14^th May 2013

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 5 May 2013

Lessons - Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10,22 - 22:1-5; John 14:18-31

Judas (not the betrayer) said, 'Lord, how is it that you will
disclose yourself to us, and not to the world?' (John 14:22)

We too are shocked by Jesus' 'exclusive' attitude. The Church should be 'inclusive' - not a privileged religious sect that prides itself on its faith and worships a God who does not seem to care about those who do not love him. In our world, bias toward one group - to the exclusion of others
- is unfair, narrow and bigoted. This view of Christianity is out of touch with modern values.

Sectarian groups distinguish between 'the faithful' and 'unbelievers'. But most mainline Christians are uncomfortable about claiming special identity for the Church. It harms efforts to show our relevance to the world. Talk of God revealing himself to the select few does not help our public image!

Like us, Judas is bewildered. He wants to know why Jesus will not convince 'the world' - as well as his disciples - of God's presence. Surely a clear statement of God's love would convince 'good people' outside the Church to throw in their lot with disciples and encourage 'bad people' to mend their ways? How will they know God's love for them if it is kept a secret? It does not make sense, particularly in a world where failure to maximise the exposure of a cause, product or program is thought to signify a lack of seriousness. Why would not Jesus want to promote the most incredible event in world history: the incarnation of the love of God?

Jesus completely rejects this way of thinking. The Church's special identity is not defined by whether or not it is the biggest, most popular religious show on earth! It is often called to stand against popular opinion that promotes the kind of inclusiveness that often supports dark forces that dehumanise our common life.

Its unique character - hidden from public view - is expressed in the lives of folk who respond to God's over-whelming grace in Christ by simply, unselfconsciously and boldly sharing in the love that already exists between Jesus and his 'Father' (as John puts it). No public fuss or fanfare - simply delight and gratitude for an extraordinary privilege.

There is a danger in trying to convince 'the world' that 'God is love'. If we set out to be inclusive, we may miss the special character of God's love for 'the world'. When 'God is love' becomes a slogan to promote the benefits of the 'Christian brand', we will see the miracle of God's love which has suffered under, and triumphed over, dark forces that afflict our lives. Also, astonishingly, that love has welcomed us into the fellowship of love that unites Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This extraordinary reality is hard to put into words. We are in the presence of a love that is unparalleled in our experience. When John uses Trinitarian language to speak of 'God's love' he is telling us that we cannot simply apply what we know about 'love' to God. God's love is uniquely personal and sacrificial.

This is how John expresses things. Christ gives himself completely for our broken world in his life (while he is still 'with them' v25) and in his death (where he 'is going' v28a) and in his resurrection (when he 'will come to them' v28b).The language may seem to be abstract and elusive. It is not our natural way to speak about love! But, rather than letting it get in the way of understanding, why not let it arouse our curiosity?
Without such curiosity, we shall be like so many others who want Jesus to satisfy our desire for a god or teacher who neatly fits ideas of inclusive love that are drawn from our natural desire to be open and tolerant of all things and all people.

John wants us to see a love like no other. So, when Jesus tells the disciples that 'he will go away and return to them' (v28) we learn that:

* He is about to 'go away' to suffer and die at the hands of a 'world'
that is in thrall to 'evil', the 'ruler of this world' (v30) signifying dark forces opposed to the love of God. He 'leaves' them to display costly love that does not shrink from the dreadful reality of sin.

* When he 'returns' to them - 'being raised from the dead' - the disciples will know that the love between 'Father' and 'Son' has conquered evil and death for them.

They will know that God's grace has not been thwarted and their inclusion in the 'fellowship of love' has not come to an end. They will be overjoyed and at 'peace' to know that, in a strife-torn world, the love of God has triumphed over evil!

'Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid' (v27b) only makes sense because of Jesus' cross and resurrection. Apart from his defeat of sin, evil and death, it is hollow and cruel. Shallow optimism and false comfort are no substitute for 'peace' that knows what it is to 'love Jesus'
(v23ff) amidst terrible evil!

No wonder Jesus reveals the love of God to his disciples, not to 'the world at large'. Such love does not fit any pattern of love with which we are familiar.

This does not mean that the Church should turn its back on the world, enjoy the benefits of grace for itself and leave the big, bad world to its own devices.

No! Jesus' revelation to the disciples of the love between himself and the Father - and the invitation to participate in that love - is for the sake of 'the world'. At the end of this passage Jesus says, 'I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.
(v31b)'

This may sound like a contradiction, but it is not. Although the 'world'
cannot understand the costly and triumphant love of God in Christ on its own terms, everything in Jesus' ministry takes place 'for the sake of the world'. The world we inhabit - the 'broken world' - is the arena of God's self-giving grace. As John never tires of saying, 'God so loved the world . . . (3:16)'

How do we reconcile these two things? On one hand, Jesus discloses the reality of God's love to disciples only. On the other, the purpose of his disclosure is that the world may know God's love.

The answer lies in the need to protect the Gospel from misunderstanding:

* If it is disclosed directly to those who think that love is to be measured by the popularity of inclusive forms of love, then God's costly love for the world - unparalleled in human experience - will be trivialised.

* If it is disclosed only to the Church, the breadth of God's love will be ignored and Christians will be tempted to think that God is our possession.

The Church certainly has been given a 'special identity' - a unique vocation. She exists, not to promote ideals of inclusiveness that are shared by the general public, but to proclaim the unsurpassable love of God - unique, costly and victorious love which, in Christ, has judged, forgiven and transformed 'the world'. In a dark world she is to be an entity and a beacon of hope for the whole of humanity. The ultimate purpose of the 'love between Father and Son' is that the nations shall be 'healed' (Revelation 22:2) and drawn into 'a new heaven and a new earth'
(Revelation 21:1) to worship 'the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb'
(21:22ff).

This wonderful image of Christ's suffering love 'for the world' reaching its glorious destination is the source of hope for a Church that is called to glorify God and serve Christ in a world that is hostile to the Gospel.

Strangely, that hope is ultimately to be found in a future where there will be no Church (21:22) and the nations and the rulers of earth shall walk by the glory of God (the Father) that radiates in and from the Lamb (the Son). In view of the splendour of the future that awaits the Church and the world when the glory of God shall be acknowledged by all without the witness of the Church, Christians are called to live as a community of hope in the present.

This means not being naive about 'the world'. Inclusiveness is not necessarily a virtue! Where the dark forces of evil continue to be practised in defiance of God's costly love, those who do wrong are 'excluded' from the fellowship of grace (21:27). It is not our place to make that call. The conversion of the world does not depend on us. It is the Spirit who enables the love of Father and Son to prosper in the lives of individuals and communities in all sorts of unobtrusive and unexpected ways to bring glory to God.

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Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.