Psalm 115, John 14:15-21, and 1 Peter 3:13-22
I thank all the mothers and women of this land. Your life of dedication, driven by the desire for your children’s well-being, has guided many children onto the right path. I pay my deepest respects to all the women who still pray for and bless their families. In fact, in Korea, May 8th is designated as Parents’ Day. So, it is a culture to give carnations to father and mother.
We meet various advocates as we go through life. I also met them during my recent visit to Korea. I was able to meet my Sunday School teachers and friends. They reminded me of childhood episodes when I dreamed of becoming a pastor. There were parts I didn’t remember, but when the Sunday School pastor and teacher asked those who dreamed of becoming pastors to raise their hands, I was the only one out of 100 children to do so. Another friend told my mother that he didn’t raise his hand because I did. I was able to return with great strength and comfort because they told me that they are still praying for me.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus explains a new concept to his disciples. That is precisely another advocate. It is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Truth. What kind of advocates do Jesus’ disciples need? I would like you to think about this. Jesus previously explained to His disciples the path of the cross and His various journeys. Perhaps it is a time filled with fear of what lies ahead, rather than a positive future. Political and religious persecution will come to the disciples. However, Jesus is not the only one who cares for them. God also loves them and looks forward to the world after Jesus. So, the Creator plans to send a new advocate to them. Jesus says that the Spirit comes to earth and will be with us forever. Jesus encourages them by saying that the Spirit of Truth is with the disciples and will show them what they ought to do. Even if we drive on unfamiliar roads, we have little to fear as long as we have a GPS navigation system, a cell phone, and gas. If we were to liken these three things to the Holy Spirit, truth is like a navigation system in our lives. It helps you discern what to do and what to avoid. However, there are often sections where the navigation system fails while we are driving. I once had a time when Google Maps didn’t work for about an hour in the middle of vast cornfields while passing through Montana and South Dakota. At that time, I felt very afraid. It was because it had more corn and cattle than people. Likewise, if we drift away from the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we go through life, or if we live a path that deviates from God’s guidance, we may face great fear and threat.
Next, the Holy Spirit can be compared to a mobile phone. I visited Korea recently and replaced my mother’s cell phone with a smartphone. As a result, I have been able to video call my parents more often than before. In this way, mobile phones are very helpful for communicating with people who live far apart. Likewise, the Holy Spirit helps us communicate with the invisible God. It connects us with the Creator and confirms His love for us. It often serves as a bridge between God and us, ensuring opportunities to communicate with God at all times. Even the fee is free.
Finally, the Holy Spirit can be likened to fuel. The fuel that keeps a car running enables it to keep moving anywhere. Likewise, the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to recover even when we are weary. The Holy Spirit also gives us various gifts and fruits. Through them, we gain the energy to dedicate ourselves to God’s work even now. I realize the value of gas again after the war between Iran and the U.S. What I feel even more acutely than the rising price of oil is the presence of the Holy Spirit. What would it have been like if the Holy Spirit were not in my life? If I were to ask myself, “Could I live without the help of the Holy Spirit?”, I would undoubtedly not even be able to preach here and now. It is all thanks to the Holy Advocate that I am able to preach God’s word and live by faith with you here, nearly 10,000 km from my hometown.
I believe that having a heart to help you understand and be considerate of me, a stranger, is, once again, also the help of the Holy Spirit. I, too, can wait one more time when misunderstandings arise from cultural differences or language barriers, thanks to the Holy Spirit’s help. The reason I have a heart to love you even more, and the reason you always welcome me, is because we are in God. Therefore, I describe the church as a community of faith and its members as one family in faith. If we share one faith and truth, and eat and live together, we could consider this an extended family.
Beloved, Jesus spoke clearly to His disciples. It is in verse 18: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” The Lord is surely with us. A good advocate also comes into our lives. And we, too, will come to know that Jesus is within us. What greater comfort could there be than this?
You may sometimes suffer hardships for doing good. Unintended accidents may occur in my life or to my neighbours. And as Tolstoy expressed in the novel “Anna Karenina”, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Misfortune and hardship torment humans in all kinds of forms. However, what is clear is that God gives believers the strength to rise again over those difficulties. Therefore, I hope you dwell with the Spirit of Truth this week as well. Your family will be enriched by the peace given by the Lord. Amen.