May 17, 2020: May God’s words be spoken, may God’s words be heard. Amen.
So, how ya doing?
Seriously, I have to ask, because if you are like me, perhaps you have been going through a week of Zoom-onday, Zoom-uesday, Zoom-endsday, Zoom-ursday, Zoom-riday, and Don’t-EVEN-Disturb-Me-In-My-Nap-aturday. It’s endless. Some post on Facebook and Twitter about being bored. If you are like me – I want to know…how possibly? Who are these people who haven’t anything to do?
I guess what I am really asking is…are you’all exhausted? Tired of the rising virus cases across the US, tired of the selfishness on full display as people with guns and confederate flags protest being forced to be considerate of others, tired of not seeing those we love – or seeing too much of them, tired of not being here on Sundays, tired of the grief that seems to swallow our very breath. Just tired of being tired.
You are not alone.
You are not alone. And that, my friends, is the very message of the gospel this morning.
The passage we heard today, from the 14th chapter of John, is the beginning of what is called the “Farewell Discourses.” Jesus has a very long after dinner discussion with his followers on the night before his crucifixion. Jesus believes this to be so important, the discourse goes on for 4 chapters – I sure hope there was dessert. That said, just to do some scholarship here, there is some reasonable doubt about whether Jesus did in fact go on and on that night. Many scholars believe that chapters 15-17 were added later. If you look at the last verse in Chapter 14, the part that follows what we heard today, that makes complete sense:
Jesus says in John 14:30-31: “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.”
Given that the gospel of John is very different from what we call the synoptics (and none of this discourse is in Matthew, Mark, or Luke), and it was written later than all of them, I would tend to agree with those scholars. It would sure make the backs of those disciples feel better too, since folks ate reclining on their sides.
But whether or not the remaining discourse was said by Jesus historically, or was an added Christological reflection by the Johannian community that wrote this later gospel, that doesn’t change the truth about Jesus to be found in those later chapters. That said, what we heard today is agreed to be a part of what Jesus did say to his disciples, and it is clearly something we all need to hear now amidst this pandemic.
So back to the passage itself. Jesus has already told them of his betrayal and death, and as we heard last week, he tells his followers that they should not “let their hearts be troubled” by this. He is trying to prepare them for his death, resurrection, and ascension, and also for their life as followers of him in the world. And most important for them, and now for us, in this passage was at the beginning when he says:
“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 you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.”
Now, before we go further, let’s just get the grammar straight…the Spirit, the very breathe of God, was not a boy until the scriptures were translated into Latin. But setting the patriarchy aside for a moment, let’s get to another word Jesus uses, translated in our New Revised Standard Version of the bible as “Advocate,” from the Greek παράκλητος.
Some bibles translate this as “Comforter,” “Counselor,” “Helper,” and so on, but Advocate is, I would argue, a more accurate, and even more hopeful, translation. It means, quite literally, one who comes alongside. Jesus is telling them he will not leave them orphaned, but another will come who will walk alongside them in the world. That, my friends, was good news to those disciples, even if they did not yet understand it, and very good news for us today, because it is the promise and hope that is at the heart of who we are as followers of Jesus Christ.
I have said during Holy Week that “To stand in darkness without the knowledge of light will kill us of hope. And to stand in light without the knowledge of darkness will blind us to suffering. Our faith demands both.” Our faith does demand both, and it is the Advocate, walking alongside us now, that is our hope and promise amidst the chaos of the world, that breathes new life into us when we are feeling weak and worn. It is the light within our darkness, the promise alongside our despair. And that was life-giving to those disciples, or perhaps, more true is that it would become life-giving to them, for they really did not understand what lay ahead for them, but we now know that theirs would be a difficult life.
That’s good, right? For those disciples? Well, here’s the thing… Jesus wasn’t just talking to them. He was, and is, talking to all of us too. This promise is for all who follow him, all of you. And that is good news for us too, as we face our own trials such as we are experiencing today – lost jobs, economic uncertainty, sickness and death looming, fatigue from the complete dissolution of any type of work/life balance, and all the other things I mentioned earlier that wear us down. We need an Advocate, don’t we? And…we have one. We have always had one – that is the promise Jesus gives to us here.
I suppose this is when we might wonder what this Advocate is, or how do we know we have one, or what does it do. I mean, is it like a guardian angel – ‘cause sometimes we might think that our guardian angel has gone out for a very long smoke break, right? No, that isn’t it at all. Here the Greek really does help, because this Advocate is more like one who does battle for you – a public defender, if you will. The paraclete is one who stands by you, is at your side as you move in the world, sent by God to sustain and help us.
