To dig into today’s readings, we need to look afresh at God’s Covenant with Abraham.
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
Read MoreOn Monday, we will celebrate Memorial Day, honoring the men and
women of our military who paid the ultimate price in service to this nation. Like
Christ, they died so that we could be free. Like Jesus, they offered themselves -
their bodies, their talents, their freedom - so we didn’t have to. It is only fitting
that we should honor them this Sunday, and to prayerfully thank them for their
willingness to die protecting us.
Read MoreOur Gospel this morning is the beginning of Jesus’ “high priestly prayer.” He has just finished teaching his disciples, a discourse that began with washing their feet all the way back in chapter 13. It ended with his saying, “But take heart, I have overcome the world.” Now, Jesus is consecrating himself and them in prayer. What does he pray first for them?
“That they may know you, the only true God. And Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
That is so tremendously important. Jesus has called them to a specific purpose, which is to share the Gospel, his Good News, far and wide so that it can eventually reach everyone. Now it is almost time to launch their ministries. The world, and life, is going to throw a lot, really everything, at them. We see that reflected in our passage from Peter’s first letter where he writes about “the fiery ordeal” and “sharing Christ’s sufferings.” He adds that “…your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.” They are going to be resisted, rejected, despised and fiercely opposed by many people. They will suffer imprisonments and most of them will die for sharing Jesus.
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