Loving God, you invite us into relationship with you through Jesus Christ, that you might live in us and we in you. Help us to live in this way by the power of your Holy Spirit, that we, too, might experience your abundant life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Although there is much to be discussed in today’s gospel, at base it seeks to answer the question, Why did Jesus leave? When Jesus was raised from the dead, why didn’t he just continue to live among his followers here on earth? The simplest answer, which is suggested by today’s gospel, is this: Jesus could do far more by returning to heaven and sending the Holy Spirit than he ever could have done as one person here on this earth.

At the same time, it is when Jesus ascends into heaven and sends the Holy Spirit that a new and more intimate relationship is opened up between God and all those who believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus keeps saying in today’s gospel, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (Jn. 14:11). It is an intimate relationship that Jesus shares with his Father. Well, later on in the same chapter it becomes clear that the same intimate relationship with God will be open to believers because of Jesus. Jesus says, “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” (Jn. 14:23). Did you ever imagine the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all living in your heart?

Now, this is a bit of an aside, but when God comes and makes his home with us – that is the same word that is translated sometimes as mansions or dwelling places in today’s gospel. It is a spiritual home that involves an intimate and life-giving relationship with God.

Now, it is true that all of this can become rather esoteric and “out there” as we think about our day to day lives here and now. However, our relationship with God does have everything to do with our lives here and now. We can live in fear or we can live trusting in God. We can live in isolation and greed, or we can live in love, according to God’s purpose for our lives. To have a life-giving relationship with God through Jesus Christ can make all the difference in the world.

In fact, if you really listen closely to today’s gospel, you will hear an amazing thing. Jesus says:

Very 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 (Jn. 14:12).

Did you catch that? Those who believe in Jesus will “do the works” that Jesus did and will do even greater works because Jesus will send the Holy Spirit and will act on our behalf from heaven.

It would seem, then, that our lives as believers will include many of the same things that Jesus did in his life. And so, what are these “works” that are mentioned in today’s gospel?

Many people, when they think of Jesus, would think mostly of his miracles and his ability to heal people. These things certainly are possible by the power of the Holy Spirit, as was quite evident in the early church. However, they are probably of far lesser importance than the example that Jesus set in a number of other areas.

For one thing, we have a lot to learn from Jesus when it comes to how we treat other people. As human beings, our tendency is to treat certain people very well and simply to ignore other people. Jesus, on the other hand, treated all people as if they are valuable in God’s sight. He made a special effort to spend time with those who were outcasts and considered unacceptable by the “respectable” people and the religious leaders. He confronted only those who thought too much of themselves and who thought of themselves as righteous in God’s sight. Jesus saw through to people’s hearts and did not judge by appearances.

Jesus also set us an example of loving service, whether that meant feeding the hungry or washing dirty feet. Yet, at the same time, Jesus was by no means a “doormat” and wouldn’t allow other people to define who he was supposed to be. His identity came from God and no one else. He knew who he was and what he was here to do. He also knew the freedom that is brought by forgiveness, and so he did not hesitate to announce God’s forgiveness to people, and he himself prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified him.

Jesus lived in love for God and for the people around him, and there’s only one thing that we know of that kindled his anger. In a couple of instances recorded in the gospels, it involved religious leaders taking God’s commands and twisting them for their own purposes. The merchants in the Temple had taken God’s house and turned it into a marketplace rather than a place for worship and prayer. This made Jesus angry (Jn. 2:13-16; Mk. 11:15-17). The religious leaders had made their own Sabbath rules more important than healing people and setting them free. This made Jesus angry (Mk. 3:1-6). How could people focus in on the parts of the Law about sacrifices and the Sabbath and ignore the most important commandments like whole-hearted love of God and neighbour, and mercy and justice? Jesus’ concern was to reveal what God is really like and to set people free from the burden of the Law.

So... as you think about Jesus and how he treated people and how he lived in relation to God, how easy is it to follow Jesus’ example? Have you ever seen people in the church do the same things that made Jesus angry? – focussing on one or two laws while ignoring the greatest commandments and resorting to greed rather than worship and prayer? Have you ever judged by appearances or refused to forgive or refused to go near people who are outcast and in need? If you have, you are probably human, and this is why Jesus had to return to the Father: We need his help!

It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives that we can follow Jesus’ example – however imperfectly we may do it. Now, this is not to say that we shouldn’t even try. Rather, it is to say that we need to learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us on the right path. If we could do it all on our own, Jesus would never have been sent in the first place! And so now we can pray in Jesus’ name, and he will do it.

I asked the confirmation class a few weeks back if I could say a prayer like this and get it answered. I said, “Dear God, please let me win the lottery. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” One of them kind of rolled their eyes and said, “C’mon Pastor Lynne – be reasonable!” They knew that I could not stick Jesus’ name on the end of a self-centred prayer and get whatever I wanted.

However, if I am praying for something that Jesus would want – something absolutely in line with what he did during his earthly ministry – That he will do. “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (Jn. 14:27). Amen.

Easter 5(A) John 14:1-14
April 20, 2008
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore

© 2008 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved