The Gospel lesson today may appear to be out of chronological order from last Sunday’s Pentecost celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit. But this does give us a more personal review of what it means to experience the Holy Spirit in our individual lives? What is your most recent experience of such a visit from God? Did someone greet you in love or make you feel welcome today? Was a prayer answered recently?
Today’s Bible monolog from Jesus is told as He and the disciples are leaving the upper room from the Last Supper and making their way toward the Garden of Gethsemane according to John. Jesus has just described how He is the vine and we are the branches; and how the world will hate and mistreat us just as it did to Him.
Now at this point Jesus explains why He didn’t tell us about all this mistreatment and anger during the three year earthly ministry with His disciples. During that time He didn’t need to, because He was with them every day. But now He is on His way to the Father, the One who sent Him. He’s noticing that the more He tells them about leaving the more sad and afraid they are becoming. So He assures them that it’s better for us that He leaves, so that He can send the comforting Friend, the Holy Spirit. Because He is leaving, He is sending His spiritual representative - the Holy Spirit.
When He comes, He promises to do certain things. And we can be good or bad witnesses to whether these promises have been fulfilled in and around our lives. To be good witnesses we need to let the Holy Spirit teach us what Jesus is talking about in three kinds of perspective: The Bigger Picture, The Smaller Picture, and The Invisible Picture.
Jesus focuses us first on the Bigger Picture when He says that the Holy Spirit will “expose the error of the godless world’s view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He’ll show people that their refusal to believe in Him is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where He is with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted.”
The LORD told Habakkuk that He was “going to do something in his days that he would not believe, even if he were told” (Habakkuk 1:5) after that prophet complained bitterly about all the violence and wickedness in the world. All those who receive God’s perspective of the divinely Bigger Picture can be like the prophets of old and understand what miracles are emerging around us.
How important is it to conserve refuse water or use orange recycling bag to protect our physical environment or purchase chocolate or coffee that is not grown by economically enslaved farmers? The picture of evil in the world is often too large and I can only see a small portion of it at a time in my limited life experiences.
The mind of Christ teaches us how to stand at a distance away from the consequences of our actions in order to see the whole picture and give directions to how we paint or compose our lives and relationships. If a painter makes brush strokes on a large mural or bill board according to his own limited perspective, seeing only a small part of the picture, and without listening to the guidance and direction of a helper standing away from the painting – then he or she could make many mistakes and lose perspective. But by following a master designer’s directions, I can create an image and form a lifelong pattern that delights the master, other like-minded people and myself.
The Lord told Habakkuk, He told the disciples in the story from John’s Gospel, and He tells us through the promised Holy Spirit that: As we face life's challenges, we are not in a position to see the whole picture, neither of the world nor of our own lives. We see only a small portion. If we rely only on our limited perspective, we risk participating in the violence and evil of the world. If you and I choose to trust God -- the One who sees the whole picture -- to direct our efforts, then God can work through us to create something delightful.
The Smaller Picture is what Jesus calls the “Spirit of Truth.” He sends a Friend from God who will tell us many things that we could handle, if we are only focused on the abstract teachings of Jesus. When you receive His “Spirit of the Truth,” then the Holy Spirit will guide you into “all truth.” How will the Holy Spirit do this? Jesus says, “He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that Jesus has done and said. He will honor the Son of God.” He will take whatever Jesus wants to give you and then deliver it to you.
Someone I trust might ridicule me in front of others. At first, I’m mortified. I could carry intense emotional hurt until I’m consumed with thoughts of revenge. But the Holy Spirit of truth can help me replace the hurt with a need to pray for guidance from the Lord to determine whether the person has spoken the truth. Did I act as he or she said I did? Can I overcome the problem? The Lord’s spirit of truth and mercy can then help me to see my faults that need to be corrected. Changing takes time and patience, but God is with me every step of the way. I am freer from some of my earlier faults, because of this working of the Holy Spirit (even though other faults are just as great).
The Invisible Picture is a picture of Jesus on the Cross reconciling you and me with God’s love. He says, “In a day or so you’re not going to see me, but then in another day you will see me.” His death, burial, resurrection, ascension and now renewed appearance as the Holy Spirit in your personal everyday life is part of how God seems to relate to you and me. It’s a “now you see it – now you don’t” peek-a-boo relationship in my experience like driving past a place for years and suddenly taken notice of something that was there all along. I’ve read passages in the Bible or another book several times and then suddenly or maybe only gradually I pick up on a deeper more significant message. I experience a new message each time I say or hear the Lord’s Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, John 3:16, the Apostolic Creed, “How Great Thou Art” or “Amazing Grace.”
199 years ago today Jefferson Davis was born in Christian County, Kentucky (1808). The year he died (1889 -28 years after his inaugural speech 3 blocks away on goat hill) the Holy Spirit had changed his heart so as to declare, "The past is dead; let it bury its dead, its hopes and aspirations... Let me beseech you to lay aside all rancor, all bitter sectional feeling, and to take your places in the ranks of those who will bring about a consummation devoutly to be wished – a reunited country."
Dear Heavenly Father, Your Truth and Reconciliation in our lives are fruit of Your Holy Spirit. Please direct us in living out the beautiful picture you envision us as Your little holy anointed ones (ton Hagion) as the “beloved community,” rather than following only our limited vision that leads to “bitter sectional feeling” and rancor. You are the Master Artist, who sees the whole picture and desires to make something delightful of us. You tell me of my hidden faults, transgressions that others may see but that I’m blind to. Thank you for lifting our spirits and teaching us that Your grace is greater than any of our faults – in the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment