Leaving for Our Good
John 16:12-15 (May 30, 2010. Trinity Sunday & Memorial Sunday)
There is a military family who will leave us this week due to the job transfer to Florida. Since the member who will move out has been diligently serving in the Korean Praise Team, the Team offered a small farewell party for her last Sunday afternoon. While sharing goodies, a team member said, “I really wish she doesn’t go away but stays with us forever. . . .”
There was a firefight in Wanat, Afghanistan, on July 13, 2008 that took away the lives of nine American soldiers and caused more than two dozen soldiers wounded. Captain Jason Bogar was among those killed that day. He had a good habit to write a journal and in his journal he wrote the following a few days prior to his death.
21 June 2008
We took indirect fires two days in a row. It’s just a matter of time that the guy slips up and is killed. I just pray that no friendlys are hit before we kill him. . . . It’s a little village in between where I am now and [where] I was for the first 6 months. . . . There is also Icom chat from Taliban that they have built up fighting positions and are just waiting for us. I think that we will see some pretty heavy fighting while we are out there.
TO MY FAMILY
I feel my days are numbered so I want to say all this while I still can. I pray to god no-one will ever have to read this but as death is all around me if it falls upon me you will understand my recent feelings on this madness we call life.
My views and outlook on life seems to be drastically changing recently. As many of you saw before I left when I quit drinking, I was just starting to live my life. Never have I felt as strong as I do about what I am doing here in Afghanistan is the right thing to be doing and is understood and accepted by god. As a result of that death is easier to accept.
. . . . . .
Being back here in Afghanistan is exactly [where] I was supposed to be and where I wanted to be. I feel I’m doing more good over here than I was as an electrician. I knew exactly what I was doing when I re-enlisted Infantry I’m just sorry that you all have to suffer for it now.
For me to prepare myself to take life without hesitation has been a very difficult thing to do. To take away another woman’s son, husband, man’s son, brother has always bothered me but through my eyes is understood by my god and I am forgiven. For the man that took my life more than likely for all he has known his whole life he feels the exact same way I do when he killed me.
. . . . . .
Know that you all are the reason I am here and to give my life for that is nothing to me. My love for every-one of you is what drives me and brings me comfort under stressful situations.
Carise (The name of Bogar’s sister), let your child know of me and that even though I was never able to see he/she grow I love them more than they could imagine.
(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/04/eveningnews/main5362370.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody)
By the way, when Captain Bogar was killed, he was 25.
As a matter of fact, no one would like to say goodbye to his or her loved one. It is not easy to send away the one who we’ve dearly loved. Therefore, all we want is to have them stay with us forever.
John 16, today’s text, mentions about what Jesus told his disciples at the night before his death. In his speech, he mentioned he would leave them soon. When the disciples heard the news from him, they didn’t know what to say. “But now I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.” (John 16:5. NLT) When we hear something really shocking, our lips just get closed up. Perhaps that’s the situation the disciples were in that night. Indeed, the disciples were greatly influenced by Jesus so that they couldn’t imagine a future without him. They couldn’t imagine it and they didn’t want to think of it. So when they heard about the shocking news from their Master, they didn’t know what to say but remained in a deadly silence.
Today is Trinity Sunday and Memorial Sunday as well. So it was not easy for me to prepare a sermon that could preach for two big occasions in a short period of time. However, with the inspiration from the Holy Spirit I could find a common lesson for these two Sundays and will share it with you this morning.
According to today’s text, when the disciples heard the shocking news from Jesus, no one would ask where he was going. Instead, all of them grieved because of what they’d heard from him (vs 6). Understanding the uneasy feeling of the disciples, Jesus told them the following: “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” (John 16:7, 8. NLT) Of course, “he,” mentioned in this passage, refers to the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that, even though his sudden leaving would be sad and difficult for the disciples, it would be better for them eventually.
In order to comprehend the true meaning of Jesus’ words to the disciples, we better understand the nature of the Triune God working together for the salvation of humanity. In the last sermon, I introduced to you the concept of the Trinity: “Three Persons but One Substance.” Do you still remember what I shared with you last week? If you already forgot it, read it from the church website once more. (http://english.oliveumc.org/bd_sun/3290)
In the Bible, each person of the Triune God was assigned to work for a certain era. In the Old Testament, God the Father worked so hard to deliver his people; in the New Testament, God the Son preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God and completed the salvific work for all humanity at once on the Cross; and after the Ascension of Jesus Christ, God the Spirit with the disciples of Jesus is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every corner on earth. It is just like the marathon relay contest: The first runner holding the baton runs at best and delivers it to the next runner.
In this sense, Jesus Christ who diligently preached about the Good News of the Kingdom of God, atoned for all sins of humanity on the Cross and came back to life after three days in the tomb had to release the baton (assignment) to the next runner who was the Holy Spirit. It was what the Triune God had already planned together. The work of the Redemption and Reconciliation was assigned to Jesus, but the spreading the Gospel of his work was to the Holy Spirit and to his disciples. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8. NLT); “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.” (John 16:13, 14. NLT)
Therefore, even though it caused pain to the disciples, Jesus had to leave them now. If he didn’t go away, the Holy Spirit couldn’t come. His personal tie with the disciples couldn’t afford to ruin the big picture of the Trinity. Moreover, he knew the disciples would be comforted as soon as the Spirit fell on them. “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.” (John 16:20. NLT)
The Book of Acts well describes how the disciples were comforted, how gladly they rejoiced and how powerfully they spread the Gospel of their Master after the Holy Spirit had come upon them. They were no longer tied to their past memories with Jesus but devoted themselves to spreading the Good News throughout the world with the Holy Spirit. If you want to know more about the reaction of the disciples to their commission after the infilling by the Spirit, open the Book of Acts this week. If you read 4 chapters a day, you can finish the entire book in a week. I’d like to strongly recommend you to do it.
Obviously from time to time the disciples had remembered Jesus after his Ascension, but it was not for them to remain in the good memories with him but to get more meanings out of what he had told and showed them by the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order that they could share them with the people in a perusable way. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” (John 16:13. NLT)
Today is Trinity Sunday and Memorial Sunday as well. Therefore, I will finish my message by sharing with you some significances of Memorial Sunday.
Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It is a day for remembering those who were important to us. Especially it is a day for remembering those who sacrificed their lives for us in in Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I & II, Korean War, Vietnamese War, and in the recent wars such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan Wars. Moreover, it will be a day for remembering those who lost their lives on duty to keep us from all kinds of terror and hazard.
However, we all also know it is not just a day for simply remembering their names. It is not just a day fasting and mourning for our losses, either. It is a day not only remembering their names but also remembering our vows and commitments to learning from their sacrifices and their pure ideologies. The English vocabulary, “remember,” is a perfect word to teach us what to do for this special day. “To remember means to re-member.” Therefore, when we think of those who lost their lives for us, we have to recall what they taught us through their own sacrifices and re-dedicate ourselves to their teachings in life at best.
No longer should we seek happiness and comfort for ourselves but for others. We will voluntarily give up our own happiness and comfort on behalf of others. We will stop hating or complaining but try to understand, love and reconcile with others and make a better world.
At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, “There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:13, 14. NLT) We are not his friend for we are saying we love him. We are not his friend for we are still remembering the old days with him and cry. We are his friend for we are voluntarily sacrificing ourselves for him and for those whom he loves. In this sense, those who have given up their lives for us, for our independence, for our freedom and for the peace of the world, could be the true friends of his, don’t you think so?
