Trinity 1: The Centurion and his slave

Chapter 7

Love in Action (1) - The centurion and his slave.

Luke 7:1-10.

In the previous section of his Gospel, Luke shows Jesus establishing the New Israel and implementing the New Law. Having spent some time explaining the theory behind the new law, he now sets about putting love into action. In this lesson we see Jesus revealing aspects of what the law of love is all about. To understand the law of love in its entirety, one needs to examine the whole life and ministry of Jesus, eventually reaching the climax in the passion of the cross.

In this first example we meet a remarkable man of faith. The centurion was a Gentile army captain who was more than likely in command of Jews who had been recruited into the military forces. Galilee was not yet ruled directly by Rome, but was still under the Jewish King, Herod Antipas. Rome allowed him to rule and would probably have assisted him with infrastructure, including military officers (Morris p. 136). The troops would have served as a police force to maintain law and order in the region as well as to ensure that people paid their taxes. Capernaum was a border town and so the soldiers would have served as customs officials (Ellis p. 117).

A centurion was an important man who held a position of great status in the community. Even though the Jewish people and leaders had little or no time for Romans in general and Roman soldiers in particular, it is interesting to note how differently the Jewish people felt about this particular Roman officer. And the reason was simply because - as Wiersbe (pp. 74-75) puts it:

This centurion was not a Stoic who insulated himself from the pain of others. He had a heart of concern, even for the lowly servant boy who was dying from a paralysing disease.

In the centurion we see therefore the most unlikely character, chosen by our Lord to reveal one of the greatest miracles even performed by Jesus. Ryle (p. 200) writes:

... without even seeing the sufferer, without touch of hand or look of eye, out Lord restores health to a dying man by a single word ... We read of no prophet or apostle, who wrought miracles in this manner. We see here the finger of God.

This passage is loaded with wonderful truths.

Firstly, it is important to note that we are reminded, once again, that no people, irrespective of who they are or what they have done, are ever excluded from God's love. There can never be any person or group of people who ever feel that they are unworthy of our Lord's love - because in fact, all people are unworthy. It is not who we are or what we have done that makes God's grace and love available to us - it is who Jesus is and what Jesus has done that we can come to Him. So often people make the mistake of thinking that a person will be saved because of what they have done. In this passage, the Jewish leaders suggested that Jesus should help the Centurion because - as verses 4 and 5 put it:

"He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us."

No person can earn God's favour; no person can deserve God's love or blessing. Christians are not people who are better than others. The Christian attitude is that of the Centurion who in verse 6 says:

"Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy ..."

We receive God's love freely, never because we deserve it - but only because God loves us and blesses us even though we do not deserve it.

Christians love others, do good deeds and are prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of others - but note - not so that they can earn God's love and salvation, but rather because they have been given God's love and salvation as free and unconditional gifts. We come to our Lord with our prayers for ourselves and others, not because we deserve to come to God in this way, but because God loves us in Jesus Christ and enables us to come to Him by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit - even though we do not deserve it. The centurion was blessed therefore, not because of who is was or what he did, but because as Jesus says in verse 9:

"In all of Israel I've never found anyone with this much faith!" (CEV)

Faith is the key - and faith is a gift offered to all people who are willing to accept it. Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8-9:

You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you and not anything you have done on your own. It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about (CEV).

Secondly, people of faith become completely different. They no longer behave towards others as they are expected to by society. When people receive undeserved kindness, they respond by being kind to others. Why? Because, when God enters the life of a person, they change. The Centurion had opened himself up to God and the result - he was a changed person. We see this in the way that he had supported the Jewish people in their faith. Miller (p. 84) suggests that

He was probably a "God-fearer," who had been attracted to Judaism by its monotheism and high ethical teaching, and who even worshipped at the synagogue, but had not been circumcised as a proselyte ... It had been through the Jews that the centurion heard of Jesus and his work.

