Another Advocate
John 14:15-21
15 ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. 17 This 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.
18 ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’
Jesus is going away, but the disciples, and we, will not be orphaned. Orphaned is an unexpected word, for it is not a statement of being friend-less, it means to be parent-less. And we are back into the heart of the relationship Jesus has with God the Father. A relationship into which we are invited. So that the Father of Jesus can be our Father as well. And Jesus reminded the disciples of who their Father was – and the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) will continue to do that.
“Father” language is problematic in our context. Some people have had human fathers who were aloof and uncaring. Others had human fathers who were abusive. And still others had human fathers who while trying their best still failed to live up to being perfect fathers. These images of “father” make it difficult to hear “God the Father” and it is easy to put those negative patterns of our human father onto God.
Jesus imagines a completely different relationship between God the Father and human beings. To say God the Father, is to declare that God is an engaged and warm personality who cares about humanity and seeks to connect with them. To say God the Father, is not a statement of gender, rather it is statement of relationship and robust loving connection.
The Advocate (the Holy Spirit) reminds us that we are the children of God. As God’s beloved children, we will never walk alone, for the Holy Spirit goes with us through every difficulty and challenge, and celebrates with us each joy and triumph.
PRAYER:
God the Father of Jesus Christ, we worship and adore you, for in warm engagement with us you have shown us your love. We thank you for the Holy Spirit who walks with us in light and in shadow, in joy and in crisis. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.