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Lectionary for May 10, 2026
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:8-20;
1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21
What is the most recent thing that really brought you comfort? Some nostalgia TV? A cuddle from a kid or pet? The assembled body of Christ singing a hymn together? A good book? My friend, professor Jeff Shulman, recently released What it Takes, a film about overcoming the devastation of substance abuse in communities of grace. Jeff shows that the importance of having a comforting presence—one that stands beside us and calls us to redemption—cannot be overstated. This week’s lectionary texts focus on the power of a comforting companion to help us endure and overcome.
In John 14, the scene is emotionally fraught. Jesus knows he is going to die and be taken away from his disciples. But they still don’t fully understand him or his mission. Jesus tries to help them link their love for him to obedience of his commandments. He also lets them know that when he comes back after his crucifixion, they will understand the relationship between God and Jesus and between Jesus and themselves.
Take note: This return “after a little while” isn’t about a second coming—compare John 14:19 with Acts 10:40-41. In the second coming, everyone will see, not just a few disciples! Jesus is talking to his disciples about what lies ahead for them—loss, suffering, fear and hope.
It is in this context that Jesus says they will receive another parakletos. These two words are important to dive into.
First, what is a paraclete? In ancient tradition, a paraclete was akin to a defense attorney who stayed beside the accused throughout the trial, even when friends and family turned away. It is exactly this sense of a comforting, sustained presence that led the translators of the Septuagint to render the Hebrew from Isaiah 40, “Comfort, O Comfort my people” as parakaley-te, parakaley-te. To have a paraclete is to have a comforter who won’t give up on you, abandon you or forsake you.
Second, when Jesus said another paraclete, the “another” has deep meaning. The “another” implies a first: Jesus himself. Jesus was saying that, up until his death, he was serving this role for the disciples. When folks didn’t understand the disciples’ mission or jeered at their master’s teachings, Jesus was their comforter and defender. He reassured them that they were on the right path—even when the world disagreed. Jesus and the Spirit can be those comforters and guides for us. As we seek to live out Jesus’ life-giving commandments in a world that too often values power and violence over love and peace, we need comfort and defense.
The emotions stirred by a loving hug or from a story of human triumph against overwhelming odds are feelings we want others to experience too.
In the letter of 1 Peter, Christians are living in a world where injustice triumphs. The few Christians, mostly poor and powerless, have little hope of overthrowing unjust structures. The only thing they can control, in fact, is themselves. So the early Christians are told to find comfort in the example in Christ. When they face unjust persecution and suffer for the sake of righteousness, they are following the example of Jesus. He wasn’t punished for doing wrong but for daring to do what was right. When he was slandered and put to shame, Jesus kept a good conscience and rose from the dead while soldiers were paralyzed in fright.
1 Peter is an important book because, at some point, suffering comes for us all. Resisting injustice to the best of our abilities is commanded throughout the Bible, from the law and prophets to John the Baptist and Jesus himself. But even when we are powerless in the face of crushing injustice, we do not go along to get along. Instead, we obey Jesus and do what is right, even when it leads to persecution. We have the comfort of knowing that it happened to Jesus first. And Jesus has given us another comforter to stand with us in times of trial.
It’s tempting to fight fire with fire. I heard someone in a TikTok video say, “When they go low, we go lower.” That is not the way of Jesus. The emotions stirred by a loving hug or from a story of human triumph against overwhelming odds are feelings we want others to experience too. If Jesus is a paraclete/comforter, and the Spirit is another comforter, then let us be comforters as well, bearing witness to the righteousness, goodness and love that God wants to see in the world.