Having come to faith in Jesus the centurion felt compassion towards others, especially those in need. The centurion requested a miracle, not for himself, nor even a member of his family, but for a slave. Barclay (p. 84) suggests that 'He had a completely unusual attitude to his slave'. He had every right to do whatever he pleased with his slave, because as we know, slaves had absolutely no rights at all. Roman law described a slave as a 'living tool'. A master could even kill his slaves if he so wished. But when Christ enters a person’s life, they treat all people, irrespective of their political, social, racial, economic standing or position in society, as very special. We should learn an important lesson from the centurion's example. We should show kindness to everyone that we have anything to do with.

Thirdly, we see the importance of humility in the life of a believer. The centurion realised that he was not worthy of having the Lord come to his house. Humility is one of the most powerful indications of the presence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Humility is not a natural gift in people because we are all born proud. Jesus frequently had to point out the need for Godly humility, perhaps best summed up in Luke 18:14 (CEV) where Jesus says: 'If you put yourself before others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honoured'. Christ revealed this virtue in his own life. In Matthew 11:29 (CEV) Jesus says: '... learn from me. I am gentle and humble and you will find rest'. Paul explains: 'Jesus 'humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death upon a cross'.

Lastly, we see one of the most perfect examples of Christian faith in action. Listen to the centurion's words:

But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed.

The centurion knew that Jesus could heal - this was not doubted for a minute. He also knew that if Jesus were just to say the word, then it would happen. He believed that Jesus had the authority necessary to do anything. As a military person, he knew that a command would be obeyed! He did not see the need for any miraculous sign - he simply believed and trusted in Jesus. How many of us pray, confident that Jesus can heal, save, do whatever we request of him? Are our prayers not more often merely hoping for the best but not really expecting anything. There is so much evidence today of the power of Jesus - in fact much more evidence than was available to people in Jesus' day - and yet so many people still do not believe!

But notice that his faith led to action - he did something. Realising that he was unworthy, he sought the aid of others. The result he received, great blessing. Faith needs action. We too can follow the example of the centurion by asking others to pray for us. And when we also believe and trust, our Lord will bless us. Wiersbe (p. 76) writes:

If this Roman, with very little spiritual instruction, had that kind of faith in God's Word, how much greater our faith ought to be! We have an entire Bible to read and study, as well as nearly 2 000 years of church history to encourage us ... Our prayer ought to be, "Lord, increase our faith!"

Our Lord has therefore reminded us again today of the wonderful truth that all people are special and that no person who comes to Jesus in faith will ever be turned away. But we need to come to him in faith and in all humility. We need to be ready do something in response to our faith - be it asking others to pray for us, go to the doctor - whatever we come to realise we need to do. But we are assured once more, that God loves us and welcomes all who come to him. Miller (p. 84) concludes:

It is significant that the first incident that Luke records after the forming of the New Israel and the setting forth of its law, presents a gentile manifesting the sort of faith which makes one a member of it.

Have we come humbly to Jesus and accepted Him and His Word into our lives by faith? Are we citizens of the New Israel, the Kingdom of God? Is this evident by the way we treat others? Do we follow the teachings of Christ and the New Law, or do we follow our own ways and only come to Christ when it suits us or when we want something for ourselves? Are we people of faith, always asking that the Lord increase our faith?

Some thoughts on the Gospel and Epistle for Trinity Sunday

John 16.12-15 (NRSV)

12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for 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. ¹⁴He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.¹⁵All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

It is interesting to note that the compilers of the Lectionary have chosen this passage for Trinity Sunday, as its focus is still on the Holy Spirit – referred to here as ‘... the Spirit of truth .. (vs 13). It is by the Spirit that God’s truth is revealed to us – it is not discovered, or figured out, it is made known to us.

I begin my reflection with help from William Barclay.

This wonderful truth is revealed in a progressive way – bit by bit - as we enabled to grasp it. I deliberately do not use the word ‘understand’ because it is more than a mere cerebral experience; it is something that we grasp with our whole being. Jesus explained that there were some things that the disciples at the time could not deal with then (vs 12); he could not tell them important things because they were unable to grasp the truth. The progressive nature of things has been applied to a number of areas of human experience. Jean Piaget spoke of levels of cognitive development which has been invaluable for those concerned with the education of children. People lean by building on earlier knowledge and skill e.g. one needs to be able to do basic arithmetic before one can move on the calculus. Lawrence Kohlberg discovered that there are discernible levels of moral development where it is important to lay good foundations early on in life and build on them until a person reaches maturity where they try to be good people, not only to avoid unpleasant consequences, but just because it is the right thing to do. Here Jesus is speaking of levels of spiritual development, where important foundations lead to growth into spiritual maturity.

