"To Prepare a Place"
Jn.13:33-14:4 Feb.13/05 Lent I Communion
Terminal but not Final
In the movie The Terminal, Tom Hanks plays a man who flies into New York city from some obscure former Soviet republic. Unfortunately before he can clear security, he's told his country has undergone a coup and his papers are no longer valid. So he's stuck in the terminal, unable legally to leave and actually enter the city. Over the ensuing months he learns to earn money, gets a job in construction, and falls in love. His crowning achievement is his renovation of a faulty bathroom into a marvelous, shiny fountain in honour of his new girlfriend. Finally, many weeks later, he's able to continue on his way -- but I can't tell you the ending or I'd spoil the movie for you!
For those who believe in Jesus, earth is not our permanent home; it's more like an airport. A man who has a layover at an airport doesn't go into the bathroom, frown at its decor, and start redecorating! (except in a movie) Why? Because he doesn't live there. He has a home in another place. While he's away he will get by with only what he absolutely needs, to have more money with which to furnish his permanent home.
We Christians may be tempted to work too hard at making our life in this world more comfortable. This is just the airport, and we're in transit. Wisdom would advise us to spend our energy on enhancing our eternal reward, and not worry so much about the bare walls in the airport restrooms.
Today we as a congregation are considering purchasing what's commonly known as "real estate" - actual property to call "our own" as a church. That's exciting! But Jesus reminds us through Communion and Scripture to keep focussed on living for Him, sacrificially loving each other, and anticipating the better home in Heaven He's gone to prepare for us.
A Better Place, Prepared for Us
In our gospel reading, over the course of 10 verses Jesus refers no less than 5 times to the fact that He's going away from His disciples. It's the evening before His crucifixion, and He's trying to break it gently to His closest followers that He's going to be killed. In 14:2 He says, "I am going there [to My Father's house] to prepare a place for you." Now, twice in His earthly ministry, He referred to the Temple in Jerusalem as "my Father's house" (Lk 2:49; Jn 2:16) - but it's becoming obvious here that He means something different. Referring to a heavenly "Father's house" he notes that in it "are many rooms" - an older translation put it, "many mansions": literally dwelling places. But we're not to get excited by imagining streets of gold and a huge structure like the mansion at Tara in Gone with the Wind. Jesus doesn't offer any teaser descriptions of these "many rooms". The best part is that He promises to come back for us: "I will...take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." True joy in heaven will be based on togetherness with the Saviour, being constantly aware of God's presence.
Jesus said, "I go and prepare a place for you..." It's part of God's Fathering, protecting and providing nature to prepare a "place" for His people; He is our only source of lasting security. At the very beginning, God planted a garden in the east, and there put the man He had formed, causing trees to grow as a place for Adam to live. (Gen 2:8) God said to wandering Abraham, "To your offspring I will give this land...to take possession of it." (Gen 12:7, 15:7) When the Israelites were suffering in Egypt in slavery, God revealed to Moses, "I have come down to rescue them and bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, flowing with milk and honey." Yahweh describes how He'll accomplish this in stages in Ex.23(20-30): "See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared....I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter.I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land." God is most accommodating -- even tailoring the preparation to the Israelite's rate of increase, and ability to take care for the new land.
The Lord renews His promise to David through Nathan who prophesies, "I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed." (2Sam.7:10) This theme carries through the Bible, right to the last book of Revelation, where it says: "The woman [representing the Messiah-believing covenant community] fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.[and later when Satan is threatening] The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach." (Rev 12:14) God takes care of us. Jesus saw this reflected even in the survival of the birds of the air and wild flowers. Peter assured us, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
Our Response: Honouring God by Giving Him Place in Our Lives
When we are convinced and assured of God's provision and protection for us to the end of our life and on into eternity, this prompts us to respond by making adjustments in our lives that honour and bear witness to His sovereign care, starting here and now. As soon as the Lord delivered the Israelites from the tyranny of the Egyptians, He instructed them to build a sanctuary or tabernacle according to the pattern He showed Moses on Mount Sinai; thus God would "dwell among them", at least by His Name (Ex 25:8f). This special Tabernacle became central to the life of the people as they wandered in the wilderness: the 12 tribes camped around it, and when they marched, it was at the middle of the column (Num 2:2,17).
It wasn't until over 400 years later that the "man after God's own heart" - David - was inspired to build a more permanent housing for the Most Holy Place. 2Sam7(1f) records, "After the king [David] was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him [note: God prepared a place of safety], he said to Nathan the prophet, 'Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.'" See how David doesn't view his own dwelling in isolation from God's, but wants the Lord's place to reflect at least similar presentability. God doesn't rebuke David for His impulse, but blesses him by promising to make his house or lineage an enduring one. The actual construction of the Temple is carried out by David's son Solomon.
Fast forward another 400 years. After the Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, the temple was destroyed. But after the exile, Cyrus of Persia allowed it to be rebuilt. After a couple of decades with little progress, the prophet Haggai exhorted the returned Israelites to give attention to the rebuilding project by using a similar line of thinking to David's. He said (Haggai 1:4,9), "'Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?...You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little...Why?' declares the LORD Almighty. 'Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.'" Their priorities were misplaced. God wanted them to devote more resources and energy to constructing a house by which He would be honoured.
God's love for us prompts us to put our wealth and property at His disposal. 2Kings4 tells of a "well-to-do woman" in Shunem who often urged the prophet Elisha to stay for a meal. One day she said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God.Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him.Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us." (2 Kings 4:9f) And so they extended their personal residence into ministry space, refreshing the prophet - for which she was blessed in turn by the birth of a child (2Ki 4:17).
In the New Testament, we see a similar responsiveness in another woman, Lydia. When Paul arrived at Philippi, on the Sabbath he went outside the city to the river. Luke tells us in Acts 16(13-15) that there they "expected to find a place of prayer." One of the worshipers of God was this Lydia, a cloth merchant; "the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message." After being baptized, Luke recalls, "She invited us to her home.'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us." This believing, benevolent lady opened her home to the travelling missionaries; and by the end of the chapter, when Paul and Silas were released from prison, "they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them." Her house was transformed into part-time church! In fact, homes were the typical meeting place in the early church (Acts 2:46). When we ask Jesus to be Lord of our life, we submit all we have to His control, including our possessions -- like the hymn says, "All that we have is Thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from Thee." So, out of our response to God's grace emerges a willingness to honour Him in public gatherings and structures, even viewing our homes as extensions of ministry-space.
It Takes Sacrifice
When Jesus told the disciples "I go to prepare a place for you," He wasn't referring to a 10-k jaunt up the road. He was referring to His cruel, torturous death. That's what communion is a symbol of, a reminder of His death for our sins so we could be forgiven - body broken, blood poured out - as well as an anticipation of a heavenly feast when He comes again to gather His people. He spent everything He had - His whole life - so we might be cleansed and qualified to share eternity with Him. "Greater love has no one than this [He said], that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) He substituted Himself in our place, He took our punishment. The apostles describe Him as "Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood"; "He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption." (Rev.1:5; Hebrews 9:12) Lose your blood, lose your life: but He gave it all for us. That's real sacrifice.
One Sunday a little boy looked up at his dad and asked, "Daddy, how does God love us?" His father answered, "Son, God loves us with an unconditional love." The lad thought for a moment and then asked, "Daddy, what kind of love is unconditional love?" After a few moments of silence his father answered, "Do you remember the two boys who used to live next door to us and the cute little puppy they got last Christmas?" "Yes." "Do you remember how they used to tease it, throw sticks and even rocks at it?" "Yes." "Do you also remember how the puppy would always greet them with a wagging tail and would try to like their faces?" "Yes." "Well, that puppy had an unconditional love for those two boys. They certainly didn't deserve his love for them because they were mean to him.But, he loved them anyway." The father then made his point: "God's love for us is also unconditional. Men threw rocks at His Son, Jesus, and hit Him with sticks. They even killed Him. But, Jesus loved them anyway."
Jesus calls those who would follow Him to lay down their lives for Him and each other, as He laid down His life in love for us. He said bluntly in Luke 14(27-30,33), "Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."
This applies in every area of our lives, not just in church projects. However today we are considering embarking upon a project that will cost significantly in time, money, and elbow grease. Before we sign, we need to be prepared to commit to see the matter through. Whether it's painting the ceiling of a church building, puttying the windows, minding the nursery, or leading or hosting a small group, a church only thrives as its people commit their gifts and resources in a variety of ways. Are you really ready to sacrifice what's required to be God's co-worker?
