“The Truth: Bad and the Good” John 16:12-15

John devotes a lot of time to Jesus’ farewell to his disciples. In this selection, Jesus tells the disciples that he has more to say but the news is beyond what they can bear. What is the worst news that anyone can give to us? If the person is one we truly love, the worst would have to be of their death. We can join with them in the struggle against a terminal illness and try to manage the side affects, for example. What is the most difficult is losing them and facing life ahead without them.

Jesus had already told them a few verses earlier that they will find themselves ousted from the synagogue. More than that, some of the disciples will even be killed by people thinking they are serving God. Now Jesus is saying he is going away and in their grief that is all they can handle for now. The loss of Christ would be the ultimate loss. Their bad news and resulting questions are the same for us today. How would we (the church) move forward as his body in the world? How would we speak of hope without his guiding words? How would we know his comfort without his presence?

This Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday and we struggle to understand God as Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The harder we try to put this doctrine written down in stone, the more elusive is the outcome. Yet, this is the way that God has chosen to relate with us. The sad news was of Jesus going to the Father. The good news is that the Counselor – the Spirit of truth – will come to guide us in the truth.

Our listening isn’t always the best. We choose to hear what we want to hear. However, if the church is to be a witness to Christ then we need to listen to the guidance from the Spirit of truth. If we are going to speak of hope then we need to listen better to the instruction from the Spirit of truth. If we are going to know comfort from Christ, it will be by the Spirit’s presence.

The bad news was of Jesus going to the Father. The good news is the coming of the Spirit of truth. We need the Spirit to guide us as our poor stewardship is leading to climate change. We need the Spirit of truth to help us maneuver in a world where truth has become self defined. We need the Spirit to guide us into the future that is still to unfold.

While Jesus has gone to the Father, we have the Spirit with us. The good news of the Trinity is that God has not abandoned us but is fully engaged in redeeming the world around us.

Peace.

“Come” Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

“Come” is a word of invitation and I think this sums up much of Revelation. The book has been encouraging the church to remain faithful to its witness and to come out of the world. This isn’t an invitation to live as a hermit in isolation but to enter into a new way of life that is defined by the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven to us. There is no more crying or mourning or dying there because those old ways will be no more. The beasts and the wars and the plagues and the rest of the violent images represent the judgment of this world slowly dying away; giving way to the New Jerusalem. All will be judged based upon our loyalty to the old or to the new. “Come” is the invitation for those thirsty for this New Jerusalem. “Come” is the invitation for those wanting to drink from its river of life. “Come” is the invitation to live in the new of Christ’s return.

“Come” is what the Spirit says. “Come” is what the bride says. This invitation is for Christ to bring the fulfillment of what is underway in the New Jerusalem. I won’t give a list of the mourning or the crying or the dying that is going on around us. You can fill that list out yourself. The job is easy enough to do. However if your passion is for what is coming in Christ, then let “come” be your breath’s expression.

“It is I, Jesus…” who gave this revelation to John. The revelation is from Jesus Christ who died and who was raised from the dead and who will never die again. The message is a personal one to each of us to come out from this dying world and to live with anticipation of what is to come. The violent images of Revelation show the struggles but a new creation is being born with no more crying or mourning or dying.

So John ends Revelation with these words, “The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

A Living City Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

Genesis tells us that creation begins with Adam and Eve in a garden. Revelation tells us that all things are brought to fulfillment with a city. I have lived in several cities and they are amazing places. They provide the opportunity for the enjoyment of the arts, culture and entertainment. They are also places where the poor are held in the prison of their poverty. The wealthy are imprisoned literally behind gates caused by the fear of others. The dividing line may be a simple street but it might as well be a wall thirty feet high. There are sections that are still called the Polish or German or Italian or etc. part of the city. This continues even if the designation hasn’t been true for decades. Cities are amazing places but from Revelation we read of a city that is like no other.

This city is the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God to us. It is described as a place where there is no more crying or pain or mourning or death. These former ways of life are gone. The city has been measured and found to be solid to its foundation. The city is beauty having been constructed out of precious gems. What stands out is the way life is lived out under the light and guidance from the throne of God in the center.

There are walls and gates but they are never closed for fear and need of protection. The nations are no longer relegated to their “section.” Rather the nations are free to bring their honor and glory to the city. A garden like feel is described with a river that is the water of life. The tree of life covers both sides of the river and the leaves bring healing to the nations. Life is no longer guided by the sun and moon marking the seasons but by the Lord God who is the light. This really is a city like no other. This is a city where life is sustained and flourishes.

John wrote down Revelation to give encouragement for Christians to remain faithful. Rome is called the “Eternal City” because it is believed that it will continue forever. The city of Rome was an amazing city in John’s day. However John describes a city far greater where life and healing are brought to this world of crying, pain and death. This is the new Jerusalem where we will finally see the Lord face to face.

So what do we do with a vision like this today? Well, instead of continuing the ways of division, fear mongering, us against them, that dominate the world today we choose a different way to live. We work to bring healing to the polarization. We dismantle the walls that propagate fear. We look to the honor and glory of what other nations can give for the whole. In other words, we prepare for what life will be like in the new Jerusalem.

Peace.