It is also important to realise that the Bible is not the only source of revelation. God’s Spirit is always at work deep within his people and working through the Church. It is important to grasp this important truth; Jesus is the Word of God – he is not just a figure of history of which we read in the Gospels – he is a living person and through him God’s revelation continues.

It is also true that it is not only ministers and theologians who are inspired by the Spirit; there are also hymn writers and composers of music amongst others. Handel’s Messiah is for me one of them, as is Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. But this is also true of great scientific discoveries and medical advances. This is because all truth is God’s truth, and the work of revelation is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Revelation is also the continued revelation of the truth of who Jesus is. Barclay points out that

‘… revelation comes to us, not from any book or creed, but from a living person. The nearer we live to Jesus, the better we will know him. The more we become like him, the more he will be able to tell us. To enjoy his revelation, we must accept his mastery.’ (p. 196)

John Marsh adds wonderful additional insights from this passage. He reminds us that the Spirit does not bring us any new truth; it might seem new to us, but it has been eternally thus. But importantly, it is the revelation of the truth of Jesus that is of great significance as we progress on our spiritual journey. If one places this passage in his historical context, this utterance was before the crucifixion and so the reference to the ‘things to come’ would be a reference to the Cross and its meaning and significance. With all the tragedy lying ahead in the future, Jesus is in effect saying to the disciples that they will be led by the Spirit to understand what it all means. Marsh explains: ‘Without the Spirit’s illumination Christ’s death would be a complete tragedy; under his instruction it will be the great victory of the Lord over the adversary, the decisive moment in the salvation of the world ...’ (p. 538) Marsh suggests that this is confirmed by verse 14 where Jesus speaks about being glorified. To be glorified  is to make it clear that what seems like a humiliation of apparent defeat ‘… is nothing else but the real triumph of victory.’

And this is more than the simple fact of crucifixion, because this could be understood by mere observation of the event or hearsay. By the Spirit, the disciples would learn that the Cross revealed the ‘… depths of the relationship between the Father and the Son in the Godhead …’ (p. 539). This is why the passage is so full of the close relationship, Father, Son and Spirit – a graphic explanation of the Trinity and its oneness.

A M Hunter  adds another interesting dimension: The paraclete does more than reveal or expose, he will also teach and will guide all believers of all time into all the truth of the Gospel. It is an individual journey as well as a communal journey. We will be enlightened on our personal journey of faith, but we will also be guided by the confirmation of our experience through the testimony of the Spirit to the Church.

This leads us into the contribution of the Epistle for Trinity Sunday.

Romans 5:1-5 (NRSV)

Results of Justification

5Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

When one has received the gift of faith, everything makes sense, even difficult times. Paul makes the point that times of suffering are character building and links them to producing hope. It is interesting that he uses the word ‘boast’ as the preface to dealing with this, because in 3:27, he writes of boasting being excluded from the Christian experience; boasting in what we do. Here we have seen that we boast in our hope of sharing in God’s glory, and we boast in our sufferings. Here we boast in God’s character and achievements, not those of our own. Our justification is God’s doing and not our own. It is because of this that we hope, because God’s love is poured into our hearts and fills us with hope. Barclay explains: “The Christian hope never proves an illusion for it is founded on the love of God.”

It is true that when we confront the problems of our lives, we grow, our character is built up, and our trust in God is deepened and our confidence in the future is assured, because even though we are free, God is always there for us to make positive things come out of the negative. All this is possible because it is not up to us to face life’s challenges alone. In the Gospel we are reminded that we are given the Holy Spirit and the word used was parakletos the ‘parallel’ counsellor to enable us to do what we cannot achieve in our own strength.

All this is possible because ‘... God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.’ 

A sermon idea for Pentecost

John 14:8-17 (NRSV)

⁸ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’⁹Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? ¹⁰Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. ¹²Very truly, I tell you, 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. ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷This 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 begin my reflection with inspiration from John Marsh’s excellent commentary on John’s Gospel.

In our reading, Philip asks for a theophany – a divine disclosure to man – and Jesus repeats the answer that he gave to Thomas because Philip’s request makes the same sort of presupposition as Thomas’ question: it assumed that the Father was other than the Son. Philip could not conceive of the unity of Father and Son which Jesus had spoken of so frequently (as recorded in the Johannine version of the Gospel). Jesus refers to the two dominant themes of the Gospel: his word and his works. Neither of these are done on his own: his words are not spoken on his own authority but with the authenticity of the Father. This is sufficient theophany. His works are also not his own doing, but those of the Father who dwells in the Son. What Philip needs to do is recognise this. Jesus says (verses 10-11) ‘… I am in the Father and the Father is in me …’ and the ultimate proof of this is in Jesus’ works – what he did.

For Jesus to ‘… go to the Father …’ does not mean a departure; it means staying with him … abiding with him forever. Marsh adds: “The metaphor of ‘departure’ must not be pressed to the point of letting any disciple suppose that there is knowledge of the Father to be had beyond Jesus himself. In the Son, the Father has been pleased to manifest himself.”

Jesus had made this point many times: “If you had known me you will have known my Father”; “He that has seen me has seen the Father”; “I am in the Father, and the Father in me” and “The Father that dwells in me, he does the works …”

J C Ryle writes: “Sayings like these are full of deep mystery. We have no eyes to see their meaning fully, no line to fathom it, no language to express it, no mind to take it in.”

Bishop John V Taylor spoke of Jesus reflecting in a human life the being of God. Norman Pottinger captured the essence of this truth in his book entitled The Human Face of God where he wrote:

“… the Word is made flesh in one of our own kind, our Brother, without over-riding or denying the humanity which is ours, but rather crowning and completing all that is implicit in humanity from the beginning. The divine intention is ‘enmanned’ among us.”

I am also taken with the understanding of Thomas Merton who said that he underwent two conversions – the first to the transcendent, awesome God, with whom communion may be enjoyed through worship and contemplation, the second to the imminent, approachable God, who is present in his world and its people.

Indeed, the Feast of Pentecost reminds us of another two-fold experience: the risen and ascended Jesus of history whose transcendence enables him to be imminent in the power of the Holy Spirit as he dwells within us in the world today. Jesus himself said that where two or more are gathered, he is there in the midst, and Mother Teresa reminds us of our Lord’s teaching in Matthew 25 that we meet Jesus in the needs of the most vulnerable in the world … and this is especially evident when people respond in faith and continue to do the works of our Lord in the present.

Jesus put it this way: ¹¹Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 

The relationship between a student and his teacher is special. Every teacher has a responsibility of ‘… transmitting something of the glory of the subject to those who listen to him; and he who teaches about Jesus Christ can, if he is saint enough, transmit the vision of the presence of God to his students.” Barclay adds that “… a great teacher stamps his students with something of himself …” If a divinity student has been trained by a great preacher whom he loves, ‘… we will see in the student something of the teacher and hear something of his voice …’ Jesus did immeasurably more than this: he brought God’s accent, His message, His mind and the very heart of God to humankind!

I never realized this at the time, but I have been touched by some great teachers. I think of JAB Benyon, probably the most inspiring teacher I ever had, who in his humility, gave me a passion for history – a subject that I literally hated at school because of appalling teachers; I can think of Neville Richardson (only recently retired) whose profound yet humble approach to the New Testament has given me a great love for the Scriptures. And most recently, William Barclay, whose work I ignored for so many years – to my cost – but who has been a great companion since we began these reflections.

Jesus offered a test based on two things: what he said and what he did. When we read or hear the words attributed to Jesus, they have the ring of truth and – as Barclay rightly observes – when we hear them we cannot help saying: “If only the world would live on these principles, how different it would be!” And of course, Jesus’ deeds did cause one to pause and think; “Who is this?” Barclay comments:

“Still the way to Christian belief is not to argue about Jesus, but to listen to him and to look at him. If we do that, the sheer personal impact will compel us to believe.”

Jesus has sought to comfort his disciples by revealing to them the fact that his death is not the tragedy they think it is going to be. From verse 12 he goes on to show that they can be part of his ongoing ministry by sharing in it and in a sense to even greater things than the Son has achieved.

It is quite clear that in the early days of the Church close to the first Pentecost, they possessed miraculous powers, and healing was a significant part of their ministry. But it is not clear from the Scriptures that they did greater healing miracles than Jesus. Today, these seem less manifest, and we rely more and more on the work of skilled medical professionals. However, if our modern medical care would have been available at the time of Jesus and the early Church, it would have appeared fantastic! There is a very real sense that people have striven to make these advances, because of the example of Jesus, for we know that the early medical professionals were inspired by the teaching of Jesus. Barclay suggests: “… whether they knew it or not, Jesus was saying to them through his Spirit: ‘These people must be helped and healed. You must do it. It is your responsibility and privilege to do all you can for them.” People today do things that in Jesus day would have been considered utterly impossible.

Think also of the limits of the ministry of Jesus. He never left Palestine. The world was in a mess: in the Roman empire morality was hardly in existence even compared to today, things were outrageous. And into this world went the disciples of Jesus.

It is all too easy to forget that we are together with Jesus. His Ascension is a wonderful truth, because it reminds us that Jesus left the constraints of this earthly existence and so can be with us all – everywhere freed from the limits of time and space. But more, He is with us now, when we are alone and especially when we are together in worship and fellowship with others. What binds us to our Lord is not an act of intellectual assent; it is a bond of love. It is because we love Jesus that we willingly accept what he calls us to do, and this requires obedience to our Lord’s teachings.

To those who respond in obedience to our Lord’s calling, he offers us another counsellor. Jesus had been the disciple’s counsellor while he was with them, and when he left this earthly realm he gave them the Holy Spirit who would remain with them forever. Marsh writes: “So his departure will not leave them unsupported and unguided as they might have feared. The coming of the Spirit of truth to stay with them will mark them off from the world; for just as the world cannot see Jesus for the Son he really is, so it cannot discern the presence of the Spirit of truth, for the world cannot see him nor know him. But the disciples will know him, for he will be dwelling in them.”

For the disciples, the Holy Spirit was not a replacement for Jesus, it is Jesus, but just in another form. The disciples will see him for – as Marsh explains “… they together will enter upon a life with quite new conditions.”

All this is based on love and obedience. Barclay claims that there is ‘… only one test of love and that is obedience.’ Love is not s sentimental emotion; its expression is always moral and is revealed in obedience. You cannot claim to love someone, if you bring them hardship and heartbreak. Children and young people cannot claim that they love their parents and at the same time cause them grief and anxiety. There are children who claim to love their parents, yet cause them a great deal of anxiety and grief; there are husbands who claim to love their wives and yet they are inconsiderate, irritable, thoughtless and unkind. Real love is not easy – it is shown through obedience to his laws of love.

But we are not left to struggle alone – Jesus gives us another helper – the Greek word used here for the Holy Spirit is parakletos which is very difficult to translate. The Authorised Version renders it Comforter,  Barclay, Helper, NRSV, Advocate. Probably the best way to translate it is ‘… someone who is called in …’ but this alone is not enough; what also matters is why the person is called in. In Ancient Greece, people were ‘called in’ to give evidence in a court of law in someone’s favour; an expert called in to give advice in some difficult situation; to give encouragement to a group of soldiers who had lost heart. The parakletos was called in to help in times of trouble or need. This is what the Holy Spirit does for us: “He takes away our inadequacies and enables us to cope with life.” Barclay suggests that Jesus is, in effect, saying is: “I am setting you a hard task, and I am sending you out on a very difficult engagement. But I am going to send you someone, the parakletos, who will guide you as to what to do and enable you to do it.”

The world cannot recognise the Holy Spirit because we can see only what we are equipped to see. An astronomer can look into the night sky and see much more than the average person; a botanist can look into a hedgerow and see far more than the average person; someone who knows art will see far more in a painting than others. What we see or experience depends on what we bring to the sight or experience. A person who has dismissed God as impossible will never hear His voice deep within their lives when he speaks, and will never receive the Holy Spirit unless we wait, look and prayerfully seek for him to come to us in the depth of our being. Barclay concludes: “The Holy Spirit gate-crashes no person’s heart: He waits to be received. So when we think of the wonderful things which the Holy Spirit can do, surely we will set apart some time amidst the bustle and rush of life to wait in silence for his coming.”

