May 12, 2024 – Easter 7B

“[Jesus prayed:] “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.” John 17:6-19

Have you had some times in your life where you wish you could have just escaped? Or, have you had some moments where you wish you could have just been taken out of the world – lifted above all of your problems, your debt, your conflicts and worries? A lot of people today live in the fantasy world of escapism. I am sure you have said to yourself once or twice in your life “I just wish I could escape.” You know those moments:

You say something off color in a crowd

You say something that is considered sexist or elitist

Other moments where you have stuck your proverbial foot in your mouth.

There are different ways we try to escape those moments or try to escape life in general. One of the ways we can escape those moments is we just determine to disappear in the crowd – we try to blend in and become anonymous. Another way people try to escape life is to play “role playing games” – games like “Dungeons and Dragons” (I am betraying my age) – dressing up in costumes and playing out there wishes or fantasies. VR or Virtual Reality glasses do that for the wearer – they allow people to escape their current reality. By putting on these glasses, the wearer enters a different place, a different reality – and they can do this for hours. Or you can just buy Calgon – take me away……..

Jesus understands that life is not easy – for his disciples – for you and me as well. That is why he prays for us all. Jesus understands the weaknesses of the human psyche. After all, Jesus is human – fully human – so he understands the human condition. His humanity allows him to witness the reality of being human – and so he prays for us and expresses his love for all of his disciples. But it goes deeper than that, this prayer we call Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. He seems to be making a statement about the world – his world, and our world. If you count, he uses the word world thirteen times in this text we have today, John 17. He is worried about the world.

Truth is, I am worried about the world, I don’t know if you feel the same way. Our society is becoming unhinged – it is becoming unhinged. Have you noticed? Mature faith comes from enduring the trials and tribulations of this world. If Jesus had prayed that his disciples would be removed from this world, or completely protected from all evil, our faith would be immature – and so would we. Of course, we cannot endure on our own. We need the Holy Spirit – the power of the Holy Spirit so we can endure the refiner’s fire. Just like steel is hardened in the fire, and impurities are burned away, our faith is hardened and sin is purged as we follow the winds of the Spirit.

Pastor Dave