Saturday, March 16, 2019

“The Greatest Love”


               On the Church Liturgical calendar, we have begun the season of Lent, a 40-day period of spiritual preparation leading up to Easter Sunday and the celebration of the Resurrection.  This period of preparation includes acknowledging and confessing our sins and shortcomings, and performing acts of self-sacrifice and penitence as we remember Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross to demonstrate the depth of God’s love for us. 

                During Lent this year, our proclamations and worship services will focus on the “Farewell Discourse” in the Gospel of John, chapters 14-16.  This discourse occurs in the evening, just before Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot.  Jesus is together with the disciples—except for Judas—and some other followers.  Jesus uses this time to prepare followers for his imminent betrayal and crucifixion.  He uses this moment to teach them about his relationship with God the Creator and to reassure them that God will continue to look over them and lead them, even after Jesus has gone.

               We began our reflections on the “Farewell Discourse” last Sunday with John 14:8-18, where Jesus describes his relationship with God the Creator while also promising to send an “Advocate,” who will come to the disciples after Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven.  This Sunday, March 17th, we will focus on Jesus’ explanation of the role that love plays in our relationship with God, as we reflect upon John 15:12-17. 

Our scripture begins with Jesus reiterating part of the teaching which we examined last week.  Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (verse 12).  In our passage last Sunday, Jesus grounded humans’ love for God with keeping his commandments—that is to say, Jesus’ teachings.  As we saw last week:  To love Jesus is to keep his ‘commandments’ or teachings, while to keep his commandments is to love Jesus. 

In our scripture this week, Jesus slightly emends his teaching by stressing that the object of our love should be loving one another as Jesus’ has loved each of us.  The present subjunctive tense in the command, “Love one another,” suggests that our love for one another should be ongoing.  Jesus sets up a “chain of love,” when we view this verse within the context of what he has already said in John 15:1-11:  The Creator (Father) loves Jesus; Jesus loves his followers; and his followers are called by God to love one another—and by implication all other persons.

After establishing the centrality of love for discipleship, Jesus next describes the depth of love.  He says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (verse 13).  Of course, this is precisely what Jesus proceeds to do over the next 24 hours.  Following his “Farewell Discourse” with his followers, they go out to the Garden where he was betrayed by Judas; Jesus is condemned in a “show-trial” and then executed by crucifixion the next day.  In his crucifixion and death, Jesus demonstrates once and for all the awesome love of God, which is quite literally beyond the comprehension of the human mind.

After observing that the greatest love a person can have for his friends is to “lay down his life,” Jesus immediately reassures his followers that they are his friends.  He says,  “You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (John 15:14-15).  

The Greek word translated as “friend” is philos, which is one of two words the Gospel writer uses interchangeably for love.  When Jesus speaks of friends here, he is really saying “those who are loved”. Our English word, “friend,” does not fully convey the presence of the love that undergirds the Johannine notion of friendship. Perhaps it would be better to translate philos as “beloved.”  Because Jesus has freely shared everything about God with his followers, they are now Jesus’ friends.  Jesus has involved the disciples in the intimacy of his relationship with God.

            The language of friendship is immediately contextualized by language of election in verse 16a, when Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”  With this language of election, Jesus reminds the disciples (including the readers) that their place with him is the result of his initiative, not theirs; relationship with Jesus is ultimately a result of God’s grace. 

            Jesus follows this reminder of election with a reminder of commission and vocation:  And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name” (verse 16b). The Greek word translated into English as “appointed” is tithenari—the same verb used in v. 13 when Jesus says that the greatest form of love is ‘to lay down one’s life’ for one’s friends.  So, when read in the original Greek, the connection between the commissioning  of the disciples and the example of laying down one’s life for one’s friends would be quite explicit and dramatic.  The disciples are commissioned by Jesus to go and do works of love.  Jesus then concludes, “I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another” (verse 17).

