This week it is called the Spirit of truth. The Spirit is there to continue telling them things they are not ready for yet. At this point, Jesus has not died and been resurrected, so the Apostles have not realized he is God in the way they will soon. We see that Jesus is all about communication in this passage: "There are many things I have to say to you. He will guide you all the truth. He will not speak on this own but will declare to you the things that are to come. He will take what is mine and declare it to you."
Jesus is worried about his Apostles. He is worried about how they will handle the persecution that will be coming their way. He is trying to prepare them for such an experience. He wants them to know, the spirit of truth, the advocate will be with them in a way even Jesus can’t. And will continue to tell them things as they can bear them.
There is a lot of debate among theologians about who the Spirit of truth speaks to. Some contend it is just the apostles. Others believe the Spirit of truth comes to all believers across time and that the Spirit of truth is among us now. I can’t get away from the idea of things that we can’t bear to hear. There are things none of us can bear to hear. Those things change as we grow. As a kid: “its bed time now” are words we can’t bear to hear. Once we are grown: “I have to say good bye. I’m sorry your spouse has incurable cancer, or Alzheimer’s," are words we can’t bear to hear.
Or bigger ideas that we can’t bear to hear -- who can live in our neighborhood -- are changing, or who can marry. These can be words we can’t bear to hear. Or that God really loves everyone, even the people we may not. These also can be words we can’t bear to hear. Since there are still things we can’t bear to hear. Since our faith and the understanding of the world continues to change. There are many things I can’t bear to hear. I can fall into the later camp. The Spirit of truth is among us now and still at work in this world. The Spirit of truth guided the Apostles and guides us in all the truth as our understanding of faith and our world continues to change.
Last weekend after the confirmation service, after the promises and statements of faith had been made, after the Confirmands had been welcomed into the church as adults, after the pictures had been taken, the robes hung up and the bell choir put away the bells, I headed down to Philadelphia for a wedding at the Schaefer Ashmead chapel on the campus of Lutheran Theological School at Philadelphia. The fire of the Spirit was burning in the entire assembly as we witnessed Matt James, vicar here last year, and his partner John Weit, make vows to each other, in front of us, and God. They made vows to live together in a lifelong, committed, monogamous relationship --- to be married.
They are entering the unknown just like any other newlywed couple does. They made promises based on their love for each other, and on the presence of God in their lives. They engaged in a simple act of love and commitment that only a little while ago would have been impossible. Yet, it was something completely commonplace. They were two people making promises to each other, to us and to God to love and support each other for the rest of their lives. They said words that until recently we could not bear to hear.
The Spirit of truth is at work in this world. That simple act and others like it have the potential to tear the church apart but we won’t let them. We will continue to listen to all the truth that the spirit of truth is telling us. We will listen to the biblically rooted and faithful views held by both sides. We will hear all the truth and learn to live together through the changes coming our way.
This listening takes time. And we have been at it a while. With God’s guidance we will be at it for the rest of our lives. It takes a while to know who is speaking. As Jesus says, of this Spirit of truth, “he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
2 comments:
Bold, insightful, and passionate. I am sorry that I was not there to hear this sermon in person! If this is any indication for Fred's preaching texts, he will go very far! Please pass onto him, my congratulations for this bold and truthful statement.
I'll say it again and again. He is going to make some congregation very happy. We are blessed to have him as an intern and I wish him all the best in the future.
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