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Image: The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel ceiling
May 29, 2022
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
Readings: Acts 16:16-20, Gospel of John 17:20-25
Sermon by Dr. June James
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord our Strength and our Redeemer.
This powerful gospel reading from John is fondly celebrated as the longest prayer of Jesus Christ to His Father. And not surprisingly, because Jesus is Love, the prayer is not only for himself and his disciples but for all of us Christians, whom Jesus loves dearly. Let’s step back in time, do you remember who, as in which family member taught you to pray? For me, it was my maternal grandmother. Eva Le Blanc, tall, loving and gentle person; an inspiration to me, her first granddaughter, am additionally honoured by bearing her second name Eleanor. This must bedtime prayer I remember went this way, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Naturally, I recited this prayer with my grandson, Alex, but I had no idea, that he and millions of children worldwide were petrified to hear the word die. Unknown to me, following an edict presumably from the Vatican, the last sentences of the prayer had been softened to …. “Guide me safely through the night and wake me with the morning light”. I mention this to emphasize how the teaching of prayers and sacred scriptures either at home or at Sunday school with Lynn and Michelle are indelibly imprinted on growing young minds.
As followers of Christ, we understand the gift and power of prayer. ………….. Prayer is the fundamental link between God AND humanity. When we think of prayer, one of the first phrases or words that come to mind is the Universal prayer of the Christian tradition whether said or sung; that is the Lord’s Prayer Our Father the Lord’s Prayer is the gold standard of prayer for us Anglican Christians because its basis is love. Not only did Jesus give us the words of the prayer but also gave us instructions as to where, at least apart from a church setting, and how the prayer should be done. Do you remember his suggestions? He told us, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.” Matthew6. 9-13 In our unnecessarily, if not insane busy lives, it would seem that any time is a worthy and great occasion for prayer and may include: the settings of a captivating sunrise, or admiring a vibrant sunset.
Our reading from Acts relates the well-known story about the devotion of Paul and Silas to Christ. They were dragged to court where they faced the Roman magistrates on trumped-up charges and false allegations. These disciples were steadfast and firm in faith with the Lord Jesus Christ. The verdict was predictable. Guilty as charged, off to jail, placed in an inner cell, and chained to the stocks to minimise any chance of escape. Far from being dejected, saddened or wondering about their situation, they turned to God in prayer. Around midnight, while they were ‘praying, singing and other prisoners listening” it imitates formal church doesn’t it? While praying, singing and other prisoners listening a severe earthquake occurred.
This act of Nature was an expression, a demonstration of the mighty power and strength of the Holy Spirit. Not only were Paul and Silas freed but so was the entire inmate population. The terrified jailer concluded that their faith, devotion and their love was to a powerful God, who loved them in return. Because he not only answered their prayers, the prayers of his disciples, the chosen ones but also extended that liberation to all the other inmates. The jailer realized, that only their God could be responsible for the mystical opening of the prison doors. Therefore, he asks instead, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." The prison guard sought and learnt knowledge about their God, our God. Later both he and his family believed and accepted The Lord Jesus. In this reading, the presence of the Holy Spirit is depicted as a fearsome earthquake. But we are keenly aware that The Holy Spirit is also a soft and compelling voice in the stillness of our hearts and the deafening silence of Creation.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus the Son of God while praying to the Father explains that when he prays, he also prays for his disciples, his followers and even for Gentiles. As Jesus prays to the Father, Jesus acknowledges that his time has come to ascend into heaven, to join his Father. When we are going away on a vacation, the usual expectation is that our relatives pray for a safe journey for us. Here we have the exact opposite of the person leaving, that is Our Lord is doing the praying instead for all of us. His all-encompassing love is such that he does not want to leave us bereft, to mourn or feel abandoned.
This is another striking example of how his deep abiding love for us defies description. Jesus explains that when he prays to the Father because He was with and is always with us, we are also joining in that Prayer to the Father. In spite of our failings, our faults and our foibles we are readily forgiven, time and time again by our Lord Jesus, because he loves us unconditionally.
Imagine when our Lord prays, we are actually praying with him. How awesome is that? It is simply astounding as we may sheepishly recall the many ways we strayed from the path, of caring for our neighbours, from one Sunday to the next, even one day to the another. This dynamic, this endless love, is an immeasurable extension of God’s sacrificial love for us. Human love is often transient, human love speaks about being in love, it is not God’s love. Admittedly with the right soulmate, words cannot express that endearing and heartfelt feeling of being loved. However, in daily life, as we are sensitized to the sharp contrast of life on television. The storyline heard is quite different. When difficulties and disagreements occur between couples for example, when life presents lemons instead of praying or at least making lemonade, the following expressions are echoed, “I do not know why I married you”, I do not love you anymore, or the most painful “I am getting a divorce.” Human love can be time-sensitive and painful. Not so with Christ. What is crystal clear in this gospel reading is that Jesus the Son of God is our Intercessor. At the same time that we are doing intercessions on behalf of ourselves and others, Jesus is simultaneously doing the intercessions to the Father and praying with and for us. It bears repeating, that when we are praying to God’s only son, Jesus Our Lord is also praying to the Father for us. Verse 20, I ask not only on behalf of these (His disciples) but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word (us) that they may be all one as you Father are in me and I am in you may they also be in us. This is a core manifestation of the intensity of God’s love for us. It is Love, way beyond comprehension. It is a Love that is unending, never ceasing. It is a divine love that began while still unborn, a love that is encircling and encompassing, throughout our lives on earth, a love that is transcendental, unlimited and accompanies us into eternity.
There are two points which will deserve further emphasis. First, in verse 15, which precedes our assigned reading Jesus prayed to his father for his disciples to be protected from the evil one; Satan who would try to use the suffering in this fallen world to convince God’s children that he was not who he said he was. Secondly, in the same Chapter17, verse 19 Jesus Christ, tells his father, that for our sakes, he sanctified himself, (crucifixion)so that his disciples could be sanctified in truth.
So, what does sanctification mean? It means to be set apart for a special purpose. Sanctification is a life-long process by which we God’s children are made new through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspires our thoughts, refreshes our minds, and transforms our beings. Jesus Christ was confident his followers including us could put worldly matters aside and find joy in the promise of Eternal life. Jesus, therefore, prayed that his followers would be sanctified by God’s truth.
God’s people, then, that is us, will not simply hear the word of God; but because the Spirit dwells within us, we will know the word of God.
In conclusion, Jesus consecrated himself unto the Father. He surrendered himself to God’s plans and purposes. Now, we are called to do the same, to glorify God. To glorify God is to mirror His image, which is to love, and to love generously, as He does…. Amen
June M. James, O.M. M.D.
People’s Warden, St. Bartholomew Anglican Church