Breaking the Word

Jesus answered and said to him, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. "I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name– he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.  (Jn14:23-29)

God dwells in persons (interesting!). The right place for God’s dwelling is a person who loves Jesus and keeps his words. This person is loved by God. Love and the word of God seem to be the requisites for the dwelling place of God. No other demands and requirements are needed to prepare the dwelling place of God.  It is easy to find the place of God and the presence of God.

Holy Spirit is sent by God in the name of Jesus. He is sent by God like Jesus who was also sent by God. Jesus was sent into the world to redeem the world and give eternal life to the world (Jn 3:16). Holy Spirit is sent into the world to teach everything and remind the people of what Jesus has said. So the work of the Holy Spirit is to continue the work of Jesus.

The peace of Jesus comes to the disciples as a gift. The world can never give this peace. This peace will assure them of his presence and support, giving them the knowledge that Jesus is one with the Father. Because he is going back to the Father from whom he came into this world. His mission is complete and the result of completing his mission is the gift of the Holy Spirit and peace.   

 "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. (Jn 15:18-21)

Jesus gives a lesson on who belongs to him (Jesus) and what reward will be given to him for following Jesus. In his last discourse, all the lessons and information and revelations are to the disciples and followers, though it is addressed to only the twelve. Through them it is passed on to his followers of the ages to come.

Anyone who belongs to Jesus does not belong to the world. The disciple is in the world but does not belong to the world. So he will be in constant tension with the world and he will be in confrontation with the world. By the word ‘world’ Jesus does not mean the material world alone but much more the evil power in the world. Jesus was not against the world as such but he was in constant confrontation with the evil power of the world. A disciple/ follower will be so.

The outcome (reward) of this is that the disciple will be hated by the world as it did with Jesus. Hatred and dislike are the natural outcome for the disciple from this evil power in the world. Probably a true disciple will be able to recognize where the evil power is at work by the way he is treated.