Sixth Sunday of Easter

10 years ago my nephew I spent an afternoon hiking in Schooleys Mountain Park. I remember joking about getting lost and not having a compass to guide us. My nephew, an Eagle Scout, was quick to comment that compasses had become obsolete. If we were really worried about getting lost we should have a GPS, a global position system device that could pinpoint our exact location and show us the way back home.

That was the first time I ever heard of a GPS. Little did I realize at the time that a GPS would be as common as a radio in all our cars today.

I still do not have a GPS in my car. I pride myself on finding my own way. I don’t need a machine telling me where to turn.

But, of course, I have been in cars with these devices. I must say I find them fascinating.

Back in March a member of Dale’s church was very kind to drive me to New Brunswick on the day of Dale’s grandmother’s funeral. He had a GPS, and it was interesting that the GPS routed us a different way than what I was directing.

So whose directions did my chauffer follow? I was a bit taken a back that he chose the GPS over my directions even though I had been making this trip for twenty years.

But here’s what I found fascinating. On Route 18 we missed the exit the machine had directed us to. But instead of scolding us, instead of shouting at us to turn around and try again; the GPS very politely told us that the machine was “recalculating.” In a matter of seconds the GPS had adjusted for our error, and given our new location had rerouted us to our destination.

A GPS is an amazing guide.

Again this Sunday our gospel is taken from Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse.” The scene is the last supper. It is the night before Jesus is to die on the cross so Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure.

As he now leaves Jesus promises the disciples that he is going to send an Advocate. Jesus is speaking about the Holy Spirit, so why does he call the Holy Spirit an Advocate.

I am struck by this word. Usually when we speak about the Holy Spirit we speak about wind, or fire, or a dove. Usually we speak about being filled with the breath of God.

What does he mean by this term Advocate?

The root of this word literally means called to be parallel to. It means to walk along side of. In legal terms your advocate, your counselor, walks alongside of you.

Think about this in terms of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the presence of Christ who returns after the resurrection to walk along side of you.

Jesus says:

I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

The Advocate is Jesus, who walks parallel to us and reminds us of his presence.

This morning think of the Holy Spirit as God’s GPS.

I know I am not one to embrace technology. You have heard me say that I don’t need a GPS. But if you don’t have a sense of direction, if you ever find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings, if you ever make a wrong turn, or if you ever are out and out lost; you might appreciate having a GPS along side of you to direct where you need to go.

Now think in terms of life. If your life has no sense of direction, if you ever find yourself in unfamiliar territory, if you have ever made a wrong turn, or if you ever have been out and out lost not knowing how to find your way back home; you might appreciate the advocate. For the advocate in the one called to walk parallel with you. The advocate is the one called to walk alongside of you. The advocate is sent by God to remind you of everything Jesus has said, to direct you to the place God is calling you to.

In this season of Easter I often wonder why, after the resurrection, Jesus never made a grand appearance in a public place for all the world to see. Why didn’t Jesus show himself in the courtyard of the Temple to show the authorities he was alive? Why didn’t Jesus appear on top of the Mount of Olives so everyone could see? Why not make a grand entrance at the city gate to convince the world that he was alive?

Wouldn’t it be easier to believe in Easter?

But Jesus didn’t do this. In fact every post resurrection appearance has Jesus walking very quietly alongside of his disciples.

Think of the road to Emmaus. Easter night Jesus made this 7 mile trip walking parallel with two disciples. They didn’t realize it was Jesus at the time, but this is how Jesus appeared; he walked along side of them.

This is the reality of the resurrection. Jesus doesn’t make some grand appearance. Instead he is present in the life of believers by walking along side of them and directing them on how to live and where to go.

This is our reality as people of faith. What does it mean to believe in Jesus? What does it mean to believe in the resurrection?

It means that the one who conquers death walks parallel with us.

In Easter Jesus does not appear in the public square. Jesus does not appear at Yankee Stadium. Jesus does not appear on top of Schooleys Mountain.

Jesus appears along side of believers, showing us how to live, where to turn, and how to reach our destination in life.

Jesus is God’s GPS.

Many choose to reject Jesus for the same reason I reject a GPS. I pride myself in finding my own way. The world prides itself in finding its own way.

If I am honest, however, there are times I get lost. There are times I have made a wrong turn. There are times I am in unfamiliar surroundings where I do not know the way to the destination.

Too often we are too confident about finding our way in life. But then we get sick, then the storm hits, then we make a bad decision, then we hit a road block and don’t know where to turn.

We do need God’s GPS. We need the advocate walking parallel to us. We need the Holy Spirit that recalculates the journey when we have made the wrong turn.

Through the Holy Spirit the resurrected Christ walks our journey with us. At times, like the two on the road to Emmaus we may not notice that it is Jesus. At times we might doubt the way the Spirit directs us. At times our egos may be bruised that we have failed finding our own way.

But when we place our faith in God’s GPS, when we become aware of his presence, we trust that we are being directed to a place life.

Jesus says this morning:

Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

Because we have God’s GPS guiding the way, leading us to our destination.

Amen

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