John 15:26-16:4 NRSVue
26“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
1“I have said these things to you to keep you from falling away., 2They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
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Some thoughts on this scripture
Reflection
/When the Counsellor comes…/ The Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, does not
operate as an alien intruder whispering surprising news into my ear. Rather
he helps me to be myself, and to learn from my experience. When Peter, James
and Paul, at the first council of Jerusalem, disagreed on whether to
circumcise pagan converts, they resolved their arguments by reflecting on
their experience; then they were able to conclude: /It seems good to the Holy
Spirit and to us…/
Reflection
Give me the wisdom, Lord, to learn from what I have lived through.
Reflection
There's an atmosphere in these chapters of John's gospel that Jesus wants to
be with us, that he likes being with us, and cares about his friendships with
us. Prayer is firstly God's invitation to us to be present, before it is
anything of our activity. We pray because God is God, because God exists, and
moreso, because God is love. Prayer time is 'handing over time' - handing
over cares, joys and sorrows into the care of the loving God.
Reflection
Jesus taught his disciples with his word, and prepared them for life when he
would no longer be with them. He knew that there would be opposition to them
and danger to their lives because of their following of him. Banishment from
their places of worship would bring them to remember what he told them.
Prayer is listening over and over again to the word of God so that it becomes
part of us like our daily food and daily bread.
Reflection
God gives us gifts for ourselves but they are not private personal property.
Jesus asks us to give witness. I think of how I might do this and ask for the
help I need.
Reflection
Aware of how much being a witness to the gospel costs, I pray for the
strength to remember these words of Jesus in the hour of need.