No More Sea Revelation 21:1-6

I struggle to comprehend what these verses are describing. Why? The reason is that while life is indeed a blessing and filled with so much grace, trying to comprehend life with no more crying or pain or death is difficult to really imagine. Now I mourn for those I’ve lost to death. Now I witness on the news broadcast the crying and pain brought by our inhumanity to each other, our refusal to recognize the image of God in each other. Yet as Revelation draws to a close an image is given of a wedding with the reign and presence of God united with us. The old ways will be no more. Instead, they will be replaced by the ways of a new heaven and new earth where the old ways will no longer be. Christ, the Lamb, is the light by which the nations will come and go. What will this life be like? What the brain can’t comprehend, faith holds on with hope for the promise of what is to be.

“…and there was no longer any sea.” The sea is often referenced to as a place of chaos. It stands in contradiction to the goodness and order of creation. The opening verses of Genesis tell of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters and God first called forth light and creation began with order, goodness and teeming with life. We, created in the image of God, are to care and tend for this amazing creation. The chaos of the sea works to oppose God’s creative goodness.

Whenever hate filled shouts or mockery is made against each other, then we deny God’s image. This is chaos.

We are reminded over and over of how we are changing the climate of the earth. A recent estimate is that one million species is at risk of extinction. Whenever we fail to care for creation, this too is chaos.

So often heaven is thought of as a place we go to but Revelation tells us that the abode of God comes to us. The result is that the ways of the old heaven and the old earth and the sea will be no more. The death and resurrection of Christ Jesus has begun a new creation. The final end will come in a new heaven and earth where the old ways of pain and crying and death will be no more. What a beautiful promise! The brain may not comprehend but what an amazing hope for faith to cling.

Peace

An idle tale? Luke 24:1-12

We have come to Easter and we know what that means for the day. We gather with the family and enjoy lots of food. The couple pounds lost from denying ourselves chocolate will be replaced with a couple pounds more to spare as we devour the Easter candy. Sometime during the day, we need to contend with the message of Easter. Is the resurrection an idle tale? Or, has the resurrection of Christ set creation on a new path to be made new?

On the first day of the week, women went to the tomb of Jesus. They went there like we all do when going to a cemetery. We go to tell stories. We weep. We grieve. We seek to find a new normal without the person we loved. However on this morning, the tomb was empty and two men in dazzling appearance asked, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” The two men reminded the women of Jesus’ words of being crucified and raised on the third day. The women ran to tell the disciples who considered their words nothing more than an idle tale.

The resurrection of Jesus is God’s judgment against the darkness of the world. The likes of Herod and Pilate denying justice to the innocent and who give in to mob rule for political peace are judged. The chief priests and the mob crying for the death of Jesus while preferring the release of a criminal are judged. Our world where Jesus walked among the outcast and poor was judged. Our world where death is granted ultimate power is judged as a fraud. The real power is in God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus happened on the first day of the week. The first day which goes back to the start of creation when God spoke and light shined in the darkness. The resurrection of Jesus is the beginning of a new creation. All creation is now to be set free from sin and the darkness. Light is shining.

The women were asked, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” Why are they still looking for the old ways of death when a new creation has now begun in Christ risen? The disciples called the message delivered an ‘idle tale’ because their thoughts were still on the old ways. This Easter the message confronts us as well.

If we are content with leadership that allows injustice to reign, where the innocent are allowed to suffer, where political peace is preferred over the truth then the resurrection is an idle tale.

If we are content with the hungry not being fed, the sick refused care and the outcast to be shunned and condemned as unworthy, then the resurrection is an idle tale.

If we are content with creation being exploited for profit rather than protected and cared for, then we are pushing the darkness upon it and the resurrection is an idle tale.

The message for this Sunday is, “Christ is Risen!” Will we receive it as the good news it is for all creation? Will we treat it as an idle tale? The difference is to be in the past’s darkness or live in the light of God who raises the dead to a new life.

Peace.

Preparing for death John 12:1-8

The season of Lent is coming to a close and we know what that means, the cross is next on the way to Easter morning. As much as we want to jump ahead to the excitement of Easter, the cross must first be faced. The reading for this coming Sunday is setting up what Jesus will soon be facing and that is the cross. The dichotomy of death and life can’t be ignored.

Jesus is at the home of Lazarus whom he had restored to life from death. Immediately after this the entire Sanhedrin was called together to deal with the problem of Jesus going around doing miraculous things. If Jesus were allowed to go around showing signs of the Kingdom of Heaven the Romans will come and take away all they have worked to accomplish. Caiaphas declared that it would better for one man to die than for the nation they have labored to create perish.

Following the above reading, the chief priests were concerned about the crowds gathering around Lazarus’ house. They began to plan Jesus’ death and Lazarus’ death too. Hey, do you really want visual proof of life rising out of death to be seen! People would want this and reject the power structures at play. Better kill off life so that the old ways of death can be maintained. How foolish we are. How obvious our sin and how oblivious we are to recognize it.

At Lazarus’ house, Mary takes out fragrant oil to anoint Jesus for his burial. A humble act and loving act as she uses her hair to wipe the perfume over his feet. Judas Iscariot complains that this expensive perfume could be sold and the proceeds given to the poor. He doesn’t understand what is happening.

As long as Jesus is present, the Kingdom of Heaven is present. Jesus will soon be crucified and raised from the dead. Then he will ascend in glory. We wait for the day when he returns and the Kingdom is fully established. Until then, we contend with the powers that be. The powers that emphasize killing and death to keep control. The powers that leave us with a privileged few and poverty for the rest.

The season of Lent is drawing to its end and the cross is coming sharper into focus. This is a good time to be reminded of the powers that be and our complicity in their efforts that result in death and poverty. This is also a good time to remember the Kingdom of Heaven and how we can be a witness to its life giving ways.

Peace.