The Vision of Christ

When I think of heaven, I think of a verse from the beginning of the 14th chapter of John – “2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” It’s a lovely idea, to always be with Jesus in a big beautiful house. I have a rather childlike vision of a large mansion with endless hallways and a special room for each person there – something made and arranged with just that one in mind. And Jesus waits at the door with open arms to gather us in. And in our reading today from the same chapter, Jesus says, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” A similar idea, but more focused life on earth – not only will there be a place prepared for us in heaven, but before that happens, God and Jesus will make a home with us here on earth. Jesus is trying to comfort and encourage the disciples and us, too. He promises that the Spirit, our Advocate, will come and teach us and lead us until we make our home in heaven. We won’t be left alone; we will have guidance and comfort. Jesus says, “27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Don’t be afraid, Jesus will be with us in the form of the Holy Spirit our guide and comforter. I have to admit that I find it hard not to be afraid. I believe and know from experience that the Spirit takes care of me and that worry is really unnecessary. But I am human and I am often afraid. And Jesus knows this, that we are too weak not to be afraid sometimes.
The reading from Revelation that we heard today is a vision of that same promise of a New World – where God and Jesus live with us on earth. In Verse 3 we hear, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” This is the New Jerusalem, created without imperfections, coming from heaven from God for humankind. The vision is of a beautiful city, where light comes from the Lamb, Jesus, and there is no day or night, no sun or moon needed. There will be no falsehood, or abominations, and the people will bring into it the glory and honor of the nations. This vision of a renewal of creation would be very attractive to people living in the last two decades of the first century; the years 80 to 100 in the current era. This is the time the books of Luke and Acts were most likely written, as well as the book of Revelation. In this period the first Christians were having a rough time of it. The counter-cultural nature of the teachings of Jesus created a hostile and sometimes violent environment for these Christian people. Some were brutally martyred; some hid and worshipped secretly in the cities and some were dispersed to friendlier countries where they could worship more openly. They believed, as Paul did, that Jesus would be back soon, bringing the new order and a new creation – a perfect world where there was no hunger or persecution, but a just and beautiful life for everyone. As time went by however, they had to acknowledge that it seemed like Jesus wasn’t coming back anytime soon – and they formed more permanent communities to keep the faith intact while they waited. To these mostly gentile, that is non-Jewish, communities St. Paul traveled, ministered, taught and preached. The author of Luke and Acts – most likely the physician Luke – wrote his books as a story defending and explaining the life of Jesus, his death and the continuing life of the Christian community. In writing this story, he encountered the problem of the hostility and persecution as well as the seemingly disjointed community – the first Christian communities went through so many transitions in the early stages that it was hard for Luke to write a sensible history. So he properly ties it together and emphasizes the power of the Spirit to direct and guide the people in spreading the Word and maintaining the faith. In reading Acts we notice how frequently the events of the day are attributed to the movement of the Spirit. Paul, while working in Troas, on the Aegean Sea, has a vision that he is called to Macedonia by a man who asks Paul to come and help them. And so Paul and his companions, possibly including the Author Luke, go by the power of the Holy Spirit, across the sea to Neapolis in Macedonia – free and obedient to the call of the Spirit – even though with some difficult traveling we can imagine. They continue on to Philippi, which Luke notes is a Roman colony. This is important because Paul would be somewhat protected there due to his status as a Roman citizen. After a few days they located a place of prayer near a river and went there on the Sabbath where they found Lydia and some women who already had the habit of meeting for prayer. Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth, likely a woman of high standing in the community of Philippi, and she listened to Paul with an open heart and received his words eagerly. She is baptized then along with her household. The power of the Spirit sends Paul to Macedonia where he finds Lydia and in his freedom of mind and in the power of the Spirit she and her family are offered a new life in Christ. Just as we, through the power of the Spirit, have been offered and now live a new life in Christ. According to NT author Walter Bruggeman, Lydia embodies three characteristics of the new Christians:
•Lydia had an open heart; was not troubled or worried about the politics of religion. •She lived in freedom then, mentally emancipated from the powers of the present age in which she lived.•And she was capable of the new obedience of love offered through Paul’s preaching.

These are the points Jesus makes in our gospel for today – he urges us not to be afraid of the powers that be - he promises to be with us through the Holy Spirit during our trials in this life. And when the time comes he will take us home with him to be with God. Notice that Jesus doesn’t promise it will be easy. He doesn’t promise us a beautiful life of justice and mercy here and now on earth. And he doesn’t promise us he will be back soon to establish that kind of life right here on earth, like the glorious vision in the book of Revelation. But he promises to take us home when the time comes. Home to the beautiful house with many rooms that God has prepared for us. This vision of life with God has sustained Christians for centuries through struggles and trials that we can’t even imagine. The openness of heart, freedom of life, and obedience through love that the Holy Spirit brings to us give us the courage to continue to live in an imperfect world full of abominations and darkness, hunger and pain, hatred and violence, natural disasters and death. It is life in the Holy Spirit that brings us closer to our home with God and Jesus and each other in our Christian communities. And it is in Jesus’ command and promise that we find courage to continue to carry the faith forward: Peace be with you – do not be troubled or afraid – I am with you always.

