“CHRIST COMFORTS: THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT”
Saint John 15:26 - 16:4
Exaudi: 29 May Anno Domini 2022
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
The sin found in man, in all of you, is that either he simply does not believe, or, his faith is weak and he is constantly arguing with God—trying to have things done his way.
Even God’s essence as Triune is a sticking point.
No one wants to ever lose a friend. No one ever wants to lose a beloved spouse or child or sibling or parent. The greatest joy is a loving family where one belongs. The greatest fear is to be alone. Loved ones, those who love us will bring us comfort and give us safety and peace…or at least they’ll try.
God guarantees it. But He gives a joy that is spiritual, mystical, metaphysical, and Sacramental. The joy that Christ bestows upon you may rarely give you physical, tactile, or emotional joy; it can, but that’s not the real point—Salvation and Eternal Life is the telos—the end which is actually an everlasting beginning.
The “Law” in this morning’s text is 1st Commandment stuff: “…fear, love, and TRUST in God above all things!” You don’t trust. The “12” had trouble with perfect confidence in Jesus as well.
You can’t see Jesus the way Peter or the Magdalene could. Sure. But listen to what He tells you: “…when The Comforter is come, Whom I will send you from The Father!” That is true, that is TRUTH. That is Gospel. Repent and believe! It’s also Trinitarian for one who has been given faith. The Comforter is God The 3rd Person—The Holy Ghost, Lord and Give of Life. Jesus has sent you The Holy Ghost, from The Father. Period. You have the Holy Ghost. You are a temple of The Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is in you—in you from your Holy + Baptism, at the very least.
Think how silly you would look to others, to yourself in a mirror of perfect self-reflection and awareness, if when someone was impressed or glad that you were very tall you took the credit with “yes I am very tall, I have height,” instead of noting that your parents were both 6’ 2.” Or when someone was encouraged by your great reading capabilities you boasted “Yes, I have wonderful language, linguistic and philology skills, indeed!” Instead of thanking your parents who read to you constantly as a child, bought you books, and taught you phonics and foreign languages.
Now realize how silly and inane you must sound to the angels when you emphasize “I have MY Faith.” Well, yes, you do. But it’s only yours by way of gift and it’s given freely without any merit or work, or worthiness, on your part. Do you say at the dinner table “I have food” as if that’s the origin of your appetite being sated? NO! The loving and giving and working cook (wife or whomever) is the one that gave you the food. Faith is only a “means,” a way that God The Comforter gives you Grace in Christ Jesus by giving you Christ Jesus!
The Holy Spirit is the One that has given and that continues to give you Jesus.
Sinful man overthinks things that need not be intellectualized. You need not prove The Holy Trinity to anyone. You’re not required to demonstrate scientifically The Holy Ghost to any gainsayer. You receive by Grace, Bloody dripping read Grace and Innocent, Holy, bruised and beaten Body Grace—Calvary Grace—in The Paschal Lamb—faith to hold on to and confess boldly The Holy Ghost. And what does The Paraclete have you do? What does He do? The Spirit does not testify of Himself. He doesn’t fly around you like a drama-queen dove or a showboating tongue of fire. He testifies of Jesus. You who hear me now are hearing The Holy Spirit telling you about your Lord Christ—The God/Man Who obeyed your broken promises and Who suffered and died for all your crimes; The Savior Who saves you by His Cross and Who forgives you and feeds you His Body and Blood. You have that testimony in Scripture. You have that truth in + Holy Water/washing of regeneration. You have that Confession place on your tongues. The Comforter does not comfort you like He did to the Apostles in tongues of fire but rather by Jesus’ tongue, i.e., Jesus’ word of Peace!
It was The Comforter that constrained Saint Moses to record God’s revelation from the time of creation and Adam until his own time—and the passage to Jesus/Joshua. It was The same Spirit that allowed the Prophets to preach truth and to be recorded truthfully. The identical Holy Ghost spoke by King David and by John the Baptist, and finally by the Apostles—and most especially The Holy Evangelists (St. John this morning).
Thus, you are not offended, scandalized, or in fear. The Word given by The Comforter, Jesus, comforts and gives strength. Let them throw you out of the synagogues of Satan; let them kill you in bloody red martyrdom. They yet have nothing won. The Kingdom yours remaineth.
You know The Father because The Son has given Him to you: “…our Father Who art in heaven,” even as The Father has given all of you to His Son. And now you believe this because The Holy Ghost has given you The Word—The Word made flesh; or, we might say:
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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