Great Guru and Guide
The universal problem when it comes to saying “Good-bye” is that there is so much to say and so little time in which to say it. When it comes time for Jesus to say farewell to his disciples, there is a particular problem. Jesus is the revelation of God and the events that are on the horizon… the crucifixion… the resurrection… and the ascension… cannot possibly be understood by the disciples before they occur. Yet these events are not just ordinary incidents… they are fundamental in understanding who Jesus is and what he has come to do. There are also implications to be faced about what Jesus has already said and done. Jesus speaks of a future which is beyond the ability of the disciples to imagine and, therefore, the relevance of his teaching to those circumstances is also beyond their present grasp. Jesus cannot state all that the future will bring and yet, at the same time, he has already said everything that prepares believers to face the future, whatever it may hold. The entire book of Acts tells the story of this growing comprehension of the believing community. There is so much that the young church needs to learn… and more that must be taught. The Holy Spirit is the divinely appointed teacher.
“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” So begins the saga of “Star Wars,” a saga that we have seen unfold in six films released in the last three decades. I want to take you back to the very first film, for it was there that we first met Yoda. You, of course, remember that Luke Skywalker was a young Jedi Knight wannabe. In his adventures with R2-D2 and C3PO, Luke met a desert hermit and war hero, Obi-Wan Kenobi, whom he knows only as Old Ben. Ben taught Luke some of the ways of the Jedi Knights, but later in the film, his spirit guided Luke to the planet of Dagobah, where he met Yoda, a tiny, shriveled-up 900-year-old Jedi Master with big ears. Yoda, a guru of the ways and powers of the Jedi Knights, made Luke Skywalker his Padawan or apprentice. Under his teaching and guidance, Luke developed his skills and learned to use the Force, becoming a Jedi Knight himself.
Yoda was a guru in the ways and the powers of the Jedi Knights. What do we mean when we use the word “guru”? We throw that word around a lot these days, but I don’t think that we fully appreciate the richness of its meaning. The word “guru” originated in Sanskrit many centuries ago. First used in the Hindu religion of Buddhism, it meant a religious teacher or priest. Over time, it has developed many other meanings. Today, a “guru” is a recognized and acknowledged leader in a movement or an idea. For example, Yoda is not only a Jedi Knight, he is a Jedi Master who has achieved a level of excellence in the ways of Jedi Knights. His leadership in this area is recognized and acknowledged by others to the extent that they have conferred upon him the title of Jedi Master.
The Holy Spirit is just such a master in the ways of Jesus Christ… God Incarnate. The work of the Holy Spirit is the work that we are to do in this world, but the Spirit does that work unhindered by our doubts and our lack of knowledge. The Spirit moves with absolute confidence, relying upon the power of God and resting in the promises of God to such an extent that God’s work is completed whenever the Spirit is present.
A “guru” is also a trusted counselor and advisor. Yoda’s knowledge, wisdom and leadership in the affairs of the Jedi Knights led to his appointment as a senior member of the Jedi Council, an intergalactic group of Jedi Masters. This group often deferred to Yoda in matters concerning the Jedi Knights. Let me give you another example. In the middle of the 1980’s, there were some television ads for a brokerage firm named E.F. Hutton. In one of those ads, a teacher asks a girl named Ann to recite the alphabet. She starts out “A… B… C… D… E… F” and then she stops. “E. F.” she says again and then she says, “E.F. Hutton.” The entire class stops what it is doing and gathers around her. One of the children in the class turns to the camera and says, “When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen.” That is the way it is with “guru’s.” People have such respect for them that they stop what they are doing to hear what the guru has to say.
The Holy Spirit is just such a guru. As our text says today, the Holy Spirit does not say anything on his own. He speaks only what he hears coming from the mouth of God. He speaks the word of God and reflects to us all that God has spoken through the words and the deeds of Jesus Christ. The advice and counsel that the Spirit gives come directly from God.
A “guru” is also a teacher and guide… a mentor in philosophical and spiritual matters. Not only does Yoda possess the skills and abilities of a superior Jedi Knight, he knows and understands the Force… that mysterious spiritual power that binds all of creation… which can be used for good. There is, of course, the Dark Side, but Yoda has never surrendered to it. In addition to possessing this great skill and knowledge, Yoda also has the rare ability to pass on his skills to others. He has taught Jedi Knights for more than eight hundred years.
