Walking, Trusting, Living in the Light: 1 John 2:1-6

Introduction

Great to be a part of the parish here at St. Francis. My wife Mary and I used to live in Peregrine, and we have had occasion to visit here over the years, and it’s good to be a part of things. I don’t remember names all that well, my mind is pretty feeble, and especially names wearing masks, I may forget you, but don’t take it personal. We’ll work on it together, ok?

I thought we would keep things simple this morning, since this is our first homily together. When I left Ft. Carson, where I served as a deacon for the US Army Ctholic Community, they gave me a calendar instead of a watch, so that might be a warning of sorts. I thought that our 2nd reading in 1 John would be a good place to work together. When I took NT Greek at Catholic University about 150 years ago (greek was still pretty new and hip at that time), the first book you learn to read is I John. In fact, a lot of scholars think that the Epistles of St. John (1 John, 2 John, 3 John) were written before the Gospel, since they are rooted in congregational issues, and the bigger theological musings from John come in the Gospels and in the Revelation. So let’s start there, shall we?

It’s a short reading, worth listening to again and pondering for a moment, and I am reading this time from the English Standard Version, Catholic Edition:

1 John 2:1–6 (ESV-CE)

Christ Our Advocate

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Exposition

Let’s clear a few things up. I John has three simple yet challenging subjects:

Righteousness (right living)

Love (right laying down our lives)

Belief (faith, trusting)

My little children (technia mou), endearing apostle and pastor

“you may not sin” what does this mean? Whatever it may mean with perfect insight, which I do not have, it cannot mean that we walk with sinless perfection.

After all, in the previous chapter in I John 1, vs 8-10, we read:

1 John 1:8–10 (ESV-CE)

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Continuing present (imperfect perfection)

Both/And

ADVOCATE: parakletos, advocate, helper, intecessor, mediator, from two words, KALEO (to call, to summon, to plead) and PARA, which means for, on behalf of.

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament παράκλητος

In the NT this word is peculiar to the Johannine writings. In 1 Jn. 2:1 the epithet παράκλητος is applied to the exalted Jesus Christ. Four times in the Parting Discourses of the Fourth Gospel (14:16 [cf. 17], 26; 15:26; 16:7 [cf. 13]) the → πνεῦμα which is to be imparted to the disciples after Jesus goes, the Holy Spirit or Spirit of truth, is described as παράκλητος. The expression ἄλλον παράκλητον in 14:16 shows that the Evangelist uses the predicate primarily for Jesus Himself as the One sent by God to the earth.1

Also the Rabbis used this word to refer to the Counsel, defender, attorney, one who please on behalf of another. Who speak before rulers on behalf of the accused, and I think this is what St. John is meaning here. In 1 Jn. 2:1, where Jesus Christ is called the παράκλητος of sinning Christians before the Father, the meaning is obviously “advocate,” and the image of a trial before God’s court determines the meaning. The Paraclete is an authoritative teacher of believers (14:26, cf. v. 16; 15:26; 16:7, 13f.), a witness of revelation (15:26), a speaker in the trial of the world before the forum of God (16:8–11).

Johannes Behm, “Παράκλητος,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 811.

PROPITIATION: He is the only saviour we have (no other name in heaven and on earth).

When I was a Protestant minister about 50 years ago I used to close my sermons with the invitation, “I’d like you to accept Jesus christ as your personal savior.” You know, he’s really the only savior we have, and if we will accept him, he will safe us, because only Jesus is our propitiation. Lots of people have done well over the centuries, many were even exemplary, but only one was our propitiation.

Conclusion

I am old enough to remember when in 1966 John Lennon of the Beatles shocked the world by stating that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. Not wanting to provoke a similar response on my first homily (let’s wait awhile, ok?), I was thinking that the most popular personal injury lawyer, you cannot watch local TV in Colorado Springs without seeing all the ads, Frank Azar might be growing at a similar meteoric rate in Colorado than Jesus. After all, even though we learned that Jesus is our Advocate—our parakletos—today, most people in the city think of Frank Azar when then think of a real attorney, a real advocate. What’s his jingle—that’s right—he’s the STRONG ARM!

May we truly come to realize, during these days of transition as we re-emerge back into life, into community, into health, keeping reason and faith together, that we have one who is our Advocate, our parakletos, the Lord Jesus Christ, our advocate, our strong arm, and our brother.

Don’t have Heaven and the last judgment all figured out completely, that’s for people who really know all that stuff, not me. But I have it figured out sort of:

God is there, robed in all His august majesty. Strong and stern and somber and severe, the One on Whom to look at is to die, whom no man has seen or can see, who dwells in light unapproachable. St. Paul has just been judged (and I was hiding there right behind him), and this eternal voice thunders, “Rick Bauer, give an account for all you have done one this earth.”

And I cannot speak. There are no words, I am dumb.

“Ever failed me?” And of course I know I have.

“Ever let me down?” And that’s all that I can seem to remember.

“Ever failed me, ever quit on me, ever stumbled?” And all I can do is hang my head.

And just when I expect the next words are going to pronounce my sentence into Hell, the sweetest voice that heaven and earth has ever heard will say, “Father, he stood up for me on earth, and right now, I am going to stand up for him here.” Maybe it won’t be just that sequence, or just that way, or in just that order, so don’t call the Bishop for my theology, but there JESUS, HE will be my RIGHTEOUSNESS, for the righteous robes I brought with me are but filthy rags, there HE will be my INTERCESSOR, there HE will be my PARAKLETOS, MY ADVOCATE, MY ATTORNEY, MY STRONG ARM, STRONG TO SAVE!

—and the one before whom He pleads for my worthless soul loves me, even as much as He loves His only son, Jesus. And all that is in there in John’s Gospel. John 3: 16. For God SO LOVED Rick Bauer, or you, or you, or the choir, or the guys running the sound board, or you, making the effort, taking the risk to be with us together, God SO LOVES you that he send his only Son to die on a cross for you. That’s the God who loves us, and the Strong Arm who pleads in our defense. Let us walk in His light. Amen.