John 14:15-21 (Year A Seventh Sunday of Easter, and Year C, verses 15-17, Pentecost Sunday) has Jesus promising the abiding presence of the Spirit.
Summary
This reflection highlights Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit as the "Paraclete" – a counselor, advocate, and guide who fosters an intimate connection between the Father, Son, and believers. The Spirit's role is to glorify Jesus, continuing His work of revelation by teaching us to recognize the Father in Christ. Obedience and love for Jesus are central to experiencing this indwelling Spirit, ensuring disciples are not "orphaned" but united with Christ.
My purpose is to interpret Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit (Paraclete) and translate that promise into concrete discipleship practices for contemporary believers. Because Christ is not absent but present through the Spirit, the church’s calling is not to remember Jesus but to represent him, visibly and relationally, in the world.
I focus upon several theological themes.
First, the Paraclete (advocate, counselor, comforter, mediator, and spokesperson of Christ) and abiding presence. The dominant theological focus is the Holy Spirit as Paraclete. I emphasize the continuity between Jesus’ earthly ministry and the Spirit’s ongoing work and the Spirit as the means by which Christ remains present, active, and authoritative in the community. Thus, Pentecost, Easter, and Ascension are not sharply divided events, but aspects of a single divine action of presence and revelation.
Second, the Trinitarian Framework. I consistently operate within a relational Trinitarian theology: The Father sends the Spirit, The Son requests or pours out the Spirit, and the Spirit glorifies the Son and reveals the Father. Importantly, I resist rigid mechanistic explanations of “who sends whom,” emphasizing instead shared divine purpose and relational unity.
Third, Love, Obedience, and Ethical Discipleship. Love (ἀγαπῶν) is presented not as sentiment but as obedient practice, explicitly tied to keeping Jesus’ commandments, Ethics emerge organically from theology, Love motivates obedience, Obedience sustains community, and Community becomes a witness to God’s future for the world.
Verse-by-verse study
We read of the intimate connection between Father, Son, and Spirit. The Son asks the Father to send the Spirit. The Spirit is to glorify the Son.[1] The distinction between the Son as the sender of the Spirit and the Spirit who is sent is not clear, for the coming of the Spirit fulfills the promise of the return of Christ.[2] In verse 16, the first promise of the Paraclete. Jesus is the advocate, the one who prays for us, the one who counsels and directs us. To live in obedience is to have a way of life lived in loving union with him. Jesus is not physically present to continue leading the church. That is why another counselor and guide is part of the Christian community, namely, the Holy Spirit. We can detect the influence of Jewish angelology, especially with the notion of the Spirit of Truth.[3] Both Father and Son work together in sending the Spirit, whether it is that the Father sends the Spirit at the request and in the name of the Son or that the risen Lord pours out the Spirit whom he has received from the Father. Regardless, the purpose of the sending is to continue the work of revealing Jesus. The Spirit glorifies Jesus as the Son of the Father by teaching us to recognize the revelation of the Father in the words and work of Jesus.[4] There is a close parallel between the work of the Spirit and that of Jesus. Paraclete refers to a calling, summoning, inviting, demanding, admonishing, and encouraging, an address that both corrects and comforts. The Spirit will be for the community and individual Christian the great Paraclete. It describes the Spirit as the mediator, advocate, and spokesperson of Jesus Christ to the community of believers. The Spirit speaks both of Christ and for Christ, as the representative of the cause of Christ, seeking to make the cause of the community and the individual to become the cause of Christ. The Spirit sees to it that neither individual followers nor the community forgets Christ.[5] The Spirit gives instruction to Christians in a way that never becomes identical with their own spirits. The Holy Spirit is superior to us as believers. As our teacher and leader, the Spirit is in us, but in a way that the Spirit remains Lord of our lives. The entire notion of Paraclete in this passage is relevant to this discussion. Note the difference in the notion here of “the Spirit of truth.” God is establishing and executing the divine claim to lordship over us by this immediate presence.[6] The Holy Spirit is present to the church through the glorifying of Jesus Christ as the one whom the Father sent. The Spirit brings an immediacy of individuals to Jesus Christ. [7] The abiding spiritual presence of Jesus in the form of the Paraclete does not depend either upon the physical presence of Jesus or the eschatological return of Jesus. This indwelling depends on loving Jesus and keeping his commands. In saying Jesus does not leave them orphaned (verse 18), an interesting parallel is when Plato says in Phaedo 116a that the followers of Socrates became orphans upon his death. Jesus assures his disciples that even though he is going from them he is not really leaving them. The use is figurative in the sense of abandoned or unprotected.