Book of Glory III

The World’s Hatred and Role of the Paraclete

We wonder, am I paranoid and/or narcissistic to believe that someone feels intensely enough to hate me and consider me an enemy? These are strong words. We have all been disliked at some point because of our personality; personality conflicts seem inevitable. However, moments in which someone hates us because we love The Lord shock, grieve and frustrate us. Matthew Henry points out the age-old history of hatred towards the faithful:

“The world’s enmity against the followers of Christ: it hateth them… Why did Cain hate Abel, but because his works were righteous? Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing; Joseph’s brethren hated him because his father loved him; Saul hated David because the Lord was with him; Ahab hated Micaiah because of his prophecies; such are the causeless causes of the world’s hatred” (Matthew Henry).

Understanding that we are hated requires the shedding of innocence. Love of the Lord opens our eyes to true ugliness as well as the awe-inspiring beauty within others.

Jesus speaks of the punishment of the enemies of the Lord’s. He promises a reward for those who abide in Him. We want to rise above such childish expectations as external rewards from our Father. However both reward and punishment beg a responsibility that we may simply want to avoid. If the Lord rewards us by answering our prayers, we need to pray responsibly.

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name (John 16:23). In this verse, two different Greek words are used for our one word, ‘ask.’ To paraphrase more accurately, Jesus says, “You will not question me, but you will make requests to our Father” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible). To ask the Father something in the name of Jesus means no less than that it is Him who dwells within us who is making the request. In this way, petitionary prayer requires two levels of prayer. On the one hand, we are praying that we be one with Christ in will and vision, on the other, we are asking for what we or others need. Our feelings and intuitions will tell us when we are or are not in sync with the indwelling Christ.

We often think of the Paraclete as equivalent to wisdom, intuition, inspiration, the giver of blessings and graces. However, the Paraclete’s functions are also “forensic” (The New Jerome Biblical Commentary.) “The mission of the Spirit… shows that while he acts as an advocate or defense lawyer for the disciples, is also a prosecutor who indicts the unbelieving world” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible). Christ rejected the excessive legalize of the Pharisees and, following His death, sends His agent into this world to judge it applying a new code of law.

Because the Paraclete is sent to vindicate the Son following His crucifixion, we think of the Paraclete as presiding over a criminal court. But He is also a defense attorney in property cases, advocating God’s rightful ownership of our souls. The Lord God v. the world. The cross embodies the world’s temper-tantrum when God wins the case. Because of the crucifixion, Christ was able to send the Paraclete to defend those who also belong to God. Jesus paid the court fees, so we could be defended pro bono. As far as property assessment, the value of our souls are but chump change, however, the Paraclete defends and covets us His pennies as if we were gold bars. For him such distinctions hold no merit.

Jesus contextualizes the disciple’s pain in terms of their subsequent joy while acknowledging His own distress. He stresses the temporary nature of pain. In John 15:11, Christ says, “All this I tell you so that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete.” This leads us to an understanding that joy is a desire and not simply a feeling or state of being. Joy is not static or motionless; it is an incomplete desire that reaches its arms and heart out to Christ.

Jesus dwells within, destined to be with God, while being One with Him. He is One and will be completed within us, whether or not we are aware of His spiritual union within our souls. By being alive and of faith, we are hitching a ride as it were as the indwelling Christ finds its way to the God He is one with. To know the gift and grace of being chosen to be a part of this union is the only fulfillment of joy.

Journal Questions:

Do you know of anyone who hates you? How do you handle such feelings when they are directed at you?
What are your attitudes towards external, internal and spiritual rewards and punishments?
Identify the general rewards and punishments that God has meted out to you. How did your responsibilities change because of them?

Writing Exercise:

Recount an experience in which you experienced joy because the desire for unity with the Trinity was fulfilled?

Creative Arts:

Fabric arts- Develop a piece that somehow symbolizes fulfilled joy. Try to capture the spiritual nature of the fulfillment.

Paper arts- Create a symbol that you can put in your place of prayer to remind you that petitions require “pre-prayer” to thrust us into the indwelling Christ.

Home arts- Write a list as to what gets rewarded and what bears punishment in your household. Try to capture the humor involved in our sometimes childish responses to both reward and punishment.

Related