The Upload
Posted on May 06, 2016 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I pray you have had a blessed week.
It is hard for me to believe that the season of Easter is about to come to an end. I love the season of Easter. It is a time when we sing hymns like “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” and we begin every worship time with the great Easter proclamation, “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!” But, we are about to bring this season of joy and proclamation to an end.
This Sunday, May 8, is the seventh and last Sunday of the season of Easter, and our Gospel text this Sunday is John 17:20-26. If you are not familiar with this text, I strongly encourage you to read it. It is the end of what New Testament scholars call Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. In Chapter 17, Jesus prays out loud for his followers.
Let me set the scene for you. It’s Thursday evening, the night on which Jesus was betrayed, handed over to his enemies, deserted by his friends, tried, convicted, and ultimately crucified. And knowing all that was to come, he gathered his closest friends, offered them parting words of encouragement and hope, and then he took time to pray. He prayed for himself, and then as we hear today, he prayed for his followers. He prayed that they would be able to endure the challenges that would come their way. He prayed that they would discover strength in their unity. He prayed that they would be drawn together as one as Jesus and the Heavenly Father are one. And then he prayed not only for them, but for all for who would come to believe in Jesus because of their testimony. This last part is really, really important for you and me because, when Jesus prayed for those that were still to come, he was praying for you and me.
So often I am asked to pray for others, and I am very glad to do it. This past Thursday, May 5, was the National Day of Prayer and I was asked to lead a prayer vigil at Mosaic in Kansas City Kansas for the community there. It was a beautiful time of prayer where all of us came to together and offered prayers. But, I am often uncomfortable when someone prays for me, especially out loud. I don’t know why, but for some reason when someone prays out loud for me, especially when they mention my name, I feel unworthy. But in this Gospel text, Jesus asks his Father, and our Father, to not only remember us, but he asks that the Father make us one with Him as Jesus is one with his Father. Jesus, before he was crucified, wanted to make sure God protects us and cares for us. That is good news that all of us can be thankful for.
God desires us to be one with him and, in doing so, he calls on us to be good stewards and share his word with the world. I pray today for all of you, that you do know God’s Word, and as a disciple of the Risen Christ, that you, too, will share God’s Word with the world.
Have a blessed week!
Shalom,
Pr. Dave