Jesus prays for us - Sunday, May 24, 2009

I love this quote from C.S. Lewis: The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.” Isn’t this true in our lives today? Turn on the t.v. or the radio, or open the newspaper and within minutes, our minds are overwhelmed with advertisements. Competitions for brighter, whiter teeth, a flatter abdomen, a more popular reputation when you buy the right kind of car or beer, and a calmer day when you drink the soothing coffee that’s good till the last drop. Because Jesus is one person with two natures (divine and human), he is able to bridge the gap between God and humanity. His close relationships, both to God and to human beings, provide him with the special authority for bringing the gifts of God to the people of God.Christ as the ultimate bridge. Jesus was aware of all the wild chaos coming at us from the world, and the need for our spirits to first be fed, and receive food, and so Jesus prays for the disciples …. and Jesus prays for us. *** “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” ~ Karl Barth Martin Luther also said: And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, We shall not fear for God has willed God's truth to triumph through us. Let this world's tyrant rage, in battle we'll engage, his wrath we can endure for lo his doom is sure, one little word subdues him."The question is not whether or not "the evil one" exists. It is about who Jesus is, and the protection and care that he provides. God's Word has power and truth. PAUSE ((((((((( Another way to understand what Jesus is doing here is like a story that I recently read about a mother somewhere in the States who left two young children to look after themselves while she went on holiday with her new boyfriend. Of course, the courts punished her. Yet if she had had loving parents who would look after those children while she was away, it would not have been necessary to leave them alone. If she could have entrusted those children to a loving grandparent... This is what Jesus is doing. Entrusting his disciples, his children in faith, to a loving parent as he goes away. Just as small children are at risk left alone, so are we at risk left alone without anyone guiding us and protecting us from evil/the evil one. That evil exists in this world is not in doubt. We need God to protect us and keep us safe. In John's Gospel 'the world' does not refer to the physical universe as we know it, but the world that has rebelled against God, chosen darkness rather than light, and is opposed to its creator. This world is not the world that determines WHO the disciples are - nor should it determine WHO WE are. This is the reason that Jesus places them – and us – in the hands of God – to keep the disciples safe from the darkness of the world that rejects God and to keep them and us free from the darkness and sin of the world, to be set apart (to be set apart in Temple language is to be able to enter into God's presence). *** Shortly before his death, Mark Twain said this: A myriad of men are born; they labor and sweat and struggle;...they squabble and scold and fight; they scramble for little mean advantages over each other; age creeps upon them; infirmities follow; ...those they love are taken from them, and the joy of life is turned to aching grief. It (the release) comes at last--the only unpoisoned gift earth ever had for them--and they vanish from a world where they were of no consequence ...a world which will lament them a day and forget them forever. What is the meaning of life? A philosophical question perhaps, but more than that, it is the most basic and fundamental question that we all ask. Whether we ask in despair or hope, out of cynicism, or out of sincere curiosity and a deep desire to have goals and guidance in life. Jesus deals with this question and answers it – not in the context of an argument with the Jewish leaders or in the Sermon on the Mount, or in a discussion with his disciples. Instead, Jesus deals with the meaning of life in the context of prayer. Many scholars call this Jesus' High Priestly Prayer. [Pause] The Disciples are in the upper room, now. They have just finished the Passover meal and Jesus is thinking about his crucifixion which will occur within the next 24 hours. Imagine being there with Jesus as one of the disciples…. Jesus and his disciples were very close, intimate friends. They willingly shared their deepest desires with him. You know, the kind of friend who you could come to their door at 2:30 in the morning and ask for a drive to Toronto – for whatever reason? He is also the kind of friend who is willing to give you his last $200.00 even though it means waiting till another paycheck to buy his long awaited treasure. Jesus is also like the friend who will share his last piece of chocolate birthday cake without telling you that he didn’t get one for himself. And Jesus knows he is about to leave his disciples alone in the world. So Jesus goes before God to intercede for them and to pray for them in light of Jesus’ departure *** We are still much the same today. At any point throughout our lives, there come periods of time when we are separated from loved ones. Interestingly, it is common to share vital information to them essential for their well-being just before the separation. Often, it is because of our deep concern for them that we leave the small talk behind and focus on the priorities in the few final minutes of our time together. Consider what a husband would say before he departs on a two-week business trip, or a mother before she allows her child to go off to camp for the first time for a week, or a father before he drops his son off at college for the first time. Jesus is about to depart from His disciples in a physical way via the cross. In verses 6-19, Jesus prays to God for two things for his followers, two things specifically that he yearns for, from the depths of his heart. His main concerns in light of His departure are clear: The first thing that Jesus Prays for is Our Protection from the World. The second thing that Jesus shares with God in prayer is that We Might Know God. We might think that these prayer requests are specifically for those Jesus was presently leaving behind, it is important to hear that these are Jesus’ utmost desires for His church. (Randy Smith, Jesus Prays for His Disciples) *** The disciples number one priority and purpose was the continuation of the mission that Jesus had from God and the physical church is one way to keep sharing the Gospel with the world. And our choice of lifestyle and how we live everyday life – the people are the church – through our actions to prayer for our world is another important way to share the Gospel with the world. In other words: If your kids see you putting other things ahead of God, they will become discouraged and disillusioned, like a young Jewish boy who once lived in Germany. His father was a successful merchant, and the family practiced their Jewish faith. But then they moved to another German city, and the boy's father announced that they would no longer attend synagogue. They were going to join the Lutheran church. The boy was very surprised and asked his father why the family was joining the Lutheran church. His father's answer was something like, "For business reasons. There are so many Lutherans in this town that I can make good business contacts at the Lutheran church. It will be good for business." That boy, who had a deep interest in religion, became so disillusioned with his father that something died within him. He said to himself, 'My father has no real convictions." The incident helped to turn him against religion with a vengeance. That young boy later moved to England and began to write. His name was Karl Marx. As the father of communism he wrote the "Communist Manifesto," in which he called religion "the opiate of the masses." I wonder if world history would have been different had Karl Marx's father heeded the admonition of the great "Shema" of Israel: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." Your kids know whether you love God with all your heart. What they want to see is parents with such love and reverence for God that they bring Him into every area of their lives and put him first in everything. Kids want to see whether their parents love God enough to obey him. Will you obey God? Will YOU pray? Amen.