"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. " John 14:26

I'm going to repeat something I've said many times on this blog... But it's really important at the moment... I'm not writing as a teacher, but as a seeker. And I have to admit, there is a lot that I don't know. Some things I know intellectually, and some things I know intuitively, and some things, are flat out in conflict. Also as I've said in the past, this blog was originally intended as a way of sharing devotions with my wife since I travel for business. This passage is one I have to accept intellectually because I don't fully understand it. Some writers call this the "limbic lag"... the time it takes to get something from your head to your heart. But here are my immediate thoughts.

Christ has told His disciples he is leaving them, but he is promising that his leaving is a good thing. He has also told them in advance so that when it happens they won't be caught off guard. But here is the big news of the evening. When He leaves, he is going to send a replacement. A replacement that can be everywhere at once. He has also promised "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:23)" I can't help but notice the word 'we' here. The only problem is that it messes with my traditional thinking.

I have a bit of understanding what the term counselor means... I'm a consultant... And I get paid to travel to all parts of the world and help install some pretty complex computer software. I am part technician, part lawyer, part project manager, part confessor, and a large part implementer. The word for "counselor" here means one who walks beside, I'm told. And that's great. I hate being the Lone Ranger, now I have my Tonto. But what is the role of this sidekick?

At this time, the disciples haven't kept daily journals from what I can tell. They have been traveling with the Lord for 3 years. It will be their job to not only understand what they have learned, but they will be responsible for passing these teachings on to others. One role of the counselor promised here is to put film in their photographic memories, another is to help them make sense of it all. That's a pretty big job, especially when you are in the middle of all that is going on. But I'm thankful he showed up. Because I'm convinced that without that teaching I wouldn't have the written dialogue that is available to me today.

Father, I don't pretend to understand it all. Some days it's as clear as a bell... Other days it's like swimming through mud. Some things I have to take on trust. Some things I just have to admit that I don't understand. I'm sure I'm sounding at time like these disciples did in the Upper Room 2000 years ago: trite, clueless, lost. But I trust that some day I'll understand it all, know it all, and can ask you directly where I was missing the big picture. In the meantime, I think I'll just shut up and listen.

- posted by Steve R. @ 7:16 AM

 
"All this I have spoken while still with you. " John 14:25

It must have been something to sit in the presence of the Master... For most people. I have had the opportunity to be taught by some pretty awesome teachers. It's interesting how some people react to teaching. How we often hear something different.

In college one of the most fascinating professors I had taught Survey of the Bible. The words of his lecture on "Marching off the Map" about the intertestimental period and Alexander the Great still ring in my ears some 35 years later. My teaching style was tremendously influenced by this instructor. But if I were to say this to some of the men at the Ocala Christian Church, their immediate response would be to the effect... "Have you lost your mind?" It seems that this professor gave a lecture on Church history that was sooooo dry that the Mohave desert would look like a swamp in comparison.

Still to sit at the feet of Christ would have been awesome. To hear Him tell the parables, to hear him talk about what God is like; to hear him talk of Heaven... I can't imagine anything more wonderful. Or can I? Would I have reacted out of boredom? Would I have turned a deaf ear because I didn't understand it completely? Would I have considered Him too radical to be considered mainstream? Or like the Disciples would I have been willing to drop everything to follow him and hear Him more? Would I have been like the people on the mountain and reacted in amazement because He was one who taught with authority?

I'm afraid that I might have reacted negatively. When I hear people who teach something that I don't fully understand, or are coming from a different frame of reference than I have, how do I react today? If I were to see someone who broke the mold when it comes to behavior, how would I react? To the world of that time Christ was a rebel. He ate meals with non-church members, he gathered food on Holy Days, he worked (gasp) by healing on the Sabbath, He wasn't willing to condemn people who had been caught in the act of committing a major sin... And at least on two occasions, he destroyed a major revenue stream for the established church by destroying the booths of the currency exchange bankers at the Temple. When it came to taxes, he would compromise the belief of the time. I'm not sure I really would have listened.

How many times do I miss a message because the message is not delivered the way I expected? I suspect it is more often than I would believe possible.

Father, thank you for the men who were willing to really listen to your son and record His words for me to read two-thousand years later. Thank you, Jesus for making the effort to tell me over and over again what it is you really want me to hear. Open my ears, eyes and heart today. Let me really hear what it is you want me to hear. OK... I'm paying attention... Tell me one more time.

- posted by Steve R. @ 7:04 AM

 
"Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.' " John 14:23-24

I've joked many times about the parent who in frustration yells at their child and says, "If I've told you once, I've told you a million times... Don't exaggerate". I know as a parent I have become frustrated with how many times I've had to tell my kids something over and over before they finally "got" it. Sandi, our 14 month old dog, is a lesson in frustration. We trained her as a puppy to let us know when she had to go out. Every night at least once or twice a night she would wake us up to have us let her out. A few months ago we had a doggie door installed so she could let herself out. Yesterday at 4:00 AM, there was a wet nose on my arm (her signal that she has to go out), I woke up, and said, "If you have to go, you can let yourself out." She padded off, and the next thing I hear is the flap on the doggie door swinging. I can't get upset with her, she is doing what she has been told countless times to do.

I'm no different than Sandi. I have to be told over and over again what the Lord wants me to do. I felt badly about it until I read this passage. This is the same thing Christ has already said... In fact, it's the third time He's said it in this chapter alone. Why? Because the Disciples needed to hear it over and over again until it finally sank in. What's more, Jesus emphasizes that these aren't his words, they are the words of the Father that He has been sent to deliver. They are important. It is critical that the Disciples understand them. I've read ahead, this isn't the last time Christ has to repeat these words. Christ's patience is shown here... And it's a beautiful picture of how he deals with me. He tells me over and over that I show my love for Him by lovingly doing what He says. Over and over again, I don't get it. I'm sure glad He doesn't give up easily.

Father, you have shown me your love. All you've asked is that I prove that I love you. I need to hear that a lot it seems. Don't give up on me. I have a long way to go. Just keep whispering in my ear, OK?

- posted by Steve R. @ 4:24 AM