ln his farewell address, as Jesus summarizes his teachings one last time, he also reassures his bewildered disciples that they will not be left on their own, abandoned to fend for themselves, to rely on their own resources and their own wits. Maybe, though, we all need to know exactly what the expectations are. We want to measure up, fulfil our obligations, and make the grade. So what does Jesus tell his disciples to do? He tells them to keep his commandments, and it's no surprise that "love" is in the very same sentence with "obey my commandments."
These are simple words and tall orders. The God of the cosmos desires relationship, wills to love and to be loved fully and completely. These promises run directly counter to all that our culture promises. Instead of never being able to be satisfied, of always being less than and of never having enough, God says to each one of us an emphatic and loving "YES" in Jesus.
Jesus was calling his disciples to live and love in ways that seemed impossible. They couldn't do it, not without the Spirit. Sometimes Jesus says the Advocate, like someone who stands beside you in a court of law. Sometimes he says Helper, sometimes Spirit of Truth. Jesus would be with believers in a different way. Or perhaps we could say that God would be with them in a different way because Jesus had been there. The eternal, cosmic Word of God became flesh in Jesus. That's what John wrote at the very beginning of this Gospel. This Living Word had just bent down to wash the disciples‘ dirty feet. You can't get much more down-to-earth than that. Jesus was very clear. The Spirit that dwells in me will abide also in you.
"Love one another as I have loved you" and "The Spirit of Truth will abide with you when l am gone." A little later in this same chapter, Jesus says, "The Holy Spirit, whom God will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of all that l have said to you." That is, Jesus was saying: You don't know everything yet. You have more to learn. ln every generation you will be faced with new questions and perplexities. Does the sun revolve around the earth or is it the other way around? Should nuclear weapons ever be used against an enemy? ls welfare the best way to bear one another's burdens? Jesus knew there were some questions the sacred writings didn't address. Jesus also acknowledged that there were some things he had never talked about. "The Spirit will be your tutor," he said, "guiding you into all the truth."
There are two things the church must do. One is to pass on the tradition from one generation to another. Tell the story of Jesus to your children and your children's children. But that's not all. There is a second thing the church must do. Be open to the winds of the Spirit by which the tradition comes alive in each generation.
What does the Christian faith say about love? Throughout the New Testament, we encounter many definitions and descriptions of love, some mysterious and others more evident. We know that God is love and that God loves us so much that Jesus, God's only son, was given to us. We also have the popular descriptors of love that are shared at many weddings: "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant" (1 Corinthians 13:4). Leviticus even tells us that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, with Jesus claiming it as the second greatest commandment, with our love of God as the first (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:36-40). Yet, Jesus‘ statement, if you love me, you will keep my commandments, does not specify any of these; it only implies that if we love Jesus we are to love each other, leaving the means of love to our discretion.
However, in this text, we can learn more about what love means to Jesus through other parts of the legacy He left the disciples. He said to them, "l will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever" (John 14:16). Out of Jesus‘ love for His followers and for God's love of both Jesus and humanity, an Advocate, would be sent to Jesus‘ followers. lt is also important to note that Jesus said another advocate. Jesus is also an Advocate sent by God to the world, to reconcile it, to love it, and to draw humanity closer to God through his life, death, and resurrection. Thus, after Jesus was no longer physically with His followers, the Spirit would walk with them and guide them the way Jesus walked with them and guided them. The Spirit would be with the followers as Jesus was with them. lt was as if Jesus knew His followers would need assistance living a life of love as He, the ultimate embodiment of love, did. Luckily, for them and for us, the Spirit they were given would be with them forever: it was with them and within them. The Spirit would be part of His legacy, reminding His followers of His legacy and guiding them as they strove to live into it.
So here, to love is to be an advocate, to give oneself for others as Christ gave Himself for us and as God gave of Jesus and the Spirit. We are to continue loving our neighbour and seeing them as God sees us all. This Spirit is still moving among and within us today as we continue Jesus‘ work of love! We too have not been left alone in the task we are called to as believers. But how are we to live into Jesus‘ legacy? How do we reflect, live into, and embody love?
As individuals, we are also advocates within our personal relationships. Making sacrifices out of love for others, forgiving, being forgiven, and working towards reconciliation in our relationships.
ln addition to showing love as individuals, we are to show love as a community of faith. We are to preach and teach messages of love. We also show love as a church outside of the church building, being a public witness of God's love. We must journey with persons as they seek to grow deeper in their relationships with God and with their neighbour. We must create disciples of love.
While this is ideal, it is not always reality. It is a difficult task, much like embodying love as an individual. The church is made up of diverse people with different passions, schedules and resources. Yet we strive to come together, bound by our love for God and commitment to Jesus‘ legacy.
The responsibility can be overwhelming. I am sure the disciples were overwhelmed by the life they were summoned to live. However, like the disciples, we have the Holy Spirit as our advocate. The times we feel powerless or unequipped for a particular task, or for delivering God's message, we too can ask God for the Spirit of Truth as Jesus did.
As we are obedient, however, we must also consider the legacy we are creating. What does society consider the Christian presence in our current community, nation, and the world? What is our footprint? Does the world see us as vessels of love, building a present to produce a future of love? Or do they consider our legacy to be something else? As we reflect on the many ways we have shared and received love, may we remember the many ways in which we can still grow in our ability to love until the day when we are united with Christ again.
Part of Jesus’ final discourse, Jesus prepares his disciples for life without his physical presence among them. “l will not leave you orphaned," he says to them, and to us. We are not alone. Jesus continues to meet us in the Sacraments, when the Word is proclaimed, and whenever two or more gather in his name. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, in baptism.