Christian people ought to be remarkably different; there ought to be something special about them, something that marks them out from the rest of the world. And when this happens, it becomes obvious: it was obvious in the lives of Luther, Wesley, Oscar Romero, Mother Teresa, but also John Smith of Stepney or Gareth Jones from Cardiff or Ian MacKenzie from Glasgow.

People outside of Christ cannot fathom this. Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are discerned spiritually.”

This is why I said earlier that it is fruitless to try to convince someone through argument; they have to experience it. When people experience love, they know it; when they experience grace, they know it; when they experience selflessness, they come to know it.

Reflection on the Epistle, Gospel reflection is below

Revelation 22:12-end (NRSV)

¹² ‘See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’ ¹⁴ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. ¹⁶ ‘It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’ ¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. ¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; ¹⁹if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. ²⁰ The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! ²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

When I first entered the ministry I felt very intimidated by the Book of Revelation until I found a little book by James Efird entitled Revelation for Today which led to the acquisition of others as well. But today, I return to Efird again, for guidance.

It is clear in verses 12-15 that there will be a judgment where all people will be called upon to give account of how they have lived their lives. People who have lived well will be rewarded – referring to the great Genesis Creation myth – they will be restored once more to have access to the tree of life – that which was lost in the Fall. It is interesting that the compilers of the Lectionary leave out verse 15. Why? All, even those who have sinned in the ways condemned in verse 15, if they repent, are invited to ‘… wash their robes …’ and enter the city gates. I hope it is not because the sins condemned in verse 15 are no longer seen as being condemned, for how else can a person change unless they are challenged? I do not understand the omission!

Jesus bids us “Come.” (verse 17) and invited all who would – everyone who is thirsty – “Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” There are no limitations on who can participate. Once again that effective image of thirst is used. People who are bound by sin are ‘thirsty’. They drink more and more, but their thirst is never quenched. Famous people have confessed to needing to deal with a sex addiction, having more and more affairs, yet never being satisfied; alcoholics drink more and more, but alcohol is a diuretic and so makes one more thirsty; people shop until they drop but cannot stop. I am sure you can think of many other examples as well. The offer of Christ is always there, he is the living water, and when one drinks of what he offers, our thirst is quenched.

Verses 18-19 contain a typical apocalyptic warning about ‘adding’ or ‘taking away’ from the words of this book. The reason for this is to assure those for whom the book is written that the persecution they are enduing will come to an end. They were NOT meant as a curse to frighten anyone who disagrees with their particular interpretation of Revelation, which is sadly the way many have used it.

It ends with a promise, “I am coming soon,” and a blessing, and raises the question if this is a reference to the Second Coming of Jesus (which was the case for many years by many interpreters of the Revelation)? Efird suggests that if this is the case, John got it wrong because Jesus did not, and has, as yet, not returned. Efird therefore suggests that – in the light of the whole of the Revelation – that what he was describing would come soon.

Apocalyptic literature is by nature symbolic, so his reference to Jesus here would refer to God or God’s agent to symbolically describe the end of the period of persecution and the establishment of a new age free of persecution. It is generally agreed that the Revelation was written at about AD 94-5. The Emperor Domitian died in AD 96 and with his death the persecution ended – and so the end of their ordeal was near.

John’s basic appeal to his readers is the exhortation to remain faithful to God and Christ, to continue to witness even in the midst of harsh and difficult times; his promise is not that there will be an easy way out, but rather that the community will survive, and those who were called to make the supreme sacrifice, would receive a special reward, to be in the presence of God forever. The essence of the Revelation is that the ultimate victory belongs to God, and to those who commit themselves to God, will share in the fruits of victory.

There is therefore the sense that Jesus comes to us where we are in the here and now, and especially in the midst of difficult times. His grace is a present reality, and the intimacy that marks His coming to us is what blesses us. Christian Aid’s motto “I believe in life before death” is apt. Our faith is about now and when we are faithful and open, Jesus comes to us. John was writing into a specific historic context, but the essence of his message remains true for all time.

