BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD OUR INTERVENER
A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves. Each of three passersby had opportunity to intervene in his situation, but only one did. The first was too proud and unwilling to associate with strangers. The second was too busy, running late for an appointment. The third, considered least likely to intervene, did so in a manner that was to become a model by which followers of Jesus would pattern their own intervention in situations of dire need.
Thus, Good Samaritanism became the ministry ideal to be emulated by all Disciples of Christ: Treat the needs of others as if they were your own! Intervene in situations of dire need! Intercede on behalf of others!
A recurring theme throughout the ministry of Jesus! Love rescues . . . Love ministers . . . Love goes to God on behalf of others!
JESUS intervened(s) to deliver sinners and saints alike from pits of despair, disease, destruction . . . intervened to provide for our salvation, and then some! Blessed be the Lord God our Intervener, our Intercessor, our Redeemer!
To that end – that we might be saved . . . delivered from our plight of being in the world but not of the world . . . provided for – JESUS intervened in the world . . . interceded before God on behalf of His disciples . . . intervenes, intercedes on behalf of whosoever will repent, believe, receive.
JESUS not only interceded in person, He interceded in prayer for those who found (find) themselves in such situations . . . for His Disciples who were about to be left to carry on in His Name . . . for those who would follow in His steps. JESUS intercedes for us!
Thus, we’ve been looking to the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray to our Father in Heaven as our model for how to approach God’s throne of mercy, how to apply God’s will to daily life.
Today we look at the prayer Jesus prayed for His Disciples (prayed for us) as our inspiration for praying for others . . . interceding on behalf of fellow members of the Family of God – John 17:11-23 . . .
The most striking feature of this prayer is the fact that He prayed for me! This prayer has been called our Lord’s High Priestly Prayer, prompting the writer of Hebrews to point to the truth: “He ever lives to intercede” on our behalf.
It’s worth noting that Jesus did not pray that we would be taken out of this world before our time to spare us the world’s treatment of those who name the name of Jesus . . . walk the walk . . . remain loyal to Christ no matter what.
Jesus asked Father God for divine protection of His disciples – to protect them from the harm that evildoers - “the world” of atheists, agnostics, various other unbelievers - would inflict on them (on us) for belonging to the Family of God . . . for believing the Word of God . . . for behaving in a Christlike manner.
To counter such evil influences (whether social, political, or ecclesiastical) Jesus asked Father God to endue His Disciples (endue us) with divine power for rising above falsehoods propagated by deniers and defiers of Christian doctrine, with unshakable faith - which is the victory that overcomes the world!
To faithfully and firmly follow Jesus Christ is to be at odds with the world of atheistic views and practices concerning God . . . Jesus . . . the Word of God . . . right versus wrong – a pertinent point because of many voices claiming to be Christian, yet siding with elements of society that “call that which is evil, good, and that which is good, evil”, and furthermore actively promote such apostasy, going so far as to call for celebrating acts of defiance toward God.
As Christians, we who are in the world but not of the world, our task is not to join them but to live for Christ in plain view of those who defy and deny Christ and the values He taught. They need Him as their Savior too.
Hopefully we shall win them, so that together “all one body we” can go about doing God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. For that reason, Jesus prayed for unity.
Unity, unfortunately, is not easy to come by - given the diversity of adverse views and doctrinal practices that exist within the Christian Church. We would do well, therefore, to understand that Jesus is talking about unity with regard to core Christians beliefs, not sameness of administration pertaining to denominational hierarchies, units of organization and worship service methodologies.
Christ the Lord is Savior of all who believe! Our common task is to spread the gospel . . . Our universal commitment is to live for Jesus . . . Our continuous effort must be to practice the Golden Rule . . . Our united concern is for others . . . Our compassionate response to dire situations ought to be Good Samaritanism.
For the sake of doing whatever good needs to be be done, whenever it needs to be done, wherever it needs to be done, for as long as it needs to be done, Jesus asked God to sanctify His disciples by the truth of God’s Word. Truth is that which holds true in all situations, under any circumstances . . . reality . . . fact . . . certainty . . . found in God’s Word . . . in the incarnate Word, Jesus, God’s Son. To take a “word” uttered by God . . . Jesus . . . found anywhere in the Bible and twist it, tweak it, or take it out of context, is sin.
On the other hand, to use a “word” within its context . . . understand the true meaning of it . . . derive the intended principle from it . . . agree on an appropriate application of it - constitutes mature spiritual growth (what sanctification is all about).
Consecrated Christians can indeed work in harmony with each other to do the work Jesus commissioned His disciples to do.
Nothing brings glory to God like a concerted effort to just be Christians . . . just meet needs when we become aware of them . . . go “the second mile” as needed . . . just do whatever needs to be done, whenever it needs to be done, wherever it needs to be done, for as long as it needs to be done . . . find ways to work together to bring to fruition the prayer which all Christians, of all denominations, in all parts of the world, pray: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus’ obedience to the will of God was His glory. We, too, find our glory, our honor, our fulfillment in life, not in doing as we like, but in doing as God wills. Preface your living with the conditional phrase, “The Lord willing!”
Jesus’ glory lay in the fact that, from His life, His deeds, His acts of kindness, His words, His power of persuasion, people who observed His ministry recognized His special relationship with Father God.
Your glory and mine is when people see in us a reflection of God our Father . . . benefit from the service we render in the name of Jesus . . . folks who need us are touched by the love we show them and, as a result, give God the glory!
Intercessory prayer is a wonderful way to start a day, to go on our way, to come to the close of a day.
“For you I am praying” is a mantra of maturity that, at our age and stage in life, is a task, privilege, ministry that we have in common.
To know that someone is praying for you is to face whatever you are going through with more confidence, less fear, greater hope for tomorrow! Amen.
