Stand In

Have you ever had to stand in for someone else?

Then Jesus cried aloud: ‘Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.’ - John 12:44-50

In today's Gospel reading, John shows us a side of Jesus to which we may not give much thought.

Jesus tells the crowd out loud that he is here not for himself but for God.  In a sense, he is a substitute.

Years ago, I was a substitute teacher.  I would arrive at the school and receive the lesson plans prepared by the teacher who was out.  My job was to carry out the plan without adding anything of my own.  All I needed to do was keep the students engaged and make sure the lesson was done.

Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.  Gaining their respect when you are just a placeholder is not easy.  You have to show you have authority, when the real authority comes from the one you are standing in for.

Jesus reminds us that he is just a substitute for the Father whose words and lesson plans he is offering to us.

Now, how Jesus got our attention and gained our respect is what sets him apart from everyone else who came before him.  He was convincing in his own right, and many came to believe in him.

So, what if we tried to live our lives the same way, seeing ourselves as a stand in for Jesus, and therefore a stand in for God in this world?

Like Jesus, we can claim to be a son or daughter, children of God, and we can speak God's words to all who would hear them.

Our actions would have to follow suit, though.  We would have to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

That's what is so hard, isn't it?  

That is why we may ask ourselves what would Jesus do in this circumstance or that, but we may not do the same thing.  We may not feel worthy to stand in for him.

But look who he chose to do just that?  Surely we can be as worthy as the apostles he chose or the disciples who chose to follow him.

Maybe we should just try.

More to come...