Reading
for Easter 5C:
John 13:31-35
May 9, 2004
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
If you only had a few more days to live, whom would you choose to gather around you in your final hours? Would it be your spouse, your children, your friends, your colleagues, members of St. Jude's? And once these people were gathered around you, what would you say to them? Would you thank them? Would you ask for forgiveness? Would you give them advice on how to live a better life? What kind of wisdom or insights would you pass on so that they could live life more fully? In other words, what would your "farewell discourse" consist of?
Even though I have stood by many a deathbed, I have never had the privilege of hearing someone else's farewell discourse. My mother died suddenly of an aneurysm and my brother died on a ventilator. I was young when my grandparents died but I don't think they offered a "farewell discourse." I will never know what wisdom was in depths their hearts at the end of their lives. How unfortunate that is for me!
However, I do know of Jesus' last words to his disciples- words that continue to offer abundant life in a world that experiences so much pain and suffering. In today's gospel, we read a portion Jesus' farewell discourse. Jesus is about to be put to death. His disciples are about to experience their first major crisis caused by this tragic death. After years of following him as their leader, a leader who was so filled with gifts of wisdom, healing, courage, and certainty about what it means to live a life in God, he was about to leave them. How would they continue this life-giving ministry? How would they relate to each other without his strong leadership? Where would they get the inspiration and the strength to stand up to the powers of evil and to preach the good news of life and love? Jesus addresses these issues in his farewell discourse at the last supper. After eating a meal and washing their feet, Jesus offers his disciples some profound theological insights regarding discipleship, servanthood, love, his departure, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Today's particular teaching is about disciples of Christ loving other disciples of Christ. Let's take a closer look.
Today's teaching about love is very specific. Disciples of Jesus are to love one another in the same way that Jesus loves them. While there are other teachings about loving one's neighbor and loving one's enemies, today's teaching specifically focuses on loving fellow Christians. The kind of love that Jesus requires of his disciples has little to do with warm and fuzzy feelings. The kind of love that Jesus speaks of is agape- a love that is selfless, sacrificial, understanding, and forgiving.
Now this teaching about love is very difficult but it is at the core of what it means to be a Christian. To be selfless, sacrificial, understanding, and forgiving within a relationship, requires a depth of spiritual maturity that does not come from the ego. It requires a life grounded in Christ. Remember, the ego is only interested in the self and what is best for the self. Most of the time when we reach out to others with a loving embrace, there remains some element of self. We often ask ourselves, "What is in this relationship for me?" Some folks think mostly of the happiness that they will receive or the loneliness that will be abated by the relationship. Oftentimes, after couples are married and they feel secure in their relationship, they take a step back from each other and wait for the benefits of togetherness to roll in. They have expectations about being taken care of and having all of their unmet childhood needs addressed.
But Jesus never thought of himself. His one desire was to give himself and all that he had for those he loved. And in this act of selfless love, the glory of God was revealed. The glory of God is the human person fully alive! If we want to experience God, if we want to feel the presence of Christ, then selfless love is the way to go. Within a community of faith, this means that we relate and care for those with whom we have little in common. It means that we take care of the needy and the nerdy, without thinking about what is in it for me. It means that we do not just hang out with those who are like us, but we seek and serve Christ in all persons, not just the cool folks.
Jesus also loved his disciples sacrificially. There was no limit to what his love would give or to where it would go. We are also called to love sacrificially in our community. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that love is always meant to give us happiness. But this is not so. Have you ever been present with a member of the parish in the midst of her grief and loss? The crying, the morbidity, the pain, is excruciating to be around. And yet, we are called to remain present, to love each other sacrificially, even if the demands are difficult. In community, this means that we support each other in our darkest moments, knowing that what is required of us is not to fix the problem, but to love, to pray, to listen, and to respond to the demands of the moment.
Jesus loved his disciples understandingly. Having spent several years with them, he knew their personalities, weaknesses, and strengths. Day in and day out, he knew all that was to be known about them and yet, he still loved them. Some people would say that love is blind. But this is not so because love that is blind can only end in bleak and utter disillusionment. Real love is open-eyed- able to see warts and all. Real love is not a fantasy of what a person is but an accurate picture of the person.
As we get to know each other in community, we begin to realize that no one "walks on water." Often times, parishioners get disillusioned with their pastors when they finally realize just how human they are. Some get irritated with the lay leaders especially when they falter. Other folks leave the church when they come face to face with a difficult personality. Sometimes, it is easier to love one's enemies because we do not have to deal with them on a day to day basis. Distance can make the heart grow fonder. But this teaching about love says no to running away from conflict and calls us to remain in relationship with those in the community. A heart that is grounded in Christ is big enough to love people just as they are. Oftentimes, I hear and experience the presence of God through the most unlikely persons in the congregation. This is a gift. It is a grace. It is an opportunity that is not to be missed by distancing ourselves from those who are different. God is often found in the imperfect.
Finally, Jesus loved his disciples forgivingly. One of his disciples denied him. Another betrayed him and several pulled away from him in his greatest hour of need. They were often blind, insensitive, slow to learn, and lacking in understanding. But Jesus held nothing against them. There was no failure which he could not forgive. A love which has not learned to forgive cannot do anything else but shrivel and die. We are all poor creatures and as such, we end up hurting those who love us. For this very reason, love must be built on forgiveness. For without forgiveness, love will die. When someone in our community of faith hurts us or disappoints us, leaving in a snit will not solve anything. Learning the art of forgiveness can make all things new and can bring the presence of Christ back into the relationship.
Today's teaching about love, is a higher teaching. It is a teaching that can save the world. We learn how to integrate this teaching about love, by first practicing it in a community of faith that is committed to Christian principles. But agape love is also necessary for mature and healthy marriages and personal relationships. However, this higher teaching can not be realized without immersing ourselves in prayer. This teaching cannot be realized without our willingness to remove our self-centered ego from the center of the universe and replace that center with Christ.
After 2000 years of Christianity, the world is still in a mess. Has Christ saved us? Where is the evidence? Christians continue to kill Christians. Churches are often hotbeds of discontent. Evangelicals rise up against main line Christians and everyone hates the Fundamentalists. Christian presidents react and make policies based on fear while other key leaders distance their faith from the policies that they devise.
The vision and the spirit that Christ has for this world, for a new creation, will not come about until we are willing to embrace and practice the higher teachings. Our church community is the best place to start. For if we can't love one another, we will never be able to love our neighbor or our enemy.
"Almighty God, grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life." [BCP 225]
| Updated 5/10 /04 |
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