Tommy Thompson
John 17:1-8
March 6 2014
March 6 2014
Devo for St. Thomas' Parish Lenten Devotional Booklet
Goodbyes are never easy. But when we have opportunity to prepare for a
good bye and take advantage of that opportunity, our words are chosen very
carefully.
When we are saying goodbye to those who mean a
lot to us, we choose our words carefully. If you are going away on a long trip
and leaving your children behind, you are going to say words to your children
that will linger in their minds...words that give the opportunity for action
that will make the absent parent proud.
Words that bring comfort in the midst of grief...words that the children
can withdraw from their memory bank when the sadness seems impossible to bear.
If you are on your deathbed and have the
opportunity to say farewell to those who will be surviving you, your words will
likely be more meaningful and to the point than anything that has ever come out
of your mouth. These folks gathered
around the bed are hanging on every word and they will not forget them.
Farewells do not include trite words or phrases. No they get to the heart of
the matter!
In the Gospel reading for today, we get the
opportunity to listen in on the most important farewell address that has ever
been said/prayed. Up to this section in the Gospel of John we’ve only heard it
reported that Jesus hour “had not yet arrived.”
Now, his hour has come. It is
time for his mission to come to its climax and fulfillment through Jesus’ death,
resurrection, and ascension. But before Jesus is glorified/ascends back to the
heavenly realm, he has some very important words to leave his church -- a farewell address of sorts. It is a bit different than any other farewell
that has ever been given. The majority
of those addressed by Jesus’ words live on this side of the resurrection (like
you and me!); we know that this is not the farewell of a dead man! No, this is the farewell of the resurrected
One who knows he must ascend to His Father and our Father, whose palpable
presence will pass over into the sacraments by the power of the Holy
Spirit…whose life, mission and ministry will continue through His precious
people.
If ever our ears perked up to our Master’s
voice, it should be now. There’s no time
to mince words. You only write what’s most important in a farewell. And in this prayer that we have the
opportunity to read and listen to, we hear what Jesus knows to be most
important for us as he prepares to ascend to His Father: relationship – knowing God which is eternal
life. As we begin this Lenten
pilgrimage, may we remember the point of it all – a restored relationship with
God through Jesus Christ. This is the
ultimate goal of our fasting, spiritual practices, service, and discipline.
None of this is done for the sake of itself but for the end of being more fully
in relationship to our Creator and Redeemer.
Read John 17:1-8 again
now that you know it is a farewell address.
What stands out? How is God speaking to you? How might God be calling you to draw closer
to Him this Lent? Imagine what your life
will look like come Easter if you heed Jesus’ words and draw closer to God this
Lent? Celebrate that picture you see and
pray each day for the grace to become all God is calling / inviting you to be.