[8] In verses 18b-21, Jesus says he is coming to them, that the world see him no more, but they will see him, affirming that because he lives they will live also, and “in that day” they will know Jesus is in the Father, and they are in him, and he is in them, for the one who keeps his commandments is the one who loves (ἀγαπῶν) him, and the one who loves Jesus will also be loved by the Father, and Jesus will love such a one and manifest (ἐμφανίσω) himself to such a person. Such sayings could refer to the appearances, but it could also refer to their union with Christ that the Spirit will bring. Easter, ascension, and Pentecost may well be a single event here. The life of Jesus is the basis and source of Christian life. Once Christians have received life from Jesus, they will be able to recognize that it is a life mutually shared by Father and Son. While the world will see its last of Jesus, believers and the community see Jesus in his risen state with the eyes of faith. Since Christ lives, believers and the community also live.[9] With the discovery of the empty tomb and the coming of the risen Lord to them, true knowledge will come that the Son is in the Father, that they are in the Son, and that the Son is in them. Keeping the commandments because of love for Jesus introduces the ethical dimension of the text. Love motivates. The community of Easter is founded upon love and reveals itself in love. The world is still strange and puzzling place, for humanity has yet to fulfill the intent God has for it. God does not leave us without a family, united by Christ and the Spirit, to nurture us along the way. This community and this Spirit help us to make the world the home God intended it to be. Our fears inhibit us from moving toward the best God has for us. Yet, this community can experience peace beyond what the world experiences, for Christ and the Spirit unite the community to the future God intends for humanity.
Application
I draw an analogy to "Jesus Presenters," much like historical re-enactors, emphasizing that believers are called to embody and share Christ's grace and truth with the world. This involves not just knowing about Jesus but allowing the risen Christ's Spirit to fully dwell within, guiding our actions.
I use ten characteristics of "dogness" – such as greeting loved ones with enthusiasm, eating with gusto, loyalty, and offering silent comfort – to illustrate practical aspects of discipleship. These traits parallel loving Christ, obeying His command to love one another, and receiving the Spirit, suggesting that dogs can teach us profound lessons about being humble, loving, and joyful followers of Jesus.
Unless the eye catch fire,
The God will not be seen.
Unless the ear catch fire
The God will not be heard.
Unless the tongue catch fire
The God will not be named.
Unless the heart catch fire,
The God will not be loved.
Unless the mind catch fire,
The God will not be known.[10]
World history, having attained its goal in Christ and in his death, cannot continue as though nothing had happened. His community is now present in the world as witnesses to Christ. Yet, God does not leave them to their own devices. They cannot be without Christ in the world.[11]
Jesus presents the Father. In a world that is still a stranger to what God intends for it, followers of Jesus are to present Jesus to the world. The Spirit will be the one present to help followers of Jesus fulfill their calling.
His name is Homer Sewell, but total strangers tend to call him “Abe.” One look at the man and you know exactly why: Homer Sewell bears a spooky resemblance to Abraham Lincoln. This all started about 30 years ago in Orlando, Florida, when Sewell grew a beard and schoolchildren suddenly began to call him “Abe.” He completed the effect by adding a black suit and stovepipe hat, and developed a show called Abe Lincoln’s America. Sewell has now made over 2,400 appearances as the 16th president, performing for more than two million people. “As soon as I get my suit on and my hat,” he explains, “I become Abraham Lincoln.” Sewell is a dead ringer for Honest Abe, even without makeup, and you have to admire his attention to detail. The car he drives is a ... Lincoln, of course. The Association of Lincoln Presenters presented Sewell with the “Lincoln of the Year” award in April of 1999.
In the gospel of John, Jesus is laying the foundation for an “Association of Jesus Presenters.” Jesus knows that his death is coming, and he is preparing his disciples for the period that lies ahead, when he is not going to be physically with them. “Very truly, I tell you,” Jesus assures them, “the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). He promises his followers that he will do whatever they ask in his name, and then he goes on to predict that God will send them the Holy Spirit, to be with them forever (vv. 13-17).
Jesus invites the disciples to be Jesus Presenters — people who carry forward the words and works of Jesus Christ and offer his grace and truth to the world. Like members of the Lincoln Presenters, their mission is to educate and inspire, and to present the powerful insights and actions of their leader to the world. Disciples are to represent Jesus, so that when people see them at work, everyone will know that they are Christians.
The coming of the Holy Spirit should remind us that claiming to be followers of the historical Jesus is one thing but allowing the Spirit of the risen Christ to dwell fully in us is another. One can confine the former simply to knowing a lot about Jesus, while the latter involves representing Jesus and acting every day on his behalf according to his model of life and faith. Granted, Christians often obscure Jesus rather than present Jesus. Yet, their calling, vocation, and mission, based upon the model offered by Jesus, is to show God to the world. Fortunately, we do not function alone or in isolation. We have an association of Jesus Presenters we call the church.
Those who follow Jesus have a certain type of mission statement. Since he will no longer be physically present, he wants them to know what they must continue to do. His advice is simple.
First, they are to love him. In the Shema in the Old Testament and the Jewish faith says we are to love the Lord with all the heart, mind, soul, and strength. For us as followers of Jesus, we are to love Jesus Christ. That is the mission. Martin Luther King sometimes spoke of the “weapon of love.” For King, love was a powerful force, more powerful than the forces of evil and wickedness. That was the only available resource for revolutionary Christians. King practiced nonviolence as an aspect of his weapon of love. King and his followers practiced nonviolence, not because it was effective, but because it was the only means available to him as a Christian. “We will outlove your ability to hate,” he said. “We will outsuffer your ability to inflict pain.” For him, nonviolence was not a savvy political strategy for the moment. Nonviolence was the only means of obedient service to Jesus.
Second, they are to obey him. Of course, the Old Testament must keep reminding the people to obey the Lord, but now, as followers of Jesus, we are to obey Jesus. That is the mission. Loving him means keeping his commandments. In John, the new commandment is love each other. A German pastor said when the Nazis came to power, it was the members of the more conservative Christian sects, those rule-keeping, simple-minded, dogmatic (or so he thought) Christians who were able to see the horror of Hitler and to resist Nazism. The more liberal, open-minded, educated, and sophisticated Christians tended too easily to mesh Nazism with their rather thin Christianity. In his opinion, “Those Christians who stressed obedience, simply doing what Jesus expected them to do, without question, had the greater resources for resistance.”[12]
Third, they are to receive the Spirit of truth. This Spirit is “another” advocate, counsellor, or comforter, suggesting that Jesus has been these things while with them. The world cannot receive this Spirit of truth, and so, people who follow Jesus will always feel some strangeness while they live in the world. Since they must receive this Spirit, it will not be identical with their own spirits. They must be willing to go where the Spirit leads, even if contrary to what they would do on their own. That is the mission.
This part of the Gospel of John is the basis for Christian view of the Trinity. The creator of the universe, the Father of us all, has disclosed who God is in Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit becomes the subjective reality and presence of God in leading and directing our lives.
Jesus is opening to the disciples a new reality. They will have a new relationship with him. As the risen Lord, they will abide in him, and he will abide in them. Therefore, he will not leave them orphaned. The risen Lord will come to them. The risen Lord will love them and reveal himself to them.
Love Christ, keep the commandments, and receive the Spirit.
I want to have a little fun with the notion of what we can learn from dogs about the mission or vocation the risen Lord has given the church and we as followers of Jesus.
I came across this news item.
Lawmakers in Iran have proposed a bill to criminalize dog ownership. The law states that owning a dog “poses a cultural problem” and is “a blind imitation of the vulgar culture of the West.” – radicalislam.org
Since I came across this item after I thought of trying something new today, by sharing what we might learn from dogs, I found it interesting. It reminds me that not everyone likes dogs. For those who do, here is a video on God/Dog that has made the rounds on Internet, which makes it dangerous share. However, I hope you will bear with me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY
I have developed a soft place in my life for dogs. Beau and Toby were a father and son team that were part of our family. Beau was my jogging companion for a while. We made a game of racing to the top of the stairs. Toby had a wonderful way of cocking his head just right when you spoke to him, as if he was truly trying to listen. It was an emotional day when we had to put them to sleep. We cried all day, and laughed, of course. It is surprising how deeply attached one can become to their pet. We now (2020) have Annie, a little wire-haired fox terrier, and Tinker, a little Maltese.