To summarize this scripture, Jesus begins by reminding his disciples that we are to love one another, just as he has loved us.  Then, Jesus elaborates by pointing out that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  And, Jesus reassures the disciples that we are his friends.  Of course, we readers recognize that laying down one’s life for one’s friends is precisely what Jesus does the next day, when he is crucified.  In the crucifixion, Jesus demonstrates that God’s love for us is awesome, literally beyond human comprehending.   In response to his incredible love for us, Jesus asks us to follow his teachings, which may be summarized as loving one another.[1]

              If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us at Christ United Methodist Church this Sunday, March 17th, as we continue our spiritual preparation for celebrating Easter and the Resurrection.  In the service this week, I will share a special way to demonstrate the love of God for each of us, and how God intends for us to respond to that love. 

               Christ UMC is located at 4530 “A” Street.  We have three worship services on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00.  The 8:30 and 11:00 services feature a traditional worship format and the services are held in our Sanctuary.  “The Gathering” at 9:45 is held in our Family Life Center (gym), and it is more informal and interactive.   

Come, join us.  Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.


[1] My interpretation of John 15:12-17 was informed by the following commentaries:  Gail R. O’Day, Commentary on the Gospel of John in the New Interpreter’s Bible, vol 9, (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 2002), CD-ROM Edition; Raymond Brown, The Gospel According to John (xiii-xxi) in “The Anchor Bible series (New York, Doubleday and Company, 1966); and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book House, 1981) vol 1.


Saturday, March 9, 2019

“I will not leave you orphaned”


            This Sunday, March 10th, we begin the Liturgical season of Lent in the Western Church.  Lent is a 40-day period of spiritual preparation before celebration of Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  This period of spiritual preparation is a penitential season, in which we acknowledge and lift up our sins and short-comings.  It is a special time for confession and self-sacrifice, as we remember Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross to demonstrate the depth of God’s love for us. 

            During Lent this year, our proclamations and worship services will focus on the “Farewell Discourse” in the Gospel of John, chapters 14-16.  This discourse occurs in the evening, just before Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot.  Jesus is together with the disciples—except for Judas—and some other followers.  Jesus uses this time to prepare followers for his imminent betrayal and crucifixion.  He uses this moment to teach them about his relationship with God the Creator and to reassure them that God will continue to look over them and lead them, even after Jesus has gone. 

            My first proclamation on the “Farewell Discourse,” centers on John 14:8-18.  Of principal interest in this passage is Jesus’ discussion of his relationship with God the Creator and the Advocate, who will come to the disciples after Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven.  The passage begins with the disciple Philip querying, “Lord, show us the Father , and we will be satisfied” (verse 8).  Jesus is exasperated with Philip’s question because it appears as though he hasn’t been paying attention during Jesus’ ministry. 

Jesus says, “Do 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.  Believe 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.There is no other proof.  Philip must believe.  If he cannot  believe, then Jesus urges him to consider all of the works and miracles which Jesus has performed.

In this exchange, Jesus lays out what Christians understand to be the relationship between God the Creator--and Jesus.  This is our conviction as Christians:  God loves humanity so much that God became incarnated as human flesh in the person Jesus of Nazareth.  The Immanent Divinity became incarnated in order to teach and model for us the way God intends for us to live and love.  Through the life, teachings, ministry, and death of Jesus’ life, the Incarnated God models how God intends for us to live and love. 

Jesus continues, “The one [that is, the humans] 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” (verse 12).  The term, “works,” refers to all the acts of Jesus’ ministry.  For the disciples to share in Jesus’ “works” is for them to share in Jesus ministry; to share in revealing God to the world; and to share in establishing God’s Reign here on Earth.

The disciples’ “works” are dependent upon Jesus’ departure to be with the Father because the success of the disciples’ works has nothing to do with the disciples themselves.  Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has ushered in a new, eschatological age in which God will redeem humans and the world.  The Resurrection of Christ is the cosmic tipping point towards the transformation of the world into a New Creation.

Jesus will act in and through the disciples and their work.  So, the disciples “works” are in reality Jesus’ works through the disciples.  These “works” grow out of one’s love for God and Jesus, which reflects the love of God for each human person.  Jesus promises to “do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified” (verse 13).

So far, Jesus has focused his discourse on the importance of belief, but at verse 15 Jesus shifts the emphasis to loving Jesus.  Verses 15-18 describe two dimension of the disciples’ love relationship with Jesus.  The first dimension is the inseparability of one’s love for Jesus through keeping his commandments.  In verse 15, Jesus tells the disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  The key here is living a life grounded in love for Jesus:  To love Jesus is to keep his ‘commandments’ or teachings, while to keep his commandments is to love Jesus. 

The second dimension of this love is the abiding and indwelling presence of God for those who love Jesus.  Jesus promises that God’s presence will continue even after his death and ascension.  Central to this second dimension of love is Jesus’ promise to send the “Spirit of truth.”  Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.  This is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, [but] …You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you” (verses 16-17; my emphasis). 

The Greek word for “Advocate” is Parakletos.  It can be interpreted as “Advocate” or “Comforter” or Counselor.”  In the Gospel of John, the Paraclete takes the place of the term “Holy Spirit,” used in the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  What the Paraclete does is not new but is a continuation of the work of Jesus.  (see verse 17)  As the Spirit of truth, the Paraclete shares in the work of Jesus. Since Jesus is the truth (14:6), the Paraclete, or Holy Spirit, is an extension of Jesus himself.

In this scriptural passage, we encounter a deep theological explanation, which later emerged in the early Church as the Christian notion of the Trinity.  Jesus’ description can be summarized as follows: 

1.      Out of love for Creation, God the Creator became incarnate—that is, became a human person—in Jesus of Nazareth. 
2.      God the Divine Creator and God incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth are one with each other.  The Creator is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Creator.  God the Creator works through Jesus, and Jesus’ works—that is, ministry—are done through God.
3.      When Jesus ascends into Heaven, he continues to work through the works of his followers here on Earth.  In this way, Jesus’ followers are invited to help build God’s Reign. 
4.      Jesus’ followers love Jesus by obeying his commandments. 
5.      After Jesus leaves his followers, he will send the Paraclete (or, Holy Spirit).  The Holy Spirit is an extension of Jesus himself.  The Holy Spirit will guide Jesus’ followers and teach them more.
6.      The Holy Spirit resides with and inside Jesus’ followers.

This discussion by Jesus provides a thorough description of what Christians came to call the Trinity.

And yet there is one more thing.  Jesus pledges to his followers that he will not abandon them, but rather he will always abide with them and in them (through the Holy Spirit).  Jesus’ last words in this passage sum up his love for the disciples, “I will not leave you orphaned.” (verse 18a).[i]

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us at Christ United Methodist Church this Sunday, March 10th, as we begin our spiritual preparation before celebrating the Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday.  We will be examining this passage of scripture, from Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse.”

Christ UMC is located at 4530 “A” Street.  We have three worship services on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00.  The 8:30 and 11:00 services feature a traditional worship format and the services are held in our Sanctuary.  “The Gathering” at 9:45 is held in our Family Life Center (gym), and it is more informal and interactive.   

Come, join us.  Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.


[i] My interpretation of John 14:8-18 was informed by the following commentaries:  Gail R. O’Day, Commentary on the Gospel of John in the New Interpreter’s Bible, vol 9, (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 2002), CD-ROM Edition; Raymond Brown, The Gospel According to John (xiii-xxi) in “The Anchor Bible series (New York, Doubleday and Company, 1966); and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Book House, 1981) vol 1.


Saturday, March 2, 2019

“The Most Important Virtue”


Christ United Methodist Church, my congregation, has just gone through a very difficult week; perhaps one of the hardest weeks in its history.  Earlier this week, our denomination met in a special “General Conference” to discuss the denomination’s policies concerning human sexuality.  The “General Conference” is the supreme policy-making body of the United Methodist Church, and it alone can speak for the entire denomination.  The General Conference is comprised of 850 delegates, who are elected by smaller, regional conferences.  Since the United Methodist  Church is a global church, delegates from around the world are part of the General Conference.

At its special meeting, held in St. Louis, the General Conference focused on three issues involving human sexuality:

1.      Will the church allow clergy to perform same-sex weddings?
2.      Will same-sex weddings be allowed on United Methodist Church properties?
3.      Will the church allow for ordination of LGBTQ persons?

At this special meeting, General Conference delegates decided against allowing same-sex weddings and ordination of LGBTQ+ persons.  These decisions are very painful and devastating for the many LGBT+ clergy and laity in the United Methodist Church—as well as many straight United Methodists who wish to see a welcoming and affirming church. 

These decisions were especially painful for most of my community of faith, and I personally found the decisions to be very devastating and incompatible with Christian scripture.  
Christ United Methodist Church in Lincoln has a long history of being an open and welcoming community of faith.  This heritage goes back to the 1970s, when we actively worked to welcome political refugees and helped them settle in our community.  Our Mission Statement explicitly welcomes all persons, including LGBTQ persons.  And, we believe that diversity is a strength for our congregation.

            So, when we gather to worship this Sunday, March 3rd, we will gather in pain, shock, disbelief, confusion, bewilderment, sadness, fear, and anger.  My proclamation must speak to my community of faith and where they are this weekend.  To ground my remarks and reflections, I have chosen 1 Corinthians 13.  Among Christians, the nickname for this passage is “the great love chapter.”  Traditionally, it is read during weddings.  While it is certainly a very, very appropriate scriptural passage for a wedding, that was not the Apostle Paul’s intent when he wrote these 13 verses.  Instead, Paul was trying to address and heal severe divisions within the Church of Corinth.  So, this scripture is certainly appropriate for our context this Sunday.

            1 Corinthians 13 takes the literary form of an encomium on love.  In the literary world of Paul’s day, an encomium was a literary praise for a certain moral virtue; in this case, love.  In the encomium’s prologue (verses 1-3), Paul seeks to establish love as forming the core of a faithful life.  He does this by listing some of the major qualities which the Corinthian Christians had come to highly regard in the life of a Christian.  Paul begins by listing “speaking in tongues,” or glossolalia.  Then he lifts up prophetic ability and knowledge.  Finally, he lifts up faith and sacrifice for God.  In each case, Paul proclaims that if these actions are not performed out of love, then they are nothing; they are just hollow accomplishments.

            In the next section, Paul describes what love is, as well as what love is not:

Love is not
·         Envious
·         Boastful
·         Arrogant or rude
·         Irritable
·         Resentful
·         Domineering, insisting on its own way

·         Love is
·         Patient
·         Kind
·         Bears all things
·         Hopes all things
·         Endures all things

For Paul, love is “running forgiveness,” always lifting up the other.  As the Biblical Scholar R. Paul Sampley writes, “…love is never held alone in one’s self; love always involves another; love always links one’s self to another.  …Love is a two-way street that provides a context of mutuality, understanding, and relatedness between each person and others, between God and believers, and between believers and believers.”[i]  Thus, despite their internal differences with one another, the Christians in the Corinth Church must learn to forgive and love one another. 

            In his third and final section, Paul asserts that unlike prophecies, knowledge, and even languages—which inevitably end—love never ends.  Love sustains.  Then, in keeping with the encomium formula, which he uses, Paul concludes by comparing love with two other virtues, faith and hope.  He writes, “Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (v. 13)  For Paul, love is preeminent because love is the principal characteristic of God.  For Paul, God’s love makes possible our faith, understood as right relationship with God, and our hope, which we have through our faith.   Therefore, love is foremost.  Love is the most important virtue.

            In the context of the dreadful policies established at our United Methodist General Conference this week, 1 Corinthians 13 seems to be especially relevant for this Sunday. 

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us at Christ United Methodist Church this Sunday, March 3rd.  Our focus will be on the decisions and policies approved at General Conference this week.  We will reflect upon what this means for our community of faith which was devastated and angered by these decisions.  Our reflections will be informed by 1 Corinthian 13, which calls upon us to love everyone, even those United Methodists with whom we vehemently disagree.

Christ UMC is located at 4530 “A” Street.  We have three worship services on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00.  The 8:30 and 11:00 services feature a traditional worship format and the services are held in our Sanctuary.  “The Gathering” at 9:45 is held in our Family Life Center (gym), and it is more informal and interactive.   

Come, join us.  Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.


[i]J. Paul Sample, Commentary on 1 Corinthians in the New Interpreter’s Bible, vol 10, (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 2002), CD-ROM Edition.