United Church of Pittsford

John 14:15-21a

Little Billy was riding his tricycle furiously around the block where he lived . . . over and over again!

A patrolling police officer noticed the child while passing through the area. On his return trip, he was surprised to see Billy still speeding along. Out of curiosity, he pulled over and asked the lad
why he was circling the neighborhood . . . and doing so,
at such a breakneck speed.

Breathlessly, little Billy angrily reported that he was running away!

“If you’re actually running away from home,”
the officer then asked, “how come it is that you continue to simply
go around the block?”

“Because my mom said that I’m not allowed to cross the street,”
Billy confidently responded.

The point of the story:
obedience will keep us close to those we love!

Jesus told his disciples that whoever loves him will reveal that love
by following his example, adhering to his teachings,
obeying his commands.

That love will then be return, and more than that . . .
that love will be returned through the ever present
aid and support, comfort and encouragement, of his Holy Spirit
dwelling within that person!

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”

In other words, love produces obedience!

It is possible to occasionally obey at least some of his commandments, and not love him . . .
but it is impossible to actually love him and not strive to,
attempt to, struggle to follow his example, adhere to his teachings,
obey his commands.

Love means following his commandments . . .
and all of his commandments flow from that one primary commandment that we conduct our lives, set our priorities,
interact with others, by the power of love.

However, that is easier said than done, even for those
who truly love the Lord.

What those earliest disciples needed . . . what we all
still desperately need today, in order to fulfill that mandate,
is the aid and support, the comfort and encouragement,
of the indwelling presence of Christ’s Spirit!

It’s interesting to note that the meaning of the Greek word
used for the Holy Spirit is, “one who stands beside
to give aid and support.”

The demands of our Lord’s commands are often far beyond
our frail ability to faithfully fulfill! The radical call to conduct our lives, to set our priorities, to interact with others, all others,
in a spirit of Agape . . . in a spirit of sacrificial, self-giving love . . .
is a challenge we often both intentionally and unintentionally
fail to meet.

There are times when we deliberately say things and do things that we know are hurtful of others. There are times when we unconsciously, inadvertently, accidentally say things and do things
that are hurtful of others . . . words and actions that we had no idea were the cause of pain, and the source of injury for others.

Like those original disciples charged to carry on our Lord’s ministry
in his physical absence . . . we too desperately need the mercy, grace, and forgiveness Christ’s love offers us . . .
and the aid and support, the comfort and encouragement
his Spirit provides, as we strive to be those faithful disciples
in this time and in this place.

Growing up in the mid-west, I clearly remember the bold, corrupt,
and arrogant Richard Daly, the long running and mean-spirited
mayor of Chicago. To no one’s surprise . . . it is said that he was
a stern, hostile, ungracious, inhospitable person to work for.

There is the story of one of his speech writers, who approached the mayor for a raise in his salary. The mayor’s response was,
“You’re already getting paid more than you deserve . . .
why, it should be more than enough for you that you are working for a great American hero like me!”

And that was the end of it . . . or so the mayor thought.

Two weeks later . . . Mayor Daly was on his way to give a speech
to a convention of veterans. The speech was going to receive
national attention.

Now . . . another thing Mayor Daily was known for, was never reading over his speeches until he got up to deliver them. So . . . there he stood before a large gathering of veterans, and representatives of the national press.

He began his speech: “I am concerned for you. I have a heart for you. I am deeply convinced that this country needs to do a better
job of taking care of its veterans.

“So, today, I am proposing a seventeen point plan that includes the city, the state, and the federal government, to care for the veterans of this great country of ours.”

Everyone was on the edge of their seats . . . anxiously awaiting
to hear what the mayor was about to propose.

He turned the page of his manuscript, and saw only these words, “You’re on your own now . . . you great American hero!”

I doubt Mayor Daly learned anything at that moment . . .
but he should have learned that all of us, no matter who we are,
need someone “who stands beside to give aid and support,”
a helper, an advocate, if you will, quietly working behind the scenes to make us who we are.

Our culture tells us that we are self-created, that we are
self-made . . . and that in order to be who we truly are . . .
we must be self-reliant, self-sufficient, independent and free!

Our faith tells us that we have been created by God . . .
and that actually we are reliant solely on God, whether we
acknowledge it or not . . . and that God’s care and love
are not only all we really have, but more than that,
it is all we really need, in order to be the persons
we were created to be.

The paradox of our faith, is that our true freedom to be the persons we were created to be, is found in our obedience
to the word and way of God, as expressed in the example and teachings of Christ.

To love Christ means to follow his commandments!

In order to do that we need an advocate, a helper . . . we need
“one who stands beside to give aid and support,”
we need the indwelling presence of Christ’s Spirit . . .
a gracious gift for those who love him.

So many spiritual guides through the ages have agreed
that the only prayer we all really need to recite over and over again is: “Lord, help me love you more.”

All the rest of our lives . . . the successes and the failures,
the joys and the sorrows,the victory and the defeats,
will be taken care of . . . for Christ’s indwelling Spirit will be that
aid and support, that comfort and encouragement we need.

Amen.