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Trinity May 29-30, 2010 John 16:12-15 Way back when, when I first started seminary, I surprised myself by working out a plan where I would finish seminary, my first seminary, in nine years, shaving one year off the maximum allowable time to earn a degree, and also giving a year of grace for the unexpected. I planned on then doing my "Lutheran stuff" after that, taking early retirement and basically doing just what I am doing now, only being older. So, how did I surprise myself? Well, I am not usually the most patient individual around, my preference is do it, and do it now. So laying out a plan of that magnitude, especially as an exercise in patience, was quite a stretch for me. As it turned out, I could not live into it anyway, which ties right in to our Gospel this morning. Jesus tells the twelve he has many things to say to them but they cannot bear them right now. Judging by our knowledge of Peter and Philip, among others, I suspect they probably felt more like I did - tell us, and tell us now, we (I!) want to know. I would prefer to know it now, and I would prefer to know it all. What was this "guide" business? Why wait? Cannot we find out now? The answer is "no, you cannot handle the truth quite yet." Were the twelve hurt by this? They had walked with Jesus, eaten with him, prayed with him, questioned him, and hoped with him. All this, and Jesus said, "There's more to come! But you're not has given up everything to follow him? Which of us was there when he preached, healed, prayed, died and rose? If he could say this to the twelve, how much more can he say it to each of us? Christians who know the Lord know we are still spiritually ignorant - even St. Paul said of his faith: "Now we see in a mirror, dimly" (1st Corinthians 13:12). Think of it like this. Imagine getting up in the middle of the night when there is a power failure - feeling your way around, looking for a flashlight. We do not see it all, we do not know it all, we see through a glass darkly as we look at Jesus, as we grope our way to him, as we feel his presence, and as we do these things we learn more of his nature. The Spirit of Truth guides us, teaches us. Note the use of the word "guide." It is gradual, it is a process, it doesn't happen all at once. Why is this? Because as Jesus says, we cannot bear the truth, which means we cannot live into the truth, maybe not for years to come. Live into the truth? Right, we are saved by grace through faith and as a result we live into that faith, we respond to the grace we have been given, and it is a process, it is gradual, because we are human beings and are frail, often backsliding. Now, go back to your house during the power failure as you try light switch after light switch, leaving them in an "on" position. Suddenly the power comes on, the lights all are shining brightly, and you are blinded as your eyes, accustomed to darkness, struggle in flutters against the light. Too much light is overwhelming! You know, I like poetry, especially the poetry of Emily Dickinson who wrote: "The truth must dazzle gradually or every man be blind." And God dazzles us gradually with his truth. We are guided with the truth, not "blinded" with the truth." We see gradually, meaning we are enlightened gradually. Note especially how Jesus tells us that "the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth," not "might guide you..." Also brothers and sisters, pay particular attention to the word "all," as in all truth not "some" truth or into "your favorite parts of the truth." This can be pretty hard for us but the fact is that we don't accept God on our terms but on his terms. We are taught about Scripture, prayer, love, discipleship and so much more. We are taught about doing unto others as we would have done unto us. Jesus tells us "what you have done for the least of these, you have done for me," which just might be one of those truths we don't want to hear, but we hear it anyway. We are told "feed my sheep." That is a pretty inclusive statement, not some sheep but all of them. Here is the key brothers and sisters, go where the Spirit leads you. And keep in mind that light which is rejected brings darkness. Jesus bids us to follow him, and he commands us to take him to those who know him not. We do this by word and by deed, and by our doing he reveals more of himself to us, in those we minister to, and in those who minister to us. AMEN Lutheran Church of the Cross, Nisswa, Minnesota |
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