May 16, 2021 – John
JOHN 17:6-19
Today, our Gospel lesson in John comes from what is known as the “High Priestly Prayer.” It is always helpful to put things in context, and Jesus’ prayer for us takes place right after the last supper. Jesus had shared the bread and wine and has lovingly washed the feet of the disciples. As the evening falls into darkness, and the disciples drift away for the night, Jesus knows that the end is coming near. The one who will betray him as left and will go to the authorities. Darkness has surrounded Jesus, but He does not run for His life, but instead turns to prayer.
If we look closely, we will notice that there are two groups of people that are mentioned in Jesus’ prayer. There are those who have been given to Jesus out of the world, and therefore belong to Him. Then there are those who belong to the world. That is, those who have rejected Jesus in favor of the pleasures of the world. All though Jesus is praying for those disciples who were with Him at the time, He is also including and interceding for all of us who would believe in Him through the words of the disciples.
Perhaps, however, verse 15 is the one that our brain likes to skip over. “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.” For Jesus knows that we as humans are in great danger from the one who lurks about hoping to overtake our hearts with darkness. We may not like to think that there is an evil one, you know the one that we picture as red and holding a pitchfork. The one who resides over the pit of fire.
All through the centuries however, people have known that there is a devil, and they have feared him. Many today, however, dismiss the idea of a devil or an evil force as a superstition from early primitive societies. The Word of God, however, tells us differently. Jesus believed there was a real devil. Not only does today’s scripture refer to the evil one, but Luke 10:18 tells us, He (Jesus) replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” There are many other examples such as 1 Peter 5:8, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
When I lived in the south, people talked about the evil one and the devil, but since I moved back north, I have heard little talk about him. Perhaps it is due to the culture of the two different areas. Have you ever taken a good look at a can of Underwood Deviled Ham? Do you remember their logo? Yep, a red devil, indicating the devil has been reduced to an advertising gimmick. Who could possibly be afraid of him!
Yet, whether we acknowledge him or not, the evil one exists! He is there watching our every more, hoping to step in and attack us with temptation, or to erode our faith when life’s misfortunes occur.
The evil one, also known as Lucifer, the Fallen Angel, and Satin, will do anything to separate God’s faithful children from Him.
Some of the ways he works in our lives is to tempt us and then validate our thoughts and actions that oppose what God might have us do. I am sure most of you have heard the phrase used, “The devil made me do it!”
The devil works hard to get you to lie, not only to others, but to yourself. He can subtly convince you that you really don’t need to go to church this Sunday. After all, summer is a short season, and so you can take off Sundays because it is vacation season for everyone. He can convince you that everyone else is doing it, and summer is the slow season at church. However, the reason summer is slow is because so many feel they don’t need to worship God when it is warm and sunny out. After all, God will still be there in the fall.
The devil also works hard to convince you that you do not have the time or energy to serve the church and your community. After all, you have served many times in the past, so, not it is time for you to sit back and let others do the work. What the devil really wants you to believe is that being an active disciple of God if for the young. Yet, God has given us each spiritual gifts and talents, and they can be used in various ways no matter what our age. We are all needed to help fulfil God’s mission for us here on earth.
And the devil especially loves money and works very hard to get you to feel feelings of scarcity. There are so many worldly things that you NEED, you can’t possibly give more money to community projects or the church. You really need those extra dollars for yourself. Money is scarce and you can never have enough of it, the devil whispers in your ear.
Perhaps the days of “hell and brimstone” preaching that I knew in my youth are gone. Yet, what still exists is the fact that the devil is real and the ruler of Hell. Matthew, chapter 25, talks about the second coming of our Lord, where He shall separate His sheep to his right hand, from the goats that will go to his left. Verse 41 says, “Then he will say to those on his left (the goats), ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
As we leave here today, we need to be aware of the devil’s activity and the depts of hell. We are called to resist the temptations of the devil, to hold tight to our faith and to follow Jesus’ command to love one another as He has loved us. To carry on as His disciples, sharing the Gospel with those around us and encouraging each other. Let us never forget the precious message of the cross.
In the end God will handle the devil and God’s righteous kingdom will prevail. Let us not forget that today, Jesus continues to pray for us. May we all be protected from evil, and may we truly love one another and have true joy! Amen