We are saved by grace through faith: Jesus declares us right with God; he forgives us and puts us in a right relationship with God. But this is where Luther and the Reformers tended to stop, and I can understand why, because this wonderful truth had been neglected for so long. Instead of being bullied by the Church into always been afraid of Hell and so forced into all sorts of legalistic activities, it was wonderful to come to the realisation that none of this is necessary, because all of it had been done for us in Jesus Christ our Lord. I well remember coming to this realisation myself. To quote Charles Wesley’s hymn: “… my chains fell off, my heart was free. I rose went forth and followed Thee …” But there is more. There is greater joy and fulfilment both now and in all eternity for Jesus gives us the power to become what he has declared us to be. The Holy Spirit enables us to set aside sin and strive to be perfected in love for God and others. As John puts it in verse 12, we will be repaid also for our work. It is not our work that saves us; it is Jesus that does this, but our work blesses us as we bless others – it is by transformed lives that the world is transformed. It is not our work that restores us; it is the washing of our robes that grants us access (verse 14) once more to the Tree of Life. But it is what we do that makes it evident that we have washed our robes, because if one remains in one’s obvious sin (verse 15) it is evident that we have not accepted the gift that Christ offers to all.

John makes this clear in his letters, where he mentions that it is our doing that confirms our right relationship: “You know that you have passed from death to life, because you love your brothers and sisters …” Paul, writing to the Corinthians also explains how our works will be tested as with fire, and some will suffer loss because their works will prove to be worthless – they will still be saved (because they have been justified) but they will make it by the skin of their teeth.

I know the regret when I feel I could have done something better. Imagine the regret when, in eternity, we realise that we could have done more.

It is never too late. Jesus keeps on saying “Come …” We must not do damage to the message of grace, because all is of grace. And there is warning too: warning against overcomplicating the message and letting people think that they are not welcome. But there is also warning that, unless there is evidence of the transformed life, they might be deluded in thinking that all is okay and it is not. There is a share in the tree of life for all people, because Jesus came to save all without exception, but the reality is that too many choose to reject his way, and so in reality only those without distinction (as far as we know) accept the wonderful gifts of God’s grace.

Thoughts for Easter 7

John 17.20-end (NRSV)

 ²⁰ ‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one,²³I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ²⁴Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

²⁵ ‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’ 

This is one of the most beautiful passages of Scripture, where Jesus, in effect, prays for us as ‘… those who will believe in me …’ through the message of the Apostles which they have passed down to us. The prayer is that we are united – that we are one – because this is the only way that the rest of the world will be able to see that what we stand for, what we believe in, and what guides our lives, is the truth, as Jesus put it, ‘… so that the world may believe that you have sent me …’

When people abide in Christ, this means living in love and obedience to the guidance Jesus has given us in the example of his life and teaching, we experience a wonderful unity that becomes real for us personally (as we are united with God) and as a community (as we are united with each other and God). This is especially true as we gather for worship, to reflect on the Word (our personal experience of Jesus in his Holy Spirit) and as we partake in Holy Communion.

Historically, as the witness of the Church spread, it became increasingly difficult for there to be unity because of the diversity of believers that accepted the ways of Christ. At the same time, this unity is vital because this is the only proof to the world that Jesus was sent by God the Father, and that the Gospel is true (Filson 1963:130). When true unity happens ‘… with Father and Son and with one another …’ (ibid) something of the glory of God will be evident. But this is impossible if one tries to achieve this without divine help; it only becomes possible when the Church is truly open to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The bond holding the unity together is that of divine agape love, as revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus. It is as verse 26 explains – ‘…so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’

