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Protection in God's Name John 17:6 – 19; Psalm 1 Presidents of the United States place their hand on the Bible as they take an oath to the office. Witnesses in many U.S. courtrooms also vow to tell the truth – the whole truth – as they place their hand on the Bible. What is the intrinsic power of this Bible that we use it – as a support for oaths, and truth telling? What is the difference of this (Bible) word of God as we often refer to it and what we accept as the core word or truth of God? What IS the Word of God given to us by Jesus? And what is the difference between the Word of God and the Word of the World? Brian Kirk is good at developing multiple choice questionnaires, but he’s not here today. So I am going to try my best to provide an exercise for you. Which of the following do you believe are God’s word to us from Jesus the Christ?
All of the above have been attributed to God and some to Jesus. But every one of these statements has been preached from pulpits, taught through newspapers and Christian press, and spread through the land as gospel. Although one of them has Biblical roots, none of them can be attributed to the basic understanding or theology (knowledge of God) that we accept as God’s word. Granted, some of them had traditional following for some period of time in some cultures. Our scripture this morning is a prayer of Jesus. We are privileged to overhear the words of this prayer as Jesus pours out his heart to God. It is not addressed to us. And it is being uttered near the end time of the historical Jesus and the beginning of the glorified Christ. It is fairly curious that it is even included in the Gospel of John — the latest Gospel written and probably written after most of the original disciples had died. So the writer of the Gospel must have thought this prayer was NOT JUST about the original disciples, but was inclusive of the generations of followers that would come in the future. Jesus is asking for protection of believers. First of all, though, he clarifies who ARE the believers and what is important about their identity. It all has to do with the Words of God. Jesus has shared what he knows about God to the people with whom he has been in relationship. Not only is he claiming that they have received those words but that they also believe the words came from God. Passing on the truth about God, passing on the “real-ness” of God’s character, passing on the clear identity of God is what Jesus was called to do. He did it, and now he wants assurance from God that God will protect those who believed, those who accepted, and those who received. If this extends to today, who are those people that Jesus continues to pray will be protected? What is it that identifies them? Is there some privileged status associated with this protection? These questions (and answers to them) are important because of the power attributed to those who claim to have a relationship with God, those who claim to know the words of God and those who claim to speak the words of God. Back to the President of the United States taking the oath of office and witnesses in courtrooms being sworn in; the hand on the Bible is not for press coverage or good looks. In fact, it wracks a bit of havoc in relation to the separation of church and state. But in a significant way, those acts are claiming that the power of God assures that truth will be known; oaths will be secure and that God is in charge of both. The office in which I serve automatically comes with some of the same power. The privilege of standing in front of a congregation every Sunday and preaching about God, leading prayers to God, and purporting to have a relationship with God is an awesome responsibility. If I don’t get it right, say it right, do it right, I am in jeopardy with the Board and with you, but, more importantly, the power of God (the words of God) will have been mis-used and will be mis-interpreted and my jeopardy will be with God. It doesn’t stop here, though, my dear Christian friends. You also have an awesome responsibility as the church. What you say or don’t say, how you act or don’t act, who you are or whom you choose not to be all reflect back to God. As believers we are the ones whom Jesus has claimed have received God’s words and know God’s words and are living God’s words. The ‘privilege’ of our status carries extremely heavy responsibility! That responsibility includes making sure the ‘words of God’ that we share are truly the words of God, and not merely tradition, opinion, or convenient persuasion. Think for a moment about what we know of those followers of the historical Jesus. Beyond the surprising cadre of fishermen who were in the majority of the twelve disciples, the people who gathered around Jesus were those in the most need and those being hurt by the institutions of the day. They were the poor, the hungry, the sick; they were the children — who even the disciples had tried to push away from Jesus. They were by and large NOT the religious leaders and NOT the governmental officials. How could they hear the words of God better than the rich, the well satisfied, the healthy, and the established leaders? The hungry, the poor, the oppressed and the dispossessed, the children, the dying are still in need of the words of God that can give them life and hope. The hurting people of this city and this world still need the truth of God that comes not through the superior alliance of any person or group with God but, rather, in actions of love that claim our unity and oneness as the whole family of God. And until we get that right – God’s words will continue to be misconstrued. God’s word cuts through all established regimens and provides power to those who are in need. God’s word speaks about justice for all God’s creation and never discriminates on a visible or invisible basis. God’s word is a word of love. God’s word is fresh every morning and finds ways of new expression that no human being can imagine. God’s word cannot be narrowed to give privilege to some or to support traditions of any culture or age. May we celebrate the power of hearing God’s word and receiving God’s word. May we celebrate the power of being a part of God’s word, and pray earnestly that we pass it along appropriately and with the passion it deserves. If we do — when we do — Jesus is praying that we will be protected and joined with each other for a magnificent and glorious witness in this world. May we be so blessed. SW |
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