One of the advantages of ‘helper’ as a translationness"s 8, where we read: "f the spirit'n Isaiah 9.6, "rming of the Spirit', is ' is that it is flexibly generic, leaving us to infer from each particular context the specific kind of help the Holy Spirit offers us. Let us, then, look at each of the 4 occasions in John 14 – 16 when Jesus promises the ‘parakletos’ to his disciples, and determine what kind of help is being offered to those who ‘call him to their side’. First, John 14.15-17: “If you love me, keep my commandments; and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another ‘parakletos’, so that he may be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth”; and in verse 18 he continues, “I will not leave you bereaved, I am coming to you”. The word I have translated ‘bereaved’ here is ‘orphanous’ (accusative plural ending), which literally, and not surprisingly, means ‘orphans’. It is only used on two other occasions in the NT (Matt 12. 40 and James 1. 27), each time coupled with ‘widows’. Jesus had been at the centre of the disciples’ lives for three years, revered as their Lord and teacher, and loved as their friend and companion. He knows that, after his ascension into heaven, their sense of loss and loneliness will be like a bereavement. But, he promises them, only a few days later he will return to them in the person of his Spirit, restoring to them the warmth and assurance of his presence with them. This promise is paralleled in Matthew’s gospel, whose last words, the words of Jesus, are “behold, I am with you all day and every day until the end of time” (28. 20), a promise that he would, and could only, fulfil in the person of his Spirit. This is, perhaps, the foundation ministry of the Spirit. For the disciples he was the perfect Jesus-substitute, more than filling the void left in their lives by his physical departure. For us, who have not seen Jesus in his human form, the Spirit lifts from the pages of the gospels and transforms into a living reality in our hearts and in our daily experience the one whom one day we shall see face to face. Sometimes a woman whose husband dies after many years of happy marriage, living now in an empty house whose every room and every corner reminds her of her loneliness and loss, will invite some dear friend to live with her as her companion; she can never be an adequate substitute for the absent husband, but the warmth of her friendship and the liveliness of her company can bring much comfort and consolation. In the same way, but far more effectively, the ‘parakletos’ helps us in our loneliness and insecurity and fear of the future, making Jesus a living reality for us and a constant companion with us, bringing us that deep sense of assurance and belonging that only he can give. In this context, certainly, the ‘parakletos’ is the great Comforter !
Thursday, 29 December 2011
PARAKLETOS 3: John 14 - 16 (a) the Jesus substitute
One of the advantages of ‘helper’ as a translationness"s 8, where we read: "f the spirit'n Isaiah 9.6, "rming of the Spirit', is ' is that it is flexibly generic, leaving us to infer from each particular context the specific kind of help the Holy Spirit offers us. Let us, then, look at each of the 4 occasions in John 14 – 16 when Jesus promises the ‘parakletos’ to his disciples, and determine what kind of help is being offered to those who ‘call him to their side’. First, John 14.15-17: “If you love me, keep my commandments; and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another ‘parakletos’, so that he may be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth”; and in verse 18 he continues, “I will not leave you bereaved, I am coming to you”. The word I have translated ‘bereaved’ here is ‘orphanous’ (accusative plural ending), which literally, and not surprisingly, means ‘orphans’. It is only used on two other occasions in the NT (Matt 12. 40 and James 1. 27), each time coupled with ‘widows’. Jesus had been at the centre of the disciples’ lives for three years, revered as their Lord and teacher, and loved as their friend and companion. He knows that, after his ascension into heaven, their sense of loss and loneliness will be like a bereavement. But, he promises them, only a few days later he will return to them in the person of his Spirit, restoring to them the warmth and assurance of his presence with them. This promise is paralleled in Matthew’s gospel, whose last words, the words of Jesus, are “behold, I am with you all day and every day until the end of time” (28. 20), a promise that he would, and could only, fulfil in the person of his Spirit. This is, perhaps, the foundation ministry of the Spirit. For the disciples he was the perfect Jesus-substitute, more than filling the void left in their lives by his physical departure. For us, who have not seen Jesus in his human form, the Spirit lifts from the pages of the gospels and transforms into a living reality in our hearts and in our daily experience the one whom one day we shall see face to face. Sometimes a woman whose husband dies after many years of happy marriage, living now in an empty house whose every room and every corner reminds her of her loneliness and loss, will invite some dear friend to live with her as her companion; she can never be an adequate substitute for the absent husband, but the warmth of her friendship and the liveliness of her company can bring much comfort and consolation. In the same way, but far more effectively, the ‘parakletos’ helps us in our loneliness and insecurity and fear of the future, making Jesus a living reality for us and a constant companion with us, bringing us that deep sense of assurance and belonging that only he can give. In this context, certainly, the ‘parakletos’ is the great Comforter !
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