The Holy Spirit is our divinely appointed teacher and guide… as we have heard in our scripture readings these last two Sundays. The Spirit’s job is to take all that has been given to Jesus Christ by God the Father and pass it all on to us. It is the Spirit’s job to mold us into the people that God meant us to be… which is a pretty challenging task. The presence of the Holy Spirit is conferred upon us at our baptism, when we publicly profess our faith. The process of sanctification… that long journey that we make from sinner to perfected believer… is a process that is guided by our teacher and mentor, the Spirit of Truth… the Spirit of God.
Finally, a “guru” is an acknowledged and influential advocate of that which he or she knows and practices. Yoda always jumped to the defense of the Jedi Knights and the Force, for he knew and understood them better than anyone else. He could always demonstrate how Jedi Knights and the Force might be used for good. In such a way, the Spirit is our advocate.
Many of us have known individuals who have played some of these roles in our lives, but it is rare to find one person who can play all of these roles. As Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure… as he was doing in our text today… he spoke of the gift of the Holy Spirit that would be given to them. This teacher… this great guru and guide… would lead them into all truth. And this truth into which he would lead them would be the truth that Jesus spoke… that Jesus gave to the Spirit to speak…coming from the mouth of God himself.
I don’t know whether you have thought of this before or not, but when Jesus said “Good-bye” to his disciples, they did not really understand who Jesus was and what his words and actions meant. It was only after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension that the twelve apostles began to comprehend the awesome mystery they had lived with for years. Looking back at Jesus’ ministry through the wonder of cross… and the events that followed, the disciples reinterpreted the events of Jesus’ life in light of the new knowledge and understanding given to them by the Holy Spirit. And it was only through the work of that Spirit that the young church began to understand its role in the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit was its spiritual advisor… its mentor… its counselor… its teacher… and its guide.
The role of the teacher is not an easy one. Each person being taught has his or her own set of skills and limitations… desire to succeed… and preferred learning style. Even for one who knows the subject matter, it is still a challenge to communicate that subject in a way that it can be understood by everyone. And, even after it is understood, it is a challenge to help students think through the ways in which they might use this new knowledge… to solve problems… or complete a task. Think for a moment of the challenges that faced the Holy Spirit working with the twelve original disciples. Think of the challenges that the Holy Spirit might face in working with you… or with me.
The University of Wisconsin undertook a research study to define the qualities of outstanding teachers. From the research that was done, they developed a list of the ten most important qualities of teachers. Those qualities are flexibility… enthusiasm and energy… empathy… knowledge of content… humor… tolerance… being an advocate… being a risk taker… defiant determination and creativity. When I look at the work of the Holy Spirit in the early church and in the church today, I can see all of these qualities demonstrated in those whose lives were touched by the Holy Spirit… who then laid the foundations of our faith. To name just a few examples, wouldn’t you say that the Holy Spirit had to be tolerant to be able to deal with the diversity of personalities among those first disciples? The Spirit certainly demonstrated a clear knowledge of content, working as an advocate when Peter preached to the Jews who were gathered for Pentecost. Peter’s message… the words of a poor fisherman empowered by the Holy Spirit… was so compelling that 3,000 came to be baptized that day. And, if we follow the missionary journeys of Paul, we can see risk taking… determination… enthusiasm and energy in everything that Paul did… even when he was in prison. What a powerful witness to the qualities of the Holy Spirit’s work!
Throughout our lives as Christians, the Holy Spirit continues to work with us… in us… through us… to accomplish the task that God the Father gave to Jesus Christ… and that Jesus has passed on to us… his church in this world. Our work is not finished… and the Spirit’s work in us and in this world is not yet complete. And yet, what a blessing we have in this gift from God. It is in the Spirit’s presence in our lives that we find a divinely appointed leader… a counselor and advisor… a teacher, mentor and guide... who is with us to advocate for us and for Christ in our lives. As we come to the Table today to share the feast that our Savior provides, let us dedicate our lives anew to allowing the Spirit to work within us… to equip us… to change us… to make us all that God meant for us to be. Then, may we go forth to do the work that our Savior left for us to do… and may the Force be with you! Amen.
John 16:12-15; Romans 5:1-5