Today’s Advent Reflection is from Sheila Collins
Our Helper and Comforter
John 14:15-31
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
Reflection
When my nephew, W, was 3 he was in possession of a ‘cuddly’. Not a toy but a muslin cloth which accompanied him everywhere and which held, for him, protective, and comforting powers. Holding this soft rag to his face and thumb firmly plugged in mouth, his resolve strengthened, this shy boy was able to step out bravely from his front door to face the world. However, the temporary misplacement and occasional loss of the ‘cuddly’ was met with fearful tears. (My sister did have spares!) The ‘cuddly’ was the comforter that W needed to have the strength and confidence to help him to go anywhere.
For the last 7 months we have rarely left the house without washed hands, a mask, and a spare, and a small bottle of hand sanitiser; obeying advice and reassured that we are doing everything possible to avoid spreading and /or catching the virus. We feel a little more confident and somewhat comforted (to a certain degree), that in the face of the invisible virus, we have the tools to enable us live a life which has become our new normal.
The things which comfort and protect us, give us confidence to get on with different circumstances, relationships and situations, vary from person to person. For my nephew it was a muslin cloth, for us now it is hand sanitiser and masks, for those who are in pain or lonely it would be a visit or hug or a listening ear (some of which we which can’t do at the moment). In this season of Advent we have a chance to reflect on who Jesus is and how he explained to his disciples that they would never be left without Him to comfort and reassure them.
In John’s Gospel Jesus speaks to his disciples at the last supper about his imminent betrayal. He tells the disciples that he is going away. He gives the disciples a new command to love one another as he has loved them. He reassures them promising to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house, although some of his disciples really don’t quite understand what Jesus is saying to them at this point and the reasons why. Maybe they feared that Jesus was abandoning them and they wouldn’t know what to do. Jesus goes on to say, ‘If you love me you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper (1) to be with you forever.’ In fact, the disciples wouldn’t have less help; they would have more help because the Father would send another Helper. Jesus understood that His disciples (both those with Him on that evening and those across the centuries including us) would need God’s presence and power to keep His commandments. God the Son promised to pray to God the Father and ask for the giving of God the Holy Spirit to the believer to accomplish this.
Jesus promised his disciples he would never leave them. He comforts them and promises that another Helper/Comforter will be present with them, not temporarily, but forever. He understood his disciples then and he understands us now, we are human, not perfect and need help.
Jesus speaks to his disciples using the words of someone reassuring his children: ‘I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you’. An orphan has parents who are dead; the Spirit shows us Jesus is alive. An orphan is left alone; the Spirit draws us close to God’s presence. An orphan has no one to look after them; the Spirit is protector.
Nephew, W, no longer needs his ‘cuddly’ (he’s 35 now), he outgrew it. It was a temporary comforter/helper to enable him to leave the house to engage in nursery life, go to friends and play in the park: to live joyfully and without fear.
It is to be hoped that the necessity for carrying face masks and hand sanitiser to reassure ourselves and others that we are a little safer from catching or spreading the virus is also temporary.
Jesus knew and understood what it was to be human, to be fearful, alone, misunderstood and ultimately abandoned. Knowing that he was going to his death he still promised, comforted and reassured his disciples that he would be present with them forever. He promises us the same, that His heavenly Father will send his spirit to be our Helper and Comforter always and to enable us to keep his commands: to love one another as he loves us.
(1) The word Helper translates the ancient Greek word parakletos. This word has the idea of someone called to help someone else, maybe like an advisor, a legal person or a mediator. The King James Version translates parakletos with the word Comforter.