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“NOT YET TRUTH”

JOHN 16:1-15

 

16:1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;

10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;

11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

 

Sometimes the truth is obvious and sometimes it isn’t.  For example: 2+2=4.  That truth is obvious but suppose you had to answer this question; “Has the time come for me to move into an assisted living facility or should I stay where I am?”  Or this question, “Should I attend Boston College or Cornell University?”  Or this question, “Is global warming real or is it just a lot of unproven science?”  Or how about this one?  “What would Jesus say about the death penalty and illegal immigration? Would he say ‘yes’ to one and ‘no’ to the other or ‘no’ to one and ‘yes’ to the other or ‘yes’ to both or ‘no’ to both?”

 

Sometimes the truth isn’t obvious.  Consider if you will the debate that took place one day between a minister, priest and a rabbi.   They kept going back and forth in their attempt to decide when life actually begins. The minister said, “I believe that life begins the moment you’re born.”  “Oh no,” said the priest.  “Life begins at the moment of conception.”  The rabbi shook his head.  “You’re both wrong,” he said, “life begins when the dog dies and the last kid moves out of the house.”

 

Sometimes the truth isn’t obvious and here’s something that might surprise you.  Sometimes that’s the way Jesus wants it. I say that because of something that Jesus said to the disciples at the Last Supper.  Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” but “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

 

Jesus told the disciples the truth but he didn’t tell them the whole truth. So, with that in mind you could say that what happened at the Last Supper is similar to what happened in the movie “A Few Good Men.”  Do you remember the famous scene at the end of the movie? Lt. Daniel Kaffee, the character played by Tom Cruise, shouts “I want the truth.”  At that point Col. Nathan R. Jessup, the character played by Jack Nicholson shouts back “You can’t handle the truth.”

 

Jesus told the disciples the truth but he didn’t tell them the whole truth.  Why?  Because he knew that they couldn’t handle it.  He knew that they weren’t ready for it. That’s why Jesus gave the disciples the truth in bits and pieces.  He gave it to them when he knew that they could handle it.  The same thing is true for us.

 

Take for example the question of women in the church. Things were very different back when the Apostle Paul was doing his thing.  In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul wrote “…women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”

 

Now some people might hear that and long for the good old days.  Some of our Congregational ancestors though heard the Spirit of truth say something very different to them.  It happened back in 1852 and it led them to ordained the first woman minister in this country.  Her name was Antionette Brown, Rev. Antoinette Brown.  At her ordination service Rev. Luther Lee preached a sermon and in it he said, “our sister in Christ, Antoinette L. Brown, is one of the ministers of the New Covenant, authorized, qualified, and called by God to preach the gospel of his Son Jesus Christ.”

 

 Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you but you cannot bear them now…When the Spirit of truth comes , he will guide you into all the truth… he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

 

By the way, I recently read something that suggested that when it comes to ordination God’s truth may be very different in the future.   The article wasn’t meant to be taken seriously but it does make you think.  The title of the article was “WHY WE OPPOSE THE ORDINATION OF MEN.”   The article listed several reasons why men shouldn’t be ordained.  Why should men not be ordained?

·      Because a man’s place is in the army

·      Because no real man wants to settle an argument by turning the other cheek

·      Because women won’t respect a man who wears a long flowing dress

·      Because men are too emotional to be ministers.  Their conduct at football games and political conventions shows this to be true.  Their tendency to resort to force and violence also render them unfit to be ambassadors for Christ.

·      Because some men are so handsome they will distract women worshippers.

Finally, why should men not be ordained?

·      Because if the Church is the Bride of Christ how silly is it to have a man be a bride.

 

Jesus has given us the truth but he hasn’t given us the whole truth yet.  That’s why it’s surprising to see so many people these days who are convinced that they know the whole truth. You see it in pompous politicians and arrogant commentators on talk show radio.  You see it in condescending religious leaders and narrow minded activists who are convinced that their cause is right, people who are against abortion and people who are for same gender marriage as well as the people who are for and against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

When it comes to the truth, however, only Jesus knows the whole truth. So, what does that mean for us?  It means that you have to be humble and honest.

 

Harry Emerson Fosdick was one of the great preachers of the last century.  He was also the first pastor of Riverside Church in New York City.  In his book “Dear Mr. Brown,” he makes the point that you have to be humble when it comes to God and the truth that comes from above. In the book he writes, “Recently, I visited once more my island of the coast of Maine and fell in love again with the sea.  Now, I do not know the whole sea.  It is very great.  I never sailed the tropic ocean where the Orinoco and the Amazon pour out their floods through primeval woods.  I never watched the Antarctic sea where today pioneers press their perilous way over the polar ice pack.  Wide areas of the sea are to me unknown, but I know the sea.  It has a near end.  It washes my island.  I can sit beside it and bathe in it and sail over it, and be sung to sleep by the music of it.  So it (is with) God.”

 

When it comes to the truth that comes from above you have to be humble.  You also have to be honest and accept the fact that the truth isn’t always going to be what you want it to be.  A Civil War solider knew that and it led him to write an inspiring poem.  They found the poem in one of his pockets after he was killed in battle. This is what he wrote in his poem.

 

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked God for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for
- but everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among men, most richly blessed.

 

A lot of our problems today are caused by people who insist that they not only know the truth but that they know the whole truth.  Those who are faithful, however, know that that’s just not true.  Sometimes in our quest to know the truth Christ comes to us and says, the same thing he said to the disciples.  He says, “not yet.” “I have many more things to say to you but you cannot bear them….but the Spirit of truth will lead you into all the truth.”  All you have to do is be honest and humble and wait.  Amen.

 

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

May  30, 2010