June 1, 2003
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Mindekirken June 1st, 2003 Jesus prays for all his disciples John 17.6-19 A merchant searched for fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. This is how Jesus presented himself in Matt 13:45. I can imagine this merchant. The whole earthly life of Jesus was a search. Now finally he stands with the shiny pearl in his hand. He holds it up in the light and he sees that it is perfect. Then he mentions the price… The NT teaches us a lot about the prayer life of Jesus. Our Father is the highlight of Matthew. In the gospel of John it’s a totally different prayer that is central. The so-called high priest’s prayer of Jesus in John 17 is both simple and deep, great and heartfelt, at the same time mystic and clear. Jesus prays for himself, v.1-5, Jesus prays for his disciples, v.6-19, today’s text, and he prays for all future believers v.20-26. When I read this prayer I think of the merchant who held up the valuable pearl in the light and described its beauty. The pearl is the 12 fishermen, tax collectors and other poor people Jesus walked around with for three years. In his sight they were worth everything. Right after this prayer comes the story of Jesus’ suffering and death, as if the evangelist wanted to tell us what price Jesus paid for his people. They were yours, and you gave them to me… v.6 The disciples were given to Jesus by God. We often talk about faith in private terms. I received Jesus. That’s right. The greatest privilege we have is to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, John 1:12. Jesus also speaks about the joy of this. He wants that his joy may be made complete in us, John 17:13. From our angle it’s we who receive Jesus. In today’s text the perspective is different. When a human comes to faith there is a heavenly presentation of gifts. The Father gives the Son a gift of love. This gift is you and me. They were yours, and you gave them to me. We live in a time when a lot of people are rootless. We seek our identity. Here we learn that we come from God, and that we’re considered the property of Jesus. You are taken care of, you are loved, Jesus paid for you with his own blood.
I have been glorified in them, v.10. Last Monday was Memorial Day. We honored the memory of those who fought for the finest values our society is built upon. The vets at Fort Snelling and other places tell us about the soldiers who gave glory to their land by the sacrifice they made. The nation has been glorified in them. In the war on terrorism President Bush used the words about those who are not with us are against us. It makes things easier when one can separate between good guys and bad guys. Not everybody is comfortable with such a political world view. But war has its own rhetoric. On a human level Bush has a good point, but measured with God’s standard we would all have been considered as bad guys. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Rom 3:23. How then, can Jesus say that he has been glorified in his disciples? Their achievements were not impressive, wouldn’t they all flee at the time of danger? It’s not to the disciples benefit that they glorify Jesus, it’s the benefit of what Jesus did for them and with them.
We have nothing to boast of. Jesus is glorified by what he himself has given to his own. You are a testimony of the glory of God by the grace you received by baptism. You reflect the glory of God by the forgiveness that covers you from day to day. We saw a lot of nice bunads on syttende mai. Most people get them made by someone else. The one who wears a bunad gives credit to the one who made it. We got our robe of righteousness by Jesus. As many of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ, Gal 3:27. He has given us the things that glorify his name. ..so that they may be one, as we are one, v.11. Jesus prays a strong and heartfelt prayer about Christian unity. The world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, v.14. The term world is used here for all the powers that stand against God. The disciples couldn’t expect to become popular. They represented the truth which could provoke. They preached the grace in a world that knows no other law than the right of the strongest. Accordingly, there would be opposition. But Jesus would not evacuate them from this evil world. Quite the opposite, he prays that they must be protected from the evil one. And he sends them to the world to offer the same grace and truth they themselves have received. In this service to the world Jesus prays that all his people must be one. All Christians are one in Christ. When we kneel for Holy Communion we receive the same Christ. And our fellowship stretches out in the invisible, to people of faith at other places in the world and at other times. Consider what it means when we use the words before the communion your congregation in heaven and on earth… We are all one in Christ. At the same time the church is seen as divided in the world. There are a lot of denominations. And there are divisions and tensions among the churches. A week ago the pastors of our synod gathered for a study day. May gay people who are living in partnership serve as pastors? Was one of the main questions that day. The study day was part of a several years’ process where our synod hopes to come to a conclusion on this issue. Craig Nessan from Wartburg Theological Seminary said that this issue doesn’t need to split the church. He drew the parallel to the fact that the church has not been split even though some are pacifists and others stick to the doctrine of a just war. But there certainly are questions which are so important that it’s related to the existence of the church. Apartheid is such a question. There was the time the church in South Africa was asked to reject the policy of segregation of races or face the consequences, being expelled from the Lutheran World Federation. Nessan thought hunger in our time would be a possible similar important issue. A true church would fight for a just distribution of goods, and not tolerate that some people have to suffer hunger. In the 1800’s a bishop of South Africa launched liberal viewpoints on the redemption and the sacraments. It developed into a bitter theological fight about the trustworthiness of the Bible. And the fight spread to England. In this difficult situation Samuel John Stone wrote the hymn The Church’s one Foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord. It’s a strong confession of the Lord of the Church and the unity in him. The hymn has a taste of triumph, but at the same time deep grief about the division and the wounds of the church due to that. This is the church under the cross, poor in the world, but holy and valuable like a pearl for God. Glory be to God, father, Son and Holy Spirit, one true God now and forever. Amen. |
The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church · 924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 · (612)874-0716 |
