In Faith There Are No Losers

REFLECTIONS
May 24, 2009

Chapter seventeen of John’s gospel contains the high priestly prayer of Jesus. It is an important chapter because it precedes the two chapters dealing with his arrest, trial, crucifixion, and burial. In verses 1-5, Jesus prays for God’s guidance. In verses 6-19 the prayer shifts to the disciples and the work of Christ carried on by them. In verses 20-26, the focus is on the Church universal, the world at large and the need for God’s saving love to be present in word and truth.

Some of us have been raised committing prayers to memory. It might be a table grace, a bedtime prayer or the Lord’s Prayer, but there it is, and by rote we say the words often without a real sense of what is happening when we pray. The Lord’s Prayer, also recorded in the gospels, is considered by many to be the most perfect prayer recorded in scripture. In the awkward twenty six verses recorded by John, we see the passion, power, and purposefulness which Christ modeled throughout his ministry.

The passion of Jesus was doing the will of God, even at the cost of his own life. In personal and intimate phrasing he addresses God, counting on the care and comfort from a loving parent. Jesus knew the only real power we have comes from God, so he prayed for the strength and nurture of his disciples. He closes the prayer with purpose namely that the Church might come to know fully the love of God and live to that end.

In this prayer we are shown not how we hurt, but how we hope. That remaining as we are is not our task, but rather being lead to where God would have us. That we exist not for our needs as much as for each other, that God’s way and work and wonder might be known.

Dr. Joey K. McDonald
First United Methodist Church
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601