Daily Worship

Re: Iterate

Neil MacLennan January 16, 2025 6 2
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John 17: 1-19 (NRSVA)

1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

6 ‘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. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 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. 9 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. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 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. 12 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. 13 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. 14 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. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

From: Thomas
CC:
Subject: Re:iterate

Dear Jesus,

I do occasionally get confused when you refer to yourself time and time again in the third person: both grammatically and theologically. I am a bear of very little brain sometimes. Believe me I am trying so very, very hard to take it all in. You being the Son of God, the coming of a mysterious Spirit after you have gone (where are you going?) and that we’ve just to be joyful about it all? I don’t feel all that joyful to be honest.

Anyway, you said some lovely things just there about all of us, and I really appreciate it. I confess though that I’m having a bit of hard time feeling included in all of what you prayed (that we accepted your teaching, that we know you are the Son of God, and that we believe in God’s purpose in You) — are you sure you meant me too?

I want to believe, I really do. Help me.

Yours faithlessly,

Thomas.

 

Prayer:

 

Lord Jesus, 

It is not that I loved you — but that you first loved me. Reiterate that love today so that my starting hurdle is overcome.

As you prayed for yourself, for the disciples and for all believers, convict and convince me to accept, humbly, your prayers for me. Invigorate me to live this earthly life to the full, protect me from the snares and pitfalls laid by the evil one, and reassure me that I am included in your kingdom, with a place reserved for me because of the grace and mercy of God our Father.

Amen