Scripture John 14:22-29 (NRSVUE)
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Jesus, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “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. 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.
“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 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. 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. 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. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe.
Sermon
The gospel according to John is weird. It’s strange. It’s really different from the other three gospels, and that’s part of what makes it so fascinating.
For one major difference, take today’s passage. Every year, toward the conclusion of the Easter season, we hear portions of John’s gospel from chapters 14 through 17. These chapters consist almost entirely of Jesus talking to the disciples, interrupted only by a few questions here and there. Here’s the weird part, the thing that really sets it apart from the other gospels: Jesus is doing this on the night of the Last Supper, the night he is betrayed by one of his closest friends. Have a look at the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, to see how much Jesus talks to the disciples after that Last Supper. He says hardly a word, except when he’s begging them to stay awake with him in the garden.
And what is Jesus talking about (and, in chapter 17, praying about)? He’s giving these close friends instructions. He’s preparing them. He’s trying to help them to understand what life as disciples will be like, when he’s gone.
Jesus will soon be gone from the disciples’ sight—this coming Thursday marks the celebration of the Ascension, the day when Jesus disappears into thin air, returning to his God and ours. A second loss… maybe not as devastating as the first, the crucifixion, but still hard. What will life will look like without Jesus, their leader, their rabbi, their friend? Jesus is trying to help them to understand exactly that. He does this by telling them three important things.
1. My Father and I love you; we will come to you and make our home with you.
Jesus is answering a question here; Judas (not the one who betrayed him) asks, “How will you reveal yourself to us?” Jesus says, I will be here. Just not in the way you are accustomed to. In fact, my Father and I will make our abode with you—we will come to live with you. You will know my presence. You will be our home.
When I am with people who have given me permission to pray with them, I always, always include this in my prayers. I pray that God will make God’s presence known to them. God’s presence is a funny thing. Unpredictable, unless you are aware of certain things that almost always spark that awareness in you. For some of us, it’s being in nature and experiencing that awe and wonder. For some of us, it’s singing a hymn we love, or hearing music that moves our hearts. For some of us, it’s a joy that zings around in our hearts, under certain circumstances—maybe in a religious context, maybe not. Looking at a newborn baby (or a completely grown-up one). Beholding anyone or anything we love.
Love is at the root of it all. Jesus says it right there-I love you; my Father loves you; you will be living in love. Remember, earlier this very evening, Jesus has given that commandment. Love one another, as I have loved you. Light of the world, shine on me; love is the answer.
2. After I’m gone, God will send the Holy Spirit, the Advocate. The Spirit will be with you and will remind you of everything I have ever said to you. The Spirit will continue to teach you, to bring you wisdom. The Spirit will never leave you.
This is huge. Jesus won’t be with them in the flesh any longer. Rather, the Spirit will be with them. The Spirit will be in them.
Do you remember that beautiful spiritual, “Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray!” Do you know what those words say to me? They say that the creator(s) of that song had an absolute expectation that they would experience God’s Spirit in their hearts. That this was not an unusual occurrence. That they would sing or say prayers of gratitude every time they felt her moving.
How do we know the Spirit is moving in our hearts? It’s different for different people. Maybe a long-awaited answer comes to you. Maybe you have a wonderful idea that excites you and motivates you—that’s called, inspiration, a word that means, the Spirit is in you. Maybe you are warmed with love in a way that feels different, that feels fuller, more robust, more joyous. Maybe a melancholy lifts, and you know that all manner of things will be well. The Spirit is wily. Look for her. Welcome her in. Say a prayer of gratitude.
3. Now, think back to Easter. Do you remember the first thing Jesus says, when he sees the disciples on that evening of resurrection day? He says, Peace be with you. He says it here, too, just a few days earlier. Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
Jesus knows that the events of the next day will rock the disciples to their core, and not in a good way. They will be terrified. They will run for cover. They may even believe that God has abandoned them. So here, Jesus adds, “I do not give to you as the world gives.” Jesus doesn’t offer the kind of peace that comes from a bottle. Jesus doesn’t promise that it’s going to be smooth sailing from now on. Far from it. Instead, what Jesus offers is a kind of seed. This is an unusual seed, because it can blossom into whatever is needed. In times of sorrow, it can be solace. In times of fear, it can be strength. In times of the world quaking under our feet, it can be the firm rock upon which we stand.
This is the peace Jesus offers us. It is always there, to be drawn upon, like water from a well. Therefore, Jesus adds, do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. Your heart is safe with me.
I’m at that stage of life when many of us think ahead to that time when we will be gone—whether we’re leaving a position or a workplace, or making a move, or are becoming acutely aware that our years are dwindling. Years ago, a Presbyterian accountant from the Owego church came to teach us about what she calls the “I love you” file, in which we place our will, our power of attorney, our tax information, our funeral plans—anything our loved ones will need to do all the necessary things after we have breathed our last.
Some of us may also leave letters for those we love, just in case we don’t get to have the perfect conversations with them, imparting all the wisdom we’d like to pass along.
This is what Jesus is doing. In Jesus’ case, he plans to be with his disciples—including us—in ways we can’t articulate in our “I love you” folders. But we are living the reality he describes. He has come and made a home in our hearts. He has sent his Spirit, so that we can discern where God is leading us. And he has promised us a peace that passes all understanding.
The gospel according to John may be weird, but it is beautiful. It all comes down to love. This is the love of a God that just can’t stay away from us, who, as one writer has said “refuses to love us from a distance.” God will love us, not just by coming close, but by abiding within us. By loving us unconditionally, in the depths of our own hearts, breath by breath.
Thanks be to God. Amen.