Sunday after Ascension
Jesus prayed, “I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours”.
Quite possibly these 13 verses of the Gospel according to John is the greatest prayer ever prayed – Jesus looks heavenward and starts the prayer “Father…”
Jesus prayed these words in the Upper Room on the night of his betrayal, knowing that crucifixion would follow with the coming sunrise. The words are part of his final words, and final words have a history of being intense, focused and passionate. So it was with Jesus.
Had his disciples ever heard him pray like this before? What did they think, knowing that with the actions of the next day all would be lost – they would be thrown into turmoil and upset? Could they feel in that moment the importance of their role in the story of Christianity? Were they praying and hoping that it wasn’t all for nothing – wasted years. Who knows what they might have been thinking – but as they shared the last meal with Jesus, they heard this prayer.
The greatest Prayer ever prayed?
This prayer that draws together everything they have seen and heard – the prayer is so complete and co
Jesus asks for His disciples to be kept in unity. He prays that they may be kept from evil, and He prays that they may be sanctified – made holy. Jesus has been their protector, and he gives an account of that – they are living in a hostile land, and when He goes they will need to look after themselves.
The reading goes on to tell us that Jesus tells God that not one of them was lost “except the one destined to be lost”. This comment about JUDAS puts the lid on it really for him.
Strangely, Jesus says that his prayer is not on behalf of the world, but just his disciples gathered there - The NEW church in its’ earliest form.
All we can hope and pray is that this 2,000 year old prayer is for us today as well. That the church may live in unity – all Christian peoples together, away from the attraction of evil, sanctified by GOD for the work we do in spreading the Gospel for the present and the future. There is nothing so certain to make you feel unworthy as this suggestion, that perhaps this prayer – the prayer of Christ – is for us – Disciples of the NEW MILENNIUM, the people entrusted with the message of peace, justice, love and righteousness.
Yesterday, I sent an email to someone who is investigating that most strange form of discipleship – becoming a Priest. And as I wrote the email I thought how some of the things I said were applicable to all people.
When we become Christians – following in the tradition of the first Disciples and following the call of Christ – not all of us will need to dress up and stand at the front. Not all of us will say the words of institution over the bread and the wine, or marry, bury and baptise. However there are some certainties for all those who accept the call of Christ to join his army of disciples.
Being set apart from the world, but also being part of the world. Taking a view of all things through Christian values, making a stand for justice, peace, love and an end to the things that make us somehow less as humanity.
The other thing is, of course, that God changes us to be more like him as we spend more time in his presence. So, prayer is life changing in that sense. Getting together as Christians to plan how we can take this message into the world is as important.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us another account of the ascension of Jesus, there are many through the first few books of the New Testament, the one thing that stands out though, is the fact that they are rather boring compared to the rip-roaring adventures, the highs and lows, the rollercoaster ride of emotion of the life of Jesus in the Gospels.
All the accounts are a bit matter of fact really. They went from staring into the sky watching Jesus ascend to heaven, then it tells us their next action was;
…..Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying…then it gives a list of the disciples (and Mary)
It doesn’t tell us what they did next, who said what, what they ate, nothing.
Why so matter of fact? Well I think the point of the story here is that this is where the work of building the church started. The people reading this story will have been members of the new church, they would have known what had happened from that moment.
After reading what happened and hearing the small list of disciples and Mary, I think they would have thought – “and look at us now” a new church, suffering under persecutions in some areas, but growing nevertheless. “from little acorns…..and all that”.
And I think that we should we too should remember that. As disciples of the NEW MILLENIUM, we should remember that the real importance of the story is that when Christ went back at the ascension, that was not the end, it was the beginning.
The chance to build a brighter future for all God’s people in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN
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