The medical community has learned of the healing power of the dog. The patient, whom we will call Hazel, entered UCLA Medical Center for quadruple-bypass surgery. Since doctors moved her into ICU, she had barely moved, or even opened her eyes. It had been days now, and volunteer Betty Walsh was getting concerned. The situation was getting desperate. She decided to call in a member of the canine candy-striping corps. The new staffer, a pet-partner, if you will, arrived moments later. Koyla, a 145-pound shaggy white Great Pyrenees, crawled right up on Hazel's hospital bed and snuggled in beside her. There she lay beside her patient, nuzzling her warm and furry body in next to Hazel, who had not twitched a muscle for days. Betty and the other nurses gathered around to watch, tense and concerned. Then, they detected movement. Hazel's hand came alive. It was not long until her hand was inching toward the dog. She began to stroke its fur. Within minutes, she was smiling and talking, calling the huge dog her friend. Betty stood close by and monitored her vital signs. The blood pressure monitor began to go down, down, down to normal levels.
Koyla is not the only dog in the corps. There is a poodle, a greyhound, a pug, eight golden retrievers, four black Labs, two German shepherds, several mutts - and a partridge in a pear tree. What is it about dogs that evoke such a positive response? How are they able to provide such comfort and reassurance? Therapy Dogs International (http://www.tdi-dog.org/ ) screens dogs for personality, obedience and training and provides certification for more than 4,500 pet partners who provide service for 350,000 patients in the United States. Whatever it is, we know that dogs demonstrate loyalty and obedience, and offer comfort and a sense of well-being.
The question it raises for me today is what disciples would look like in this world if they loved God, loved Jesus, and obeyed the commands of Jesus, which is to love one another? The use that pet partners make of dogs in the lives of others is interesting on this point. The dog lives in obedience to its trainer, loves its trainer, and loves the people to whom the trainer brings the dog. Therefore, the dog has a healing influence upon others.
What I would like to think I am doing is that I am helping us to look at the world around us and see if we can learn something about discipleship by paying attention. In this case, of course, I want to pay attention to the dog. I hope you can have some fun with this, as well as learn. I came across ten elements of dogness or doghood that might help us learn what it means to love Jesus and obey his commandments, which, as we just learned, is to love others. I also came across some comments by Don Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz. He imagines himself as the dog, thinking dog thoughts about people.[13]
1. Greet loved ones with wagging tail. Don Miller put it this way, “Seriously, if you are excited about people, you improve the chances of them being excited about you.” We might refer to this as hospitality. Nothing is more important than feeling loved, and there is no creature on the planet that does it better than a dog. The wagging tail affirms that this is where we belong: This is our home, where we live, where we are safe and where someone loves us.
2. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. You know how dogs eat. Some will have slobber flying everywhere, and most will lick the dish clean until every scent of the food is gone. Dogs know that eating is a celebration of life. Most of us share a little of our “human” food with our dogs. If we do, they find ways of letting us know how important that moment is. In my case, our dogs learn that if I get something to eat, just get close to me and stare. Breaking bread together is holy. To nourish the body is not a chore, but a sacrament. Animosities are dissipated at meals, barriers broken down, friendships renewed and strengthened. So, eat with gusto. Enjoy all the flavors and spices of creation.
3. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. Relax, slow down and enjoy. Give yourself a time out. Opt out, unplug, and get lazy.
4. Run, romp and play daily. Physical exercise is as important for the soul as it is for the body. An unhealthy lifestyle will hinder your ability to be a disciple of Christ. When we learn how to play, stretch, and get in some exercise, we will feel better from the inside out.
5. Be loyal. Don Miller, says, “I will never turn on a friend. Never.” Loyalty is a good thing, and if your dog is nothing else, he is loyal to a fault. Loyalty has fallen on hard times. Commitment has become hard for many of us to make. Yet, loyalty is a critical element of discipleship, for it speaks to our relationship with others: our spouse, our vocation, our community and our friends.
6. When you are happy, dance around and wag your tail. Thankfulness and celebration are powerful dynamics for successful and healthy living. Gratitude is a gift we give ourselves that enables us to affirm the essential goodness of life. Even when adversity strikes, gratitude helps us maintain our perspective and carries us through the low moments.
7. If someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle gently. We all have bad days. That is why we need encouragement and affirmation. When we are depressed, we know that it takes only a quiet word, a gentle touch to bring us around. A dog has this instinct that tells it when to be dancing and jumping around and when just to be there beside you. Words are not always needed, or even helpful, to convey empathy. A gentle nuzzle will do.
8. No matter how harshly someone scolds you, do not pout - run back and make friends. Carrying grudges makes life a drudgery. Make friends and keep them. Overlook faults and assume the best. Do not keep a scorecard of rights and wrongs. Do not take offense.
9. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. We do not need to injure others by what we say or do. We can be strong with love; firm with kindness.
10. Bark with your buddies. At least in our house, barking at something outside is way of alerting us to pay attention. Barking is an act of commonality. Barking says we belong in this together. We are one.
Well, that is it, my lessons on discipleship from dogs.
Love Christ, keep his command to love, and receive the Holy Spirit. Properly understood, John has given us as followers of Jesus a statement of mission that works, even today. They can then bring the healing this world needs into reality.
Maybe God put dogs on earth to remind us of some important truths, for on one level dogs seem to do better at displaying human traits than humans. Sometimes, they are much more Christlike. Think about it. Consistently humbler, more loving, more grateful, more joyful, more kindhearted, and so on. Which should compel us to vow - if not to bow-wow: I will never let my dog be a better Christian than myself. Amen. Arf. Arf.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8] Seesemann, TDNT V, 488.
[9]
[10] --Attributed to Enlightenment poet William Blake.
[11] Barth (Church Dogmatics, IV.2 [64.4] 326)
[12] William Willimn, Pulpit Resource, 2005.
[13] How to Love and Be Loved (from a dog’s point of view) by Don Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz
I pretty much like everybody. I don’t like them instantly, though, but if they show the slightest bit of niceness I like them immediately and I like them a lot. When somebody first comes to the door I bark at them to let them know this is where we live. I set very clear boundaries. And then I get so excited to see them and be with them I just about explode. Not all dogs are that trusting, but I am.
Here’s the thing about people, though. Not everybody is going to like you back. But that’s okay. You should hardly think about that at all. A dog can only take so much love. I have more than I even know what to do with. Here’s how I got it:
1. I am genuinely excited about seeing and being with people. Seriously, if you are excited about people, you improve the chances of them being excited about you. It’s best to genuinely love them and want to be with them. One of the differences between people and dogs is that people can fake whether they want to be around somebody but dogs can’t. People like dogs because dogs are genuine. But people can be genuine too if they practice and they learn to trust and forgive.
2. I don’t get bitter when somebody doesn’t like me. If somebody doesn’t want to pet me, I could care less. I will be very nice to them and excited to see them all the same. I don’t take it personally at all. Remember, there’s plenty of love to go around. The cool thing about dogs is we really don’t care who loves us. I don’t place the value of one person’s love higher or lower than another’s, except for my owner. If you show partiality, you are going to have a very hard time loving and being loved and you’re going to be miserable. It’s a sad thing about humans that they want people to love them who just don’t, and they don’t accept love from the people who really do love them in the first place.
3. I know my place. I know that I am just a dog, so I don’t get all up on people too much. Okay, I do it a little too much, but not too much too much. I seriously love people. But I also know that any creature can feel like a burden if they don’t have good self esteem and the ability to be okay with just themselves, laying on the dog bed, for a little while. You can still watch them from the dog bed. People are so awesome. I love them.
4. I avoid people who hurt me. If somebody is mean to me, I will remember it and I will associate that person with a mean time. I don’t hold it against them, but I don’t get too close to them. In fact, I’d just prefer it if they weren’t around. But I certainly don’t sit around thinking how I’d like to hurt them. When they are gone, they are gone. My life is really good in this way, and I think it’s sad that some dogs have to be with people who hurt them. It’s sad for people in that situation, too. If they can get away to a better place, I think they should. Or maybe they should try their hardest to talk it out. But if they keep getting hurt, they need to move on.
5. I don’t hold grudges. Sometimes you meet people who don’t love you. They may even not like you at all or want to be with you. With these people, I am just as nice. If they don’t want to be with me then they walk away. That’s their thing and I don’t take it personally. And if they ever come back and want to be friends, I am all in. Like I said, I don’t take it personally. The best way to be forgiving is just to wipe the slate clean and call it even as often as you can. Actually, though, that’s a human thing, because I don’t keep score. I just like people all the time.
6. I am loyal. I will never turn on a friend. Never. I understand going into it that I am going to love them more than they love me, and they won’t always be so loving, but that doesn’t matter. I can only control me, and I really like people and will never turn on them. Some dogs will but those are not good dogs.
Cute liked the Dog conversation. If the spirit is to lead us to all truth, and the church is a group of Christ presenters it would appear that something is wrong. Christians disagree violently on truth and the group of Christ presenters present a different Christs. What has gone wrong?
ReplyDeletei think you know where it went wrong. We still screw it up. We are sinners.
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