A Reflection for Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Find today’s readings here.
“When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” (Lk 12:11)
Some of the words of Jesus feel true and right and fitting. Some of them, less so. Today's Gospel is one example of the latter.
Jesus says to his disciples:
“When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
Oh, really? Because I have been in this situation, more or less. And I can assure you, no pearls of wisdom spilled from my lips. No clearly inspired defense sprang forth from my mouth, and zero people were transformed on the spot by my spiritually incisive answers.
Jesus says it will happen, and yet it does not. Why not? Was he lying? Am I doing it wrong? Did he mean other people, but not me?
Here’s why this passage doesn't bother me anymore: I was reading something that wasn’t actually there, and expecting something that wasn’t actually promised.
As someone who speaks and writes about the faith for a living, I’m called upon more often than some to defend the Gospel. People ask me questions about doctrine, and once I make sure they know I don’t have any particular training, I do try to answer them. More importantly, if one of my children comes up against some dilemma or intellectual stumbling block about the faith I’m trying to foster in them, I do my best to help them around it. I ask the Holy Spirit for help, and then I go ahead.
And I do not expect some miraculously articulate, perfectly apt, spectacularly appropriate words to appear in my mouth, and I do not expect the questioner to go away amazed and satisfied by my answers.
Because—and this is a little strange to realize—the Holy Spirit is a great respecter of persons.
All of my experiences are what the Holy Spirit draws on to help me make an answer, when I willingly and earnestly attempt to defend the Lord.
I am who I am. I have the experience I have actually lived. I have read the books and articles I have read; I am in the state of mind created by the life I am living today. I have opened myself up to the songs and sights and ideas and circumstances that I have chosen to open myself up to. And all of these things are what the Holy Spirit draws on to help me make an answer, when I willingly and earnestly attempt to defend the Lord.
And the same is true for the people listening.
They, too, are who they are, and the Holy Spirit also respects their free will and the lives they have chosen to live. He uses who they are, and the life they have lived, and the things that are in their hearts and minds and memories, to help them be receptive to the things they need to hear, if they are willing.
You can see that there is a lot of variability here! A lot of subtleties, a lot of layers and a lot of unknowns. What this adds up to is that the person giving the answer is probably never going to know what effect their words have on the listener—not in this life, at least. It’s pretty rare for one person to ask a question about God, and for a Christian to respond, “I know the answer!” and for that answer to hit the mark perfectly, and for both of them to walk away happy and gratified.
It does work that way sometimes. But it’s much more common for the truth to take root more slowly, more gradually, invisibly, in stages, underground, out of sight, like a seed.
Like a mustard seed.
Less spectacular, more respectful of who the people involved actually are. When Jesus says “the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say,” he doesn’t add, “…and everyone will stand up and clap.” No, you remind the Holy Spirit that this is his gig, you do your best with what you have and with who you are, and then you move along.
And truly, this should be a relief. It’s not about you. The other person’s soul is the Holy Spirit’s responsibility. Do your best, trust him and be at peace.