Let's not be like Peter who protested in v37 of our reading, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for You." Yet before the rooster crowed He was disowning Jesus. He lacked follow-through. By contrast, Rev.12(11) says those who were victorious over Satan "overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." Jesus' sacrifice calls forth our sacrifice.
Sometimes the sacrifice is monetary. Buying a building will impact our budget considerably - no matter how efficient the furnace is! The Bible suggests tithing as the standard for giving in the Old Testament; the New Testament emphasizes generosity and proportionality. Through Malachi (3:10) God promised that when they brought the whole tithe in, He would pour out so much blessing they wouldn't have room for it. Paul wrote, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2Corinthians 9:6-8)
It's important that our giving be grounded in grace, not gripped by guilt. When the tabernacle was to be built back in Exodus (25:2; 35:5,21f,26,29), God said offerings were to be received "from each man whose heart prompts him to give...everyone who is willing...whose heart moved him." In fact the people kept bringing freewill offerings until there was more than enough required for the construction, and they had to be told to stop! They had ownership of the project, they really wanted to be part of it.
Our giving to the Lord's work is acceptable "according to what one has, not according to what he does not have"; it's "according to your means". The main thing is that the willingness is there. In some cases, the low cost of the school has meant some individuals have been able to support other Christian ministries, such as YFC or World Vision. If we're prepared to give sacrificially, hopefully it will mean we can still finance our own building without having to cut back on the "mission" portion of our giving. The Enemy would be only too glad to divert our resources from mission to simply maintenance.
A Visible Sign
It's tempting to opt for a building of our own partly because it would enhance our visibility in the community; it would give us a "footprint" and hopefully be a witness through the week, 24/7. But one day even the most well-built of structures will crumble to the dust, and be left behind for heaven - the lasting place Jesus has gone to prepare for us. Rather than buildings, Jesus emphasized the sacraments - baptism and the Lord's Supper - as the "signs" that represent Christianity. These rituals are living signposts, pointers to Jesus and His saving grace. Paul defined that this way: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) "My body - for you...My blood - for your forgiveness."
But Jesus did say there was something even more remarkable and distinctive than rituals, a sign more representative of Christianity than any bricks and mortar topped by a steeple. The most important thing, as Jesus sees it, is not building buildings but building up each other. "A new command I give you: Love one another.As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this [here's the sign, the mark, the flashing neon - BY THIS] all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)
That's what's really going to grab people's attention and help our church grow: not the cutest white church on a hill, but heartfelt caring deep-down love. THAT'S what will show the world we really belong to Jesus -- His lovingkindness visible in our dealing with each other and those in the community. That's more real, eternally, than the most solid beams and boards. So if buying a building and making all kinds of property decisions is going to cause friction and arguments and division - LET'S NOT DO IT. Better to keep on using rented space and enjoy fellowship and unity than be prisoners in our own building with bitterness and power-struggles.
But IF buying a building can become a means of ministering more freely to our community, encouraging meetings and outreach and worship where we join with one heart in celebrating and praising the Lord (without having to lug the equipment around on the Sabbath); IF working through these nuts-and-bolts decisions can become an exercise training us how to be more considerate and attentive and understanding of the other person's viewpoint, drawing us together in respect and appreciation even when we disagree - and I think it can be such an exercise - then as your pastor, I'm all for it. Just remember as in David's case, people look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. It's not so much the actual outcome of the decisions, as how the decisions are made, that reveals what quality of sheep we are.
How Much Coffee's in the Pot?
Jesus shows His love for us in laying down His life to prepare a beautiful, spacious place for us to live eternally. When we give Him place in our lives, His Holy Spirit prompts us to love God in return as well as our brother and sister in Christ. Tertullian, back in the early years of Christianity, said: "It is our care for the helpless, our practice of lovingkindness, that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. 'Look!' they say, 'How they love one another! Look how they are prepared to die for one another.'" That's the visible sign - "branding" believers, as Tertullian says, marking them distinctly.
In a boiler room, it's impossible to look into the boiler to see how much water it contains. But running up beside it is a tiny glass tube that serves as a gauge. Many large coffee percolators have the same idea. As the water stands in the little tube, so it stands in the great boiler. When the tube's half full, the boiler's half full; if empty, so is the boiler, or the coffee pot.
How do you know you love God? You believe you love Him, but you want to know. Look at the gauge. Your love for your brother is the measure of your love for God. Jesus prepares the place for that love in our hearts, too. Let's pray.