The Holy Martyr Sabbas Stratelates (the General) (364-78)
Acts 9:20-31; John 15:17-16:2
Read John 15:17-16:2
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
When was the last time you saw a Cop movie, either in the theater or through streaming media? These types of movies remain the favourite genre of many in that we love heroes, and we are inspired by standing up to injustice and protecting the innocent. I have always found it unfortunate that the classic motto “To serve and protect” has been moved away from by many police divisions in an attempt to recruit people who are seeking a more “interesting or engaging” line of work. But either way, police movies continue to endure year in and year out. We need justice.
These movies invariably featuring a situation where the hotshot officer has a choice to make: go in alone, or wait for backup. As much as we require justice, we are also mastered many times by our own pride. Instead of relying on the strength of the Force behind them, these hotshots often “don’t have time for backup” and so charge into the ominous building themselves!
Justice in the Gospel of John is different from what we might expect. The readers of the gospel already know the verdict: guilty! The world hates Christ and following Him means the world will hate and persecute us as well. In some cases, as our Lord tells His disciples, the world will go so far as to kill us, and this certainly was the case with all the disciples themselves (except John who died in exile). The point for us today is not that we will evade persecution and suffering, but that Christ will send backup! We will not need to defend ourselves, or even Christ, on our own. The παράκλητος, the Paraclete, Advocate or Comforter will be sent to help and sustain us. The good news is not that we won’t suffer as Christians, it is that if we are suffering for Christ and His Church, we will never suffer needlessly nor suffer alone!