There is a fascinating debate in church circles about whether the term ‘Christians’ means ‘little Christs’ or not. It’s not a recent debate but is ongoing and reveals much about the presuppositions and underlying theology of those engaged in debate.
‘Christian’ was originally a term of derision towards those who followed Christ and, most probably, meant slave of Christ rather than child of Christ, which is the understanding from which the term ‘little Christs’ derives. It’s a debate that can seem rather pedantic as, in the Gospels and Epistles, we find Christ’s followers described as slaves, servants, children, brothers and sisters, friends, and heirs of Christ. No one image, name or phrase is actually sufficient to describe the relationship we have to Jesus.
Nevertheless, the idea that, as his followers, we are to become Christ-like or like Christ is calling that is clear in Jesus’ teaching and in the Epistles; regardless of whether the term ‘Christians’ means ‘little Christs’ or not. We see that idea throughout this passage (John 13.16–20).
The passage uses the imagery of servants and masters - I tell you, servants are not greater than their master – to say that servants do what their master asks of you. So, ‘If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.’ As a result, whoever receives one sent by Jesus, receives Jesus (and thereby receives God). When we follow Christ, we are Christ-like in that we do the things that God asks us to do and in that we are his representative to others.
What is it that he asks of us? That is very simple. He speaks often of his commandments. The greatest commandment, he tells us, is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and to love your neighbour as yourself. Later, in his farewell discourse (of which today’s Gospel is a part), he says: ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.’
So, Christ’s commandment is simply that we love; love God, love others and love ourselves. He calls us servants here to place emphasis on his followers obeying this one simple commandment, but explains later that to do so makes us his friends, rather than his servants. So, we are like Christ, as servants, followers and, most of all, friends, when we love.
The second aspect of our Christlikeness in this passage is our representational role, so that whoever receives one whom sent by Christ, receives Christ himself. This was the great revelation that St Teresa of Avila received and which she shared so compellingly:
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Learning to live St. Teresa’s prayer means looking for opportunities to bring God’s love to others, including small acts of compassion in our daily lives. Praying St. Teresa’s prayer can make us more aware of God’s compassion toward people we encounter each day. We can feel closer to God because we’re learning to see others through his eyes. Every day, we are challenged to look for opportunities to use our hands, feet, and whole body to show God’s love to everyone.
We do this, not so much by doing the exact same things that Jesus, but more by improvising in his Spirit. Jesus said in his farewell discourse that those who follow him will do greater things than him. This doesn’t mean great in terms of importance, it means great in terms of range and diversity. We can show love in ways that Jesus couldn’t as one man in the culture and country of his day. He also spoke in these farewell discourses of sending his Spirit to lead and guide us. His Spirit in us animates and inspires to learn from Jesus how to act toward those around us in his Spirit of love. So, inspired by his Spirit, we are Christ-like towards others when we relate to them in acts of improvised love. That is our calling as Christians, which makes us Christ-like, whether or not the name actually means ‘little Christs’.
Intercessions
God who hears the cries of your people, tune our ears to hear the cries of distress within your world. May our responses to individuals, organisations, governments and nations enable resources to be mobilised quickly and effectively to go where they are most urgently needed, to support the good administration and execution of response efforts worldwide and the curbing of misinformation that fear may take no hold in hearts and minds. We pray that the media may hear those suffering and give a voice to the voiceless, enabling people on the margins of our society – particularly those who are homeless and refugees - to be noticed and heard. We ask that they may hear and highlight unjust practices, investigating how people and organisations can take advantage of others away from public view. Bless all who craft words, sounds and images to promote justice, defend dignity, and celebrate beauty and truth as parts of your eternal creative process. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God who sees all, numbering even the hairs on our heads, sharpen our eyes that we may see those in need and also the beauty and opportunity hidden in this season. Meet us in this season of fear, bewilderment, and loss. When our efforts seem tiny, show us the thousands who care about what we care about; when our skills seem insufficient, reveal to us the many who seek the same goal. Lift our gaze from what we miserably don’t have to what we wonderfully are, that in joy and wonder at your glory we may turn from emptiness and find fullness of life. We pray particularly for Christian Aid bringing awareness of need around our world that there might be abundant life for all. Inspire us with the vision of poverty over, and give us the faith, courage and will to make it happen. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God who walked the length and breadth of Palestine to reveal the coming kingdom of heaven, bless all those travelling at this time to bring essential supplies of any kind to those in need. Support, strengthen, encourage, protect and enable those who are key workers at this time. We give thanks too for those using their daily walks to bring films of meditation in nature to those who are quarantined. Bless to us their reflections and the beauty that their films reveal. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God, who holds the whole world in your hands, we pray for all those caring for others. Open the hearts of all to feel your compassion. Galvanize in us the act of continued giving. Bond us to our sisters and brothers in need. Comfort and heal the unwell, the bereaved, the lost. Strengthen the medical personnel and researchers. Bolster the resolve of governments and those with power to help. Open through this pandemic pathways to global partnerships and peace. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Teach us, Lord, that every human being is made in your image and to respect people’s dignity; Teach us to listen to those who only have a whisper, a breath, and protect us from those who try to control our thoughts and speech; Teach us to see, feel, taste, and smell the injustices in this world and protect us from cynicism, sensationalism, and lies; Teach us to uncover the beauty of the hope, love, and renewal that blossom in the debris of conflict, greed and exploitation; Teach us to share the stories of those who gave us the privilege of becoming part of their lives; Teach us to turn our weapons of word and image into the ploughshares of peace and reconciliation. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
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Emmylou Harris - Every Grain Of Sand.
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