, but moving along this same idea, Jesusutters what must have been a promise that became agreat word of comfort for them: "I will not leave you

orphans..."

I love this text; it is precious to me. I rely upon it as Iattempt to minster to the broken and to those who havelost their way. I also rely upon it when I lose my way -- "Iwill not leave you orphans..."

I recently sat across the table from a young widow whowas pouring out her heart to me. We spoke of her loss,her long time in the hospital keeping vigil and theemptiness in her heart. Then she said something veryinteresting. She said, "People have told me I should be


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angry at God, but how could I, he was right there withme in the hospital, every moment."

"I will not leave you orphans..."

This is not the first time I have heard such a testimony.Often the person in pain across from me speaks of a dailystrength, a daily grace, that allows the pain to beendured.

I think this is something like what Jesus was promising

those first disciples. Notice, not that they would escapetheir troubles, but instead another would be present tothem, to be with them through their troubles, just like hehad been.

Which opens for us the second statement:

CHRIST, THEIR LIFE, WILL CONTINUE EVEN WHEN HESGONE

Again, notice the reading of the text: "I will come to you.In a little while the world will no longer see me, but youwill see me..." And then at the end: "...whoever loves mewill be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal

myself to him."

Jesus says, "the world will not see me...but you will, andI will reveal myself..."


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Jesus is gone, but in reality he never left, for hiscontinued presence and power is promised through theSprit-of-Truth's presence and power.

Said another way, the Spirit of the risen Christ (1 Peter1:11) would make Jesus present to his disciples evenafter his resurrection and ascension. What a comfort thismust have been later, when those disciples rememberedthese words.

What about us?

Elsewhere, St. Paul describes the Christ as, "the lastAdam" who " became a life-giving spirit." (1 Cor.15:45)Taken together, these two texts teach us that, throughthe life-giving Spirit-of-Truth, the risen Christ is stillpresent and immediate to us as new-life as well.

This means we too can find comfort from these words.

This means the Spirit-of-Truth evidences thetranscendent Christ, as life-giving Spirit, to us just asthose original disciples. And this means we tooexperience the new life found in the Christ.

We would also say that the presence and the power ofthe Christ is not direct to us, but is instead mediated

through the Scriptures and the ordinances, throughsharing life with those who are in need and through thepreaching and the prayers of the people.

Which leads us to the final statement:


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CHRIST, THEIR CALLING, WILL BE LOVED THROUGHOBEDIENCE

"Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will keepmy commandments,'" and, "Whoever has mycommandments and observes them is the one who lovesme."

Clearly, the follower of the Christ is the one who practicesthe commands of the Christ. St. Paul puts it this way:

"For in Christ Jesus...the only thing that counts is faithworking through love." (Galatians 5:6)

Or, listen to this similar text from 1st John: "Now by thiswe may be sure that we know him, if we obey hiscommandments. Whoever says, 'I have come to knowhim,' but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, andin such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever

obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God hasreached perfection. By this we may be sure that we arein him: whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk justas he walked. Beloved, I am writing you no newcommandment, but an old commandment that you havehad from the beginning; the old commandment is theword that you have heard." (1 John 2:3-7)

Notice the balance, faith that is expressed in love, orwhoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk just as hewalked.


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Lets think about what this means from differentdirection. In John 13:1 we read, "Now before the festivalof the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come todepart from this world and go to the Father. Having lovedhis own who were in the world, he loved them to theend."

A beautiful text, but, specifically, how did Jesus expressthis love? In the immediate context he would kneelbefore his followers and wash their dirty feet. He becamethe servant of them all; he became their house-slave.

Later would come the cross and the suffering, but herehe offers the practice of love, and then he offers anexplanation by way of the new commandment: "Littlechildren, I am with you only a little longer. You will lookfor me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you,Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a newcommandment, that you love one another. Just as I have

loved you, you also should love one another. By thiseveryone will know that you are my disciples, if you havelove for one another." (John 13:33-34)

This is the work of obedience; this is the work of theKingdom. To be honest, it is not some fancy theology or ascholars depth of insight, as much a these disciplines

help us. No, quite simply it is being a servant to all. Untilwe somehow get there, we really don't love the Christ allthat much!

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.


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To this end then, here's how I am challenging myself. Ihave asked myself, who would I exclude from GOD'scircle of grace? It is now my calling to serve them, to lovethem, and then to pray for them. I think that order is thecorrect order.

I believe this is what it really means to follow the Christ.

John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:If you love me, you will keep my commandments.And I will ask the Father,and he will give you another Advocate to be with youalways,the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,because it neither sees nor knows him.But you know him, because he remains with you,

and will be in you.I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.In a little while the world will no longer see me,but you will see me, because I live and you will live.On that day you will realize that I am in my Fatherand you are in me and I in you.Whoever has my commandments and observes them

is the one who loves me.And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,and I will love him and reveal myself to him.

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Lectionary Notebook. Homily for John 14-15-21