Amen

John 14:23-29
Acts 16:9-15
Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5Psalm 67

The Vision of Christ

When I think of heaven, I think of a verse from the beginning of the 14th chapter of John – “2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” It’s a lovely idea, to always be with Jesus in a big beautiful house. I have a rather childlike vision of a large mansion with endless hallways and a special room for each person there – something made and arranged with just that one in mind. And Jesus waits at the door with open arms to gather us in. And in our reading today from the same chapter, Jesus says, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” A similar idea, but more focused life on earth – not only will there be a place prepared for us in heaven, but before that happens, God and Jesus will make a home with us here on earth. Jesus is trying to comfort and encourage the disciples and us, too. He promises that the Spirit, our Advocate, will come and teach us and lead us until we make our home in heaven. We won’t be left alone; we will have guidance and comfort. Jesus says, “27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Don’t be afraid, Jesus will be with us in the form of the Holy Spirit our guide and comforter. I have to admit that I find it hard not to be afraid. I believe and know from experience that the Spirit takes care of me and that worry is really unnecessary. But I am human and I am often afraid. And Jesus knows this, that we are too weak not to be afraid sometimes.
The reading from Revelation that we heard today is a vision of that same promise of a New World – where God and Jesus live with us on earth. In Verse 3 we hear, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” This is the New Jerusalem, created without imperfections, coming from heaven from God for humankind. The vision is of a beautiful city, where light comes from the Lamb, Jesus, and there is no day or night, no sun or moon needed. There will be no falsehood, or abominations, and the people will bring into it the glory and honor of the nations. This vision of a renewal of creation would be very attractive to people living in the last two decades of the first century; the years 80 to 100 in the current era. This is the time the books of Luke and Acts were most likely written, as well as the book of Revelation. In this period the first Christians were having a rough time of it. The counter-cultural nature of the teachings of Jesus created a hostile and sometimes violent environment for these Christian people. Some were brutally martyred; some hid and worshipped secretly in the cities and some were dispersed to friendlier countries where they could worship more openly. They believed, as Paul did, that Jesus would be back soon, bringing the new order and a new creation – a perfect world where there was no hunger or persecution, but a just and beautiful life for everyone. As time went by however, they had to acknowledge that it seemed like Jesus wasn’t coming back anytime soon – and they formed more permanent communities to keep the faith intact while they waited. To these mostly gentile, that is non-Jewish, communities St. Paul traveled, ministered, taught and preached. The author of Luke and Acts – most likely the physician Luke – wrote his books as a story defending and explaining the life of Jesus, his death and the continuing life of the Christian community. In writing this story, he encountered the problem of the hostility and persecution as well as the seemingly disjointed community – the first Christian communities went through so many transitions in the early stages that it was hard for Luke to write a sensible history. So he properly ties it together and emphasizes the power of the Spirit to direct and guide the people in spreading the Word and maintaining the faith. In reading Acts we notice how frequently the events of the day are attributed to the movement of the Spirit. Paul, while working in Troas, on the Aegean Sea, has a vision that he is called to Macedonia by a man who asks Paul to come and help them. And so Paul and his companions, possibly including the Author Luke, go by the power of the Holy Spirit, across the sea to Neapolis in Macedonia – free and obedient to the call of the Spirit – even though with some difficult traveling we can imagine. They continue on to Philippi, which Luke notes is a Roman colony. This is important because Paul would be somewhat protected there due to his status as a Roman citizen. After a few days they located a place of prayer near a river and went there on the Sabbath where they found Lydia and some women who already had the habit of meeting for prayer. Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth, likely a woman of high standing in the community of Philippi, and she listened to Paul with an open heart and received his words eagerly. She is baptized then along with her household. The power of the Spirit sends Paul to Macedonia where he finds Lydia and in his freedom of mind and in the power of the Spirit she and her family are offered a new life in Christ. Just as we, through the power of the Spirit, have been offered and now live a new life in Christ. According to NT author Walter Bruggeman, Lydia embodies three characteristics of the new Christians:
•Lydia had an open heart; was not troubled or worried about the politics of religion. •She lived in freedom then, mentally emancipated from the powers of the present age in which she lived.•And she was capable of the new obedience of love offered through Paul’s preaching.

These are the points Jesus makes in our gospel for today – he urges us not to be afraid of the powers that be - he promises to be with us through the Holy Spirit during our trials in this life. And when the time comes he will take us home with him to be with God. Notice that Jesus doesn’t promise it will be easy. He doesn’t promise us a beautiful life of justice and mercy here and now on earth. And he doesn’t promise us he will be back soon to establish that kind of life right here on earth, like the glorious vision in the book of Revelation. But he promises to take us home when the time comes. Home to the beautiful house with many rooms that God has prepared for us. This vision of life with God has sustained Christians for centuries through struggles and trials that we can’t even imagine. The openness of heart, freedom of life, and obedience through love that the Holy Spirit brings to us give us the courage to continue to live in an imperfect world full of abominations and darkness, hunger and pain, hatred and violence, natural disasters and death. It is life in the Holy Spirit that brings us closer to our home with God and Jesus and each other in our Christian communities. And it is in Jesus’ command and promise that we find courage to continue to carry the faith forward: Peace be with you – do not be troubled or afraid – I am with you always.

Amen