And to be clear, that help is for a particular purpose. If you look at that opening of the passage, Jesus begins this part of his after dinner conversation by saying to his disciples “If you love me, you will keep my commandments,” and THEN he adds the part about asking God to send another Advocate (note “another” – that, is a whole other sermon right there). So, Jesus is saying – If you love me and keep my commandments, I will ensure you have help. And what are those commandments? Well, that was earlier in that same evening, when he said “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
So, love – that is our life in Jesus – that is why the Advocate will be there to help us. We are called to love one another as he loved us. Now, why on earth would we need that?
Well, because, loving one another isn’t always the easiest thing to do, is it?
Lord knows, and he did, even the best of us have a difficult time loving when stress levels are as high as they are right now. Yet Jesus knew it was possible for us, even if we find it hard to imagine – and not only that – but that it was essential if we were to truly live! Because we were born into this world for great things – to be who God made us to be – to love and to be loved. We are God’s beloved children – every single person in this world – every single one of you. God loves you just as you are – from the child in Kenya, to the teenager in Brazil, from the Muslim in Iran, to the Buddhist in Tibet, from the gay man in Texas to the trans woman in Ireland, from the deaf to the blind, and the homeless to the imprisoned – God loves every single one of them, and every single one of you – unconditionally, just as you are! That is why this whole incarnation thing happened!
God came into this world to let us know how much we were loved, and to show us, through Jesus, how to love one another. As our Presiding Bishop likes to say “If it’s not about love, it’s not about God.” And this whole love thing – it takes work. Because the truth is, we may be God’s children, but we ain’t God. Jesus knew we would need help, and that’s why he promised us, that if we kept his commandments, another Advocate would be sent to walk alongside us.
As I was writing this sermon, a beloved hymn kept coming to mind – “There is a balm in Gilead.” You all know, I think, this hymn, and the tune is lovely. But it is the words that speak to the way this promise of Jesus works in our lives: The refrain goes like this: “There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole, there is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul.
And the verses are: “Sometimes I feel discouraged and think my work’s in vain, but then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again.” “If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus and say, “He died for all.”
“The Holy Spirit revives my soul again – to tell the love of Jesus.”
Have you ever felt so discouraged you felt you could not go on as you are called to? Where you felt that love was just too hard – you were too worn out by the world around you, broken by the betrayal of others, beaten down by the hate, violence, and oppression you see. Perhaps you feel that way now. It can make it hard to tell the love of Jesus, living as Jesus commanded – to love as he loved, and to feel his love in return.
There is a balm for you, my friends – for Jesus did keep his promise to his disciples, to all of us, to you. You are not alone.
You are not alone, for the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, walks alongside you – reviving your soul.
You are not alone, for Jesus lives – in you.
You are not alone, for God’s love is infinite, unconditional, and for each one of you, and love, God’s love, never dies.
When we feel discouraged, when we feel our work in Christ is in vain, remember always to take a second look around – for you will see signs that let you know you are not in this alone – you will feel that balm nourishing your soul. For the Advocate is always present, always guiding us, always making God’s love known to us, especially when we need it the most.
You can see her in the ways you feel something lifting you up when you thought you had nothing left to give – in parents coping with managing kids, being both parent and teacher, while also trying to work. In healthcare workers who manage to work long and dangerous shifts day after day after day. In just the ability to get out of bed in the morning when it seems we just can’t. In being able to go one day at a time. Something gave you the strength, the courage, the love.
You see her in the love of others that reignites the hope of a future filled with goodness – in the way many of you have given of your time to help others who can’t get out – getting groceries to those who are vulnerable, donating money to the church and to other organizations doing good work in the world, calling people who may feel isolated. Something sparked in your heart, calling you into relationship.
You see her in the way God let’s you know how deeply you are loved – just as you are – through prayer, through scripture, through the eyes of others, through the joy of relationships rooted in love, through service in the name of Jesus. Something warms your heart, opens your very souls, to receive the love you need.
That something, that balm in Gilead, that is the promise of Jesus to us – his gift – the Advocate. And if you paid attention, you noticed what connects each of those ways in which we come to know the Advocate in our lives. All are rooted in love! As the song goes, we don’t have to preach like Peter, we don’t have to pray like Paul, we just tell the love of Jesus! We do this, we tell of his love, by our actions in the world, by loving as he commanded!
And in that great and necessary work, we come to realize that we are strengthened by the one who walks beside us – the Advocate – that gift of grace – that breathe of God – that Holy Spirit – promised to us by Jesus when we follow his commandment to love one another.
So when you feel discouraged, and think your work – to tell the love of Jesus by being Jesus in the world – is all in vain, Jesus wants you to know that you are not alone – that there is a balm to heal you – the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who walks alongside you, who sustains you, and who truly will revive your soul again.
Amen.
For the audio from the 10:30am service, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here:
The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox
Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge
May 17, 2020
The Sixth Sunday of Easter – In A Time Of Separation
1st Reading – Acts 17:22-31
Psalm 66:7-18
2nd Reading – 1 Peter 3:13-22
Gospel – John 14:15-21