The world does not naturally know God, but Jesus has known the Father intimately, and through his life and teaching so have the disciples, and through their witness, so have we. Jesus has revealed God’s nature and name, not only the formal name Yahweh, but also his nature and purpose – expressed most fully on the Cross – because through the death and resurrection of Jesus ‘… he [has made] the Father known in a unique way …’ (ibid. 131) In the passion of the Cross, God’s true nature as divine love is given its fullest expression. As we are filled with the Spirit of Jesus, we experience and also learn, not only with our minds but with our whole being, the truth of the love of God. This is real ‘knowing’. The reason why the world does not know God is because they think that knowing is purely a mental thing – a cerebral experience that can be articulated using words alone. We all know that this is not true, because everything that makes our lives meaningful and rich, while it does find some expression in words needs more, because it includes our souls and our spirits. This is why music, art, poetry and other expressions of beauty are so important for our flourishing. Filson writes:

Jesus has made the love of God real to them [the disciples], and as Jesus dwells in their lives they will know that God’s love has taken possession of them, to uphold them in their Christian witness and to bless them in their Christian lives.’ (ibid. 131)

Even here, those outside the faith will misunderstand, because the word ‘possession’ today implies the surrender of control that leads to a loss of freedom. But we who have experienced the love of Christ know that it is utterly liberating, setting us free to love so that we are no longer bound by the constraints of sin and the human weaknesses and frailties that tempt us away from what is good and beautiful and true. The love of God makes our fulfillment possible, because it sets us free.

It is interesting to note that even secular thinkers find it easy to understand the flawed nature of humanity. This was the essence behind Freud’s thinking; he was trying to find ways to explain, understand and then remedy those things that hinder us from being truly good people. The same was true for others like Stanley Milgram, who sought to understand how otherwise lovely people – the German nation – could have stooped so low as to sanction the Holocaust. He tried out his experiment in his native USA first, before travelling to Germany, and found that the same is true for all people. He discovered this: that there is a willingness to do the most devastating things, if we feel that we are not responsible because someone in authority has told us to do it!

The only remedy for human frailty is love, and we know what this love is because Jesus has explained it to us, demonstrated it to us – revealed it to us - and he gives it to us the power of his Spirit. We learn it ultimately when we experience it first hand, and we do this when others, filled with the same love, love us and give us the privilege of loving them in return.

So, the unity that Jesus prays for here, is not - as Barclay reminds us – a unity of organization or administration – because people will always like to do things differently. This is good because it gives us the freedom to express our love and faith in different ways. What Jesus prays for here is a unity ‘… in which [people] loved each other because they loved him, a unity based entirely on the relationship between heart and heart.’ (Barclay, 1975:218)

I believe that some have misunderstood true ecumenism, thinking that we all need to become part of the same denomination. But as Barclay adds, we will always want to organize our churches differently, worship in different styles and ways, and believe different things to be paramount, things we like to emphasize above others, ‘… but Christian unity transcends all these differences and joins [people] together in love …’ (ibid. 218)

The trouble is that some people love their own church organization systems, creeds, rituals and other things, more than they love other Christians. This is the hub of the problem. We must not be surprised if the world is not attracted to us as Christians, if we remain so divided. We should celebrate that there are differences and therefore styles and ways of doing things, but we should never say that our way is the ‘only’ way, just a ‘different’ way.

Verses 22-26 speak of Jesus giving his disciples the ‘glory’. In the commentaries I have consulted Barclay seems to give the best explanation of what is meant by the ‘… glory of Jesus …’ Barclay suggests that there were THREE ways in which Jesus used the term: (i) The Cross what his glory: Jesus did not speak of being crucified; he spoke of being glorified. Sometimes, we as Christians have to face our own personal ‘crosses’ and it should be an honour to share in the sufferings for Christ’s sake. Barclay explains: ‘The harder the task we give a student, or a craftsman, or a surgeon, the more we honour him.’ In effect we are saying that they are up to the task. ‘So when it is hard to be a Christian, we must consider it as our glory given to us by God.’

(ii) The perfect obedience to the will of God was his glory. Barclay explains that we find glory, not in doing what we like, but by doing what God wills – the greater the obedience; the greater the glory.

(iii) Jesus also speaks of glory when referring to eternity in the presence of God. We will share in all the experiences of Christ, including all the wonderful things. The second Letter of Timothy explains that ‘… if we endure, we shall also reign with him.’ (2 Timothy 2.11-12)

‘Tis mystery all, and I am not sure that I am in accord with everything Barclay suggests here, but he has certainly provided food for thought.