January 20, 2008 At Saint Mark in Norman, OK
Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 + Psalm 40 + 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 + John 1:29-34
“I did not know him.” John says twice today. “I did not know him.”
As I was sitting with this Gospel text this past week, I remembered those words of Peter in the courtyard of the High Priest. “I do not know him.” Peter said three times that day. That man, Peter will emerge in next Sunday’s Gospel. The two of them will lead us this year toward Lent soon to begin. John and Peter: one who saw the spirit, and one who received the spirit. Both of them by the power of that Spirit become the ultimate model of “Witness”.
One of the major themes of John’s Gospel is that of a “trial”. Jesus is in a literary sense always on trial in John’s Gospel, and this culminates in the long trail narrative before Pilat which is the heart of John’s Gospel. The witnesses come and go. Some lie and some bear witness to the truth. In John’s Gospel, sin is a power arrayed against Jesus, and “world” is often used negatively to depict the organized power of evil. A contemporary parallel would be structural or social sin.
Notice that in the testimony of John, Jesus came to take away sin: Singular, not plural. John’s testimony is that Jesus came to take away the power of sin, to take away this “system” which John calls “the world.” Followers of Jesus should take courage and find confidence because this one we come to know because of John, Peter, and other witnesses will conquer the world.
This Gospel today is both a preview of the theology of John’s Gospel and a summons to faithful witness. True witness is not a matter of pointing out someone’s faults, but a practice of virtue openly, clearly, obviously. Faith without witness is empty and hypocritical.
This world is full of that; full of people who cover their tracks by pointing out the shortcomings and sins of others. This world is full of simple piety that mistakes timid religiosity for fidelity and real virtue They would silence the voices of true witnesses complaining and objecting that religion has no place confronting systems of social sin in this world.
Whatever is in conflict to the teaching of Christ must be confronted with and by the power of the Spirit that has come upon us all. That Spirit is not a “come and go” relationship. If you will allow the expression: “It was not a fly-by” over Jesus or over His Assembled Apostolic Church on Pentecost. What we hear John say today is that the spirit “REMAINED” upon him………… exactly as it does upon Peter and those who are church gathered together in faith.
The Spirit is upon us. It remains upon us so that we may bear witness to the truth. We cannot say: “I did not know him.” any longer. Our witness if it is truly prophetic will not simply be voices raised in judgment of evil, which by itself does no good: but rather voices raised, example given in clear affirmation and practice of good. We must do good, not just be good. Being good is only half a life Doing good is the rest – the fullness of life: the life of the Spirit, the life of those who can and do bear witness by the power of a Spirit-filled life. This is the Life and the Spirit into which we too have been Baptized.