Thoughts going in, May 1st, Easter +6

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Jesus answered Judas (Not Iscariot), “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. [John 14:23-29]

            For this sixth week of Easter the readings continue to prepare us for transition. Perhaps it's stating the obvious, but we 21st century disciples are dealt a slightly different hand compared to the very first disciples. They sat and spoke with the Lord face to face. They saw the look in his eye, the way he smiled, the devotion to his Heavenly Father. And then they saw him killed. But three days later they saw him again--resurrected. And while this meant being able to look into his eyes again, and speak to him face to face again, this too would change. Their relationship with the Lord would morph into something very similar to our relationship with the Lord. One of the reasons the Easter season Gospel readings drift back to pre-crucifixion stories is so we in the Church can be reminded that Jesus told his disciples that this is how it would be. In that sense, vs 29 of this Sunday's reading is a perfect summary statement: And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

            In this very brief passage there are shades of things soon to come, such as the Ascension: 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 (v28); and Pentecost: 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 (v26). In other words, BIG CHANGE is coming down the pike. We can only guess how the disciples handled this news--or if they understood it at all prior to the crucifixion--but if they were anything like us, my hunch is that any talk of change filled them with foreboding... in spite of vs 27's Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

            The clear and intended focus of this selection is to hold up the Christian life as a life directed by the Spirit--in place of Christ who has ascended back to the Father, and for our good. In that sense, the key verse would be vs 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. To run through this at slow motion... It's interesting to see how the major translations handle the description of the Holy Spirit:  NIV/NRSV = Advocate; ESV/NASB = Helper; KJV = Comforter; HCSB = Counselor. The old Douay-Rheims essentially leaves the word untranslated, rendering it as Paraclete, which is the word in the original Greek. So what is a paraclete, and which of the translations are correct? In many ways, ALL of the translations together are correct. In its original usage, a paraclete is one who is called to the aid of another, often but not always, in legal/court cases. This word appears only in New Testament writings associated with John (and always designates the Holy Spirit), and interestingly enough appears once in the Greek version of the Old Testament (known as the Septuagint), in Job 16:2. The Job text proves to be a fascinating point/counterpoint to the whole paraclete question because it's applied by Job to his "friends" who've come to 'comfort' him in his misery. If you know the Job story, however, you realize that they're anything but comforting. At one point Job exclaims: I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! (16:2) Clearly, just because someone shows up....doesn't mean they're all that helpful.

            In contrast, Jesus presents The Paraclete par excellence, the one who doesn't just show up, but is sent by the Father and who comes in Jesus' name; the one who has, according to Christ, a two-fold job: (1) to teach... this would entail leading us into new, different, and ever-more mature understandings about God and our relationship with Him; and, (2) to remind... to drive home, to bring back to memory those things we already knew to be true about our relationship with God.

            Luther was very big on the idea of the Christian being beset by an 'unholy trinity' of sorts... what he called the Devil (or simply any and all forces of evil), the World (by which is meant all human inclinations that align themselves against God), and our Own sinful nature (which still lingers). These three together make for a formidable threat in terms of living the baptized life... but Christ's promise in this Gospel reading is that HELP IS ON THE WAY. That's now past tense. HELP HAS BEEN GIVEN. The Paraclete, Counselor, Comforter, Helper, Advocate is in our lives and on our side. Thanks be to God!

Cheers,

T.M.

Thoughts going in, April 24th, Easter +5

31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

For the fifth Sunday in Easter, the lectionary continues its backward glance into the life/ministry of Jesus prior to his crucifixion. This began last week with the "Good Shepherd" emphasis and will continue through the remaining Sundays of Easter. The readings appointed for the latter Sundays of Easter are designed to do two things.... (1) to teach disciples (us) that the pre-crucifixion life/ministry of Jesus has just as much relevance to us now *after the resurrection (and Ascension) as before. Nothing has changed. As was noted last week, he didn't "use to be" the Good Shepherd, he *is the Good Shepherd. (2) The other thing the readings are designed to accomplish is to whet our appetites for Pentecost. Jesus IS the Good Shepherd, however, as he says in this reading: Where I am going, you cannot come (v33)… at least not right away. Things are the same, but they're also going to be different... and that difference entails the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church to lead it into all truth. So, even though Pentecost is still some weeks off, the readings already give a glimpse of what lays up ahead.

As usual for John's gospel the reading is packed very dense with options worthy of exploration, but I am most drawn to the latter part about the new commandment to love one another. To begin with, there isn't a lot new with this commandment. In the Torah (Lev 19:18) we find the basis of Jewish ethics: You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. At least in one way, the command to 'love' was nothing new. Those who are into language details may even point out that the word for 'love' is the same in the Greek, agape. So if the *command to love isn't exactly new, WHAT IS?

The first thing that's new is the point of reference. The Torah commands love of neighbor as self. That is an incredibly high standard, as most of us on our best days could probably admit that we really are '#1' in our own eyes. Hence, even to come close to this ideal would inevitably lead to a radically changed world. Try to imagine what it would be like if everyone loved their neighbor as themselves. But in his typical way, Jesus manages to ratchet up the prescription of Torah even higher. The new command isn't a repeat of the old one. Christians aren't called simply to love others as themselves... Jesus says we are to love in the same way as I have loved you (vs34). By the way, this is as good a place as any to emphasize the point that the sort of love being discussed is not primarily an emotion. The defining characteristic of agape love is not a feeling, but rather ACTION. Jesus talks about love a lot, but he does much more than talk. He literally gives his life to the world—including many millions of people that he never even met personally. This clearly puts the emphasis of this love on what is done on behalf of the other.

The second thing that's new about this commandment is that it creates new community. In order to get the gist of this you have to go back to Exodus 19 and the scene around Mt. Sinai. Moses had brought the commands of God before the people: So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD (vss 7-8). This scene in Exodus is highly significant, as it is here that the people ceased being nobodies and became God's covenant people in the national sense. Fast forwarding into the New Testament era, St. Peter will tell his readers But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1Pet. 2:9). In other words, just as the command of God creates community at the foot of Mt. Sinai, the command of Jesus creates community... a completely, even radically, new community, not based on ethnicity or bloodline, but on faith.

The third thing that's new about this commandment is the worship setting. Jesus issues the command on the night in which he's betrayed. This reading even appears on the lectionary for Maundy Thursday, the commemoration of the institution of the Lord's Supper. This is a perfect example of how the Christian life cannot be neatly dissected in terms of 'worship' vs 'living.' Jesus gives an ideal moral imperative to love as he has loved, but he does so within the context of the covenant community at worship. The two go together of necessity. We cannot go in peace to serve the Lord, until we have first gathered together in worship around Word and Table and received The One who comes to us in his body and blood.

The fourth thing that's new about this commandment is how open-ended it is. The old commandment was to love the neighbor. Of course the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) has much to teach about the true definition of 'neighbor,' but here in John 13 Jesus simply keeps it wide open: love one another, whoever that may be.  And it finishes pretty open-ended as well: By this everyone (Gk pante, ALL) will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” The implication is pretty clear. In its narrowest sense, love/service for neighbor is about doing for those who are most like us. But in typical fashion, Jesus challenges us to get beyond those and that which are most like us to include ALL. After all, that's what he did.

Cheers,

T.M.

Thoughts going in, April 17th, Easter +4

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.” (John 10:22-30)

            The fourth Sunday of Easter is always designated as "Good Shepherd Sunday." The Gospel readings are always taken from John chapter 10, the Good Shepherd discourse, and while the specific verses and emphasis varies depending on the lectionary cycle, the common denominator is always to present Christ as the Good Shepherd of the Sheep.

            In year C of the cycle (our current year), it's somewhat interesting in that the term good shepherd does not appear in the reading itself... it appears earlier in the chapter and hence in the selected Gospels for year A and B. I sort of like this, as it seems to be in keeping with some of the quirks of year C, such as the Easter Sunday Gospel reading that didn't actually feature the resurrected Christ, but only the empty tomb and folded grave clothes. For what it's worth, the 2nd reading for the Sunday is taken from Revelation and does come close to mentioning the term: for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Rev 7:17).  Regardless, there is plenty enough talk of sheep (and specifically his sheep) so as to make this chunk of John chapter 10 suitable for the year C Gospel reading for "Good Shepherd Sunday."

            Before I move off of liturgical matters, another point needs to be made. One of the things being observed on this day is the fact that the pre-resurrection teachings of Jesus still hold sway. Nothing has changed. Often times secular accounts of the crucifixion are spun in such a way so as to imply that this was a horrible catastrophe; unplanned; un-prepared for, etc. etc. John's Gospel especially puts this notion to rest. No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again, (Jn 10:18). In other words, the 'big picture' of Good Shepherd Sunday isn't that Jesus used to be the good shepherd until that unfortunate incident on a Roman cross... He has been, is, and will be the Good Shepherd of the sheep. This was always and has always been the plan, and in the immortal words of Hannibal from TV's The A Team, I love it when a plan comes together.

            As to the text itself, there's a lot of back story going on... mostly concerning Jesus and the ongoing jousting match with the Jewish religious authorities in the Temple precincts. John even subtly remarks that the whole conversation in this portion of the reading is taking place during the "Festival of the Dedication," (vs 22), by which he means Hanukkah--the Jewish commemoration of the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, and is also known as the Festival of Lights. The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched menorah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. This is the sort of stuff that gives extra relevance to statements of Jesus such as, I am the true light, etc. It's not that Jesus had an antagonistic attitude about the Temple, it's that he felt that the Temple's true purpose was to point TO HIM.

            From the text... in keeping with the liturgical theme of Good Shepherd, the key verse(s) are: My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand, (27-29).  From these, we learn that the baptized life consists of:

            -- The sheeply activity of hearing and following (vs 27a). I was very interested to note from linguistic tools that this concept of 'following' isn't a sort of mindless activity, as in, just putting one foot in front of the other. It's a compound word that means to walk along with on the same path. It also has a decided 'political' flavor to it; it can mean to be of the same party. The baptized life also includes:

            -- The reality of being known, (vs 27a). As I ponder this thought it strikes me that this being known is a no holds barred intense knowing... of both our ultimate potential and capacity for good, as well as all of those things that we're most ashamed of. For the Good Shepherd, both sides of our coin are known and accepted. Finally, the baptized life inludes:

            -- Assurance of a 'higher power,' (vss 28-29) And, no, I'm not slamming AA and other 12-step type groups. I'm a firm believer in the veracity of truth, even if it's incomplete truth. The reason higher power thinking works for recovery programs is because there is a higher power. But within the baptized life of faith, higher power thinking reaches its greatest conclusion. Ultimately, our ability to attain salvation isn't a matter of being big enough, good enough, strong enough, smart enough, theologically correct enough, ... or even faithful enough. Ultimately, our salvation rests in the "good hands" of Jesus and his Heavenly Father.

Cheers,

T.M.