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Easter 7 – John 17: 6-19

The words that you just heard would all be in the color of red if you have one of those particular kinds of Bibles, because every word you just heard was spoken by Jesus. The entire gospel reading is Jesus speaking to his disciples. In fact, it is Thursday night, the night before his crucifixion, and he knows he will soon be leaving his disciples to fulfill his mission and wants them to be prepared. And so Jesus has been teaching his disciples throughout chapters 14-

16 about his nature, mission, destiny, and about their role and future in all of this. Now, here in chapter 17, he prays for them. This entire gospel reading is a prayer. So now as we gather together to worship in this time between the Ascension and Pentecost, Jesus prays for his disciples using words that have come to be known as the High Priestly prayer.

Jesus prays for his disciples. How powerful that must have been for them to hear their teacher and Lord praying for them. We cannot be sure exactly what they thought of Jesus’ prayer for them, but we can know something about what we think of it. And what did you think of this prayer? And I ask this because most people would find it hard to understand…..confusing even. Some would say that it doesn’t flow…..some lament that it is so hard to figure out wishing that something so important was more accessible. My study Bible, like many others, has explanations in the margins to help the readers understand what is written there. But, beside this entire reading the margins are blank….not one word is written there. Yes, this prayer by Jesus may be a tad confusing to our modern day ears, but there are definitely some things we can learn from it.

For example, what does he pray for? He prays to his Father that the disciples will have support knowing that it will not be easy for them. He knows it won't. This world is captive to a spirit alien to God's Spirit. It is filled with a sense of scarcity instead of abundance, fear instead 2 of courage, and selfishness and lust for power instead of sacrificial love. The fruits of God’s

Spirit can be seen, yes, but they all too often come up against the spirit of the world. Jesus, the one who came to bring abundant life, does not run away in the face of danger, and lays down his life for the sheep, offers an alternative spirit and reality. This is the reason why much of the world hates Jesus and will hate those who follow him. So Jesus doesn't pray that it will be easy, but rather that God will support the disciples in their challenges and that they will be one in fellowship with each other and with Jesus and the Father through the Spirit.

To be more specific, this prayer of Jesus focuses on the tension between the Christian community and the world. It forces us to think about how followers of Christ are supposed to see themselves in relationship to the broader society in which we live. This is not an easy question to answer. Jesus says, “they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world”, and then he says, “as you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” So, if we don’t belong to this world, what are we supposed to do if we are sent into it?

In a book that I read while at seminary, written by Richard Niebuhr called Christ and

Culture, he talks about this very subject. In the book, which I have in my office if anyone would like to read it, he mentions “Christ against culture”, in which Christianity rejects all loyalty to that which culture stands for. He also talks about “Christ of culture”, in which Christians try their best to bring Christianity and culture together. Niebuhr finally settles in the middle ground somewhere between these two extremes. Our own Lutheran theology agrees with this middle ground way of thinking where we realize that our loyalties don’t belong to this world, but we are called right into the midst of it…..to help God’s kingdom to break into this world.

And so we take our Christian stands on some issues. Different people take their stands on areas that they are passionate about. Some people speak out…..and in some cases, act out 3 concerning abortion, same-sex marriage, military service, capitalism and the relentless consumerism it promotes, social justice issues and many more. We take our stands because we must fulfill our calls as disciples to not be of the world, but to be in it. All of our attempts to live

“in the world but not of the world”, honoring the truth of Jesus’ statement in this reading, where he notes that he is sending his disciples into the world, recognizing at the same time that they “do not belong to the world”, and that they should expect that the world will “hate them” in the same way it hated Jesus.

You know what…..this sounds hard. This sounds like a very difficult thing to accomplish. If we are not of this world…..if our ways…..Christ’s ways, are not of this world and yet we are called into it, won’t we be mocked?.....won’t we be going against the grain?.....won’t we run into opposition?.....won’t we feel torn all the time? Oh yes…..all of these things and much more. This sounds hard. This is the uneasy balance to which we are called.

And Jesus doesn’t leave us with a blueprint or a “how to” guide. He says that it will be hard. To try to interact with a world that will at times, “hate us” is very hard indeed. And that is precisely why Jesus prays for his disciples.

But Jesus doesn't only pray for his disciples back then. If we look just a little further beyond our gospel lesson we read, "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” Jesus prays for his disciples and also for those who will come to believe in Jesus because of the disciples’ work after his ascension. So, who are "all those” who believe in me through the work of the disciples?

Yeah, that’s right…..we are. That's right, Jesus, on the night before his death, prays for us. We often think of prayer as something that happens in the other direction…..Christians praying to

God. But here, our Lord and Savior, the Son of God himself, prays for us. He prays for you and 4 he prays for me.

He prays for us the same things that he asks for his disciples…..that we may find God's support and encouragement and that we may be one in fellowship with each other and God. In all of our differences he prays that all of us may be drawn together into one. And, of course, these two things go together…..as we gather together to hear God's Word and to remind each other of God's promises, we are not only drawn together in deeper fellowship but also find the strength and courage to face the challenges that come from living in the world and bearing witness to the gospel of grace, abundance, courage, and love that is ours in and through Jesus.

When we think of the Lord's Prayer, we of course think of the prayer he taught his disciples and the one we will say together in a few moments. But there's a way in which this scene gives us another Lord's prayer, the prayer our Lord prayed…..and is still praying, for us….. that we might find the strength we need and be one. That, to me, is unbelievably amazing and totally cool. Each time we read this reading, in fact, we are reminded of Jesus' constant care and concern and compassion for us and of God's love for the entire world. Each time we join our different voices, our different personalities and our different passions together to recite the

Lord’s Prayer we are one. Our baptisms make all of us as varied people with all of our varied interests and quirks…..one.

So, as people of God who do not belong to this world but who are called into it…..as disciples of Christ who live right in the midst of this tension, what do you want Jesus to be praying for you right now? What burden are you carrying today? What do you need in order to be strengthened? Is it patience to be a better parent, grandparent or friend? Is it encouragement in the midst of a difficult chapter in your life? Is it courage to stand up to a bully in the classroom or befriend a friendless kid at school? Is it comfort in the face of the loss of a loved 5 one or the end of a relationship? Is it hope when we feel like we've got no options left? Is it companionship at a time of loneliness? Is it healing of body, mind, or spirit? Is it forgiveness.....or the ability to forgive another? What? What do you want Jesus to know about and pray for?

As we come forward in a few moments to receive the body and blood of the one who prays for us, bring your burdens…..bring your prayer requests to Christ our Lord and he will pray for you…..he will comfort you and he will strengthen you. And as you leave here today and walk out into the world that we are in, but not of…..to carry out the task that has been entrusted to you, yes, it can be frightening. But fear does not have the final word for those who live in Christ. It is Easter and the gift of a resurrection life that has the final word. So each of you can go out of that door with a smile on your heart knowing that you are not alone…..we are all one in him…..we have support, because not only can we encourage each other, but we also know that the son of God himself is praying for each one of us. Thanks be to God. Amen.