THE WORD OF GOD AND THE
INNER LIFE
The Rev. Harold Shepherd, CD, M.A, LL.B., S.T.M., LL.M.,
Ph.D.
Sermon from May 19, 2003
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit,
because apart from me you can do nothing... If you abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish,
and it will be done for you...” John
15:5-7
Jesus’ teaching often expressed
principles about the Kingdom of God in language that would
be understandable to rural people without much, if any,
formal education. He talked about mustard seeds, leaven,
banquets, sheep, lost coins and other things familiar to
all to make his point. In today’s reading, Jesus
likened himself to a vine, with us being the branches. The
point would have been obvious to all listening to him. If
one cuts a branch from the vine, it will wither and die.
While attached to the trunk, it draws sap that, with
photosynthesis through light striking the leaves, keeps it
alive and healthy. The necessary conditions for growth are
soil rich in nutrients, water, light and proper
temperature. Abiding in Jesus provides the sustenance that
maintains spiritual life. The passage goes on to say that
if we abide in him, and his words abide in us, we will
receive anything we ask for. Given that none of us has all
of are prayers answered, what does this mean?
How do we abide in him? He is referring here to knowledge
of the heart, rather than of the head. One can have an
intellectual understanding of something without any deep
emotional or psychological connection to it. For example,
it would be possible for someone to conduct research about
Toronto and write excellent academic books about the
history and demographics of the City even though he or she
has never been here. However useful these books may be,
they are quite different from the personal knowledge about
the City that comes from living here. Enthusiasm about
restaurants, music, theatre, parks and the like can only
come from an experience of the City. The “word”
that Jesus is speaking of is more than intellectual
knowledge about doctrinal propositions. It is the language
of the heart- the means by which our inner life finds
expression. Some do so with music, others poetry and still
others through art. What interests, inspires and motivates
us ultimately finds some sort of expression, for better or
for worse. This may stand in contrast to the words that one
would choose to describe oneself. If we really want to know
about one’s inner life, it is often more helpful to
observe conduct. Over the last month, how have you spent
your spare time? What have you spent your money on? What
have you made sacrifices for? What has priority in your
life among competing demands for time and money? These are
the things that have deep meaning to you and form the
context in which the language of your heart finds
expression. These are the things that you could
enthusiastically talk about at any time. They interest you
and grab you deep within. This stands in sharp contrast
with intellectual knowledge that you have picked up along
the way. This point has been made by the German philosopher
Hans Georg Gadamer in his book “Truth and
Method.” In the context of a debate about how we
understand texts, Gadamer advocated an approach which is
referred to as a “hermeneutics of tradition.”
He speaks about the fusion of two horizons- that of the
text and that of the reader to form a new understanding.
The original intention of the author is not significant.
For example, George Orwell’s “1984" was written
as a parody of Joseph Stalin and Soviet communism. Although
the original object of his criticism no longer exists,
there are numerous examples of institutions that would
never have crossed Orwell’s mind, but nevertheless
can come under the scrutiny of the text. The story inherent
in the text interacts with the experience of the reader to
identify common elements and assist in interpreting the
reader’s experience in light of Orwell’s
observations and message to create a new perception of the
world. For Gadamer, true understanding only occurs when the
new meaning becomes part of one’s experience and
world view. It is in application that one can really say
that text has been understood. The same is true of
Jesus’ word.
Before I was confirmed, Church services were no more
significant in my life than visiting a museum. They
contained interesting historical artifacts, but were not
particularly relevant to my daily life. At confirmation,
the world changed for me. The liturgy came alive and the
Bible began speaking to me. Christianity went from my head
to my heart. Jesus’ word began to abide in me. For
this to happen, the Holy Spirt needs to be involved. If
God’s Spirit abides in us, then whatever he asks
through us will happen (which is not necessarily what we
want). This starts by opening our lives to him in prayer
and letting the Holy Spirt change us from within. Thanks be
to God!