Sermon: A Rash Promise
Text: John 16:23-33
Occasion: Rogation Sunday (Easter V)
Who: Mark Woolsey
Where: Arbor House
When: Sunday, May 21, 2006
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I. Intro
Today is Rogation Sunday. It is the last Sunday of a most extraordinary season. It began most unexpectedly. Our Lord, instead of charging into the capital and "throwing out the rascals", enters meekly on a humble ride and is Himself evicted from office. Even worse, He is murdered and His party is outlawed. The meaning of history is that injustice in its ruthlessness is always more powerful than justice. All is lost; there is no hope. Yet three days later we learned that this defeat was part of the divine plan of deliverance. Not only is the program back in place stronger than ever, but our very Leader who was truly dead is truly alive! Yet this is only the beginning of amazing events. For almost forty days now He has been appearing among us, teaching us. I know, I know, this all sounds crazy and no one will believe us. Yet the facts cannot be refuted. All you have to do is look for yourself. Unfortunately, this special time is about to end. Jesus is returning home. He’ll send His Representative Who will stand in His place, but we’ll see Him no more. However, before He leaves, He has one last surprise for us, and this one in some respects is more outrageous than all the others. In fact, we have come to believe in His resurrection; and in doing so much of His previous teachings start coming into focus and making sense. As big of a camel as that was to swallow, we have begun to acclimate ourselves to this new reality. Rather than letting us sit back and digest that, though, Jesus has something else up His sleeve. Maybe we can believe that He died and came back to life, but what He is about to say will stretch our "believer organ" all out of whack. What He has to say gives our enemies more than enough material to blow us completely out of the water. In fact, I could easily use this to disprove our faith. To our modern ears it is incredible and indefensible. It is a promise so embarrassing that upon hearing it many of us frantically cast about for ways of covering it up and explaining it away. It is so far from our experience. Yet He made this promise in supreme confidence that it would be fulfilled, and gave it to us to embolden us. It is either the most absurd promise ever made, or we are the most foolish in all creation for ignoring it. Listen to this promise:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full (v23-24)
As I said earlier, this season opened with the Resurrection; in just a few days it comes to a close with the Ascension. But like close friend who has an influential father, before our Lord leaves He tells us that not only will we have an audience with this Father of His, but we will be able to ask for anything He is able to grant, and He will give it to us. That is where the name for today, Rogation, comes from. It’s basic meaning is "asking".
II. Cavaet
Today’s sermon is going to be somewhat different than ones past. I will explain this Scripture to you as always; but I will do so, at least for some of you, as your student rather than your teacher. While a clergyman, in his training, may have learned more than the layman, and a proper theological foundation is crucial for a healthy prayer life, the exercise and discipline of prayer is more than just knowledge. If what I preach today seems more theory than practice, or if it seems like I don’t always know what I’m talking about, pray for me that I may repent of my prayerlessness and join you on your knees.
III. The Rash Promise
Jesus says many things in the Gospel passage today, more than I could possibly address in this sermon. What I would like to focus on is what appears at first blush to be a rather rash promise to His followers. I say it’s rash because it would seem rather contrary to many of our experience. It presents itself as a straightforward promise. Ask the Father for ANYTHING in Jesus’ name, and He’ll grant it. Not just that He’ll answer, but that He’ll actually do it. This is carte blanche, a blank check. Not only that, but just to make sure we don’t think this is a "slip of the tongue", our Lord precedes this promise with a vow; in fact, 2 vows. The New King James translates it as "Most assuredly", while the "elderly" King James gives it as, "Verily, verily". The English word "verily" He uses twice translates a Greek word spelled, alpha, mu, eta, nu. Anyone know what this is? Alpha, a, mu, m, eta, e, and nu, n. What is it someone says when they hear something they really agree with? Amen! Congratulations! You just spoke Greek! Jesus’ point is that He isn’t speaking "off the record" as it were, but telling us something in clearest language that He expects us to believe. Yet how many of you have prayed to God the Father for something, added "in Jesus name, amen" to the end of the prayer, and still was refused your request? Did we just prove Jesus wrong? Well, did Jesus keep His promise, or didn’t He? If we are going to call ourselves Christians at all we have to confess that Jesus always keeps His promises, regardless of how it may seem to us. If there is any apparent discrepency between Jesus’ promise and our observation of it’s fulfillment, the error must be on our part, either in understanding the promise or seeing it’s accomplishment. In that case, let’s view this promise as a promise, and try to understand it as Jesus meant it. It is a fantastic present to us, but what are the wrappings that go with it? Are there any bounds?
IV. The Wrappings
The wrappings, that is, the context of this promise is Jesus’ teaching to His disciples immediately before His crucifixion. From the time they met Him till now, the disciples lives have all centered around Jesus. He’s taught them, protected them, fed them, and loved them. The authorities have gotten pretty hot against Jesus, but so far He’s managed to shield His disciples from their wrath. When they needed something, they asked Him. 5000 people need food and there’s no Cici’s for 2000 years? Go see Jesus. Boat about to be sunk with all lives lost? Wake up Jesus; He’ll fix it. Yet Jesus tells them He is leaving soon, and what’s going to happen to his followers will not be a pretty sight. All Hell will break loose. They’ll be hounded down by the authorities, ejected from the synagogue, and even killed. Jesus is warning them of these things, but at the same time saying to not be scared. Even when Jesus was right next to them, the head disciple Peter went for a swim rather than a stroll when he got out of the boat. And Jesus was saying it was good that He leaves? If I was in Peter’s sandles I’m afraid my reaction would be, "Yeah, right". I mean, what reason do they have to not be scared? They had full confidence that with Jesus at their side, they could do anything. But He was leaving and they were supposed to be ok with that? It was at this point that Jesus said,
Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (v23-24)
Jesus, before His ascension, is trying to convince His men that it is good that He leaves. Listen to how He words it a little earlier:
that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give to you. (John 15:16)
and a little earlier still:
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14)
Ok, I’d like world peace, full employment, end of disease, and proper worship of You. In Jesus name, Amen.
Hmmm. Well, I think there are still wars, poverty, idolatry, sickness, disease, and death. What happened? Are there bounds on this promise, after all?
V. Bounds
If you listen to the "Name it and claim it" crowd, then you might hear them say, "Nope. This promise is for anything I can ask for. A promise is a promise." This is arrogant, and many people can see right through it. For example, just consider the context of the promise. Jesus has just predicted His followers will be hounded and killed. This is a promise just as inviolable as the one we have been studying. If He intended "whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you" to be a carte blanche to their every whim or desire, Jesus’ prediction of persecution would never come to pass. The two promises would cancel each other out, and that clearly is not how to interpret Sciprture. However, the opposite reaction is also just as bad. We latch on to the condition Jesus placed on it, "in My name", and expand that to include so many clauses, subclauses, and fine print, that it’s a wonder Jesus ever answers any prayer. It turns His promise into a meaningless phrase and we basically ignore it. Yet Jesus gave this promise specifically to encourage and strengthen His disciples, not to burden them or deceive them. He intended this to be comforting, not disquieting. It was designed to give them courage to spread His gospel to the whole world in the face of immense opposition. So how can we make sense out of this?
VI. Making Sense, Sort of.
I’m afraid this is where I’m going to have to beg your indulgence. Pray for me. If I was a "praying Hyde", or "old camel knees", I might be able to fill in this story with answers to prayer that would amaze you. Money that came in at just the right moment, or a miraculous recovery from a fatal disease would bolster my case. I believe those things really happen. Alas, I have no such testimony. Yet I will tell you what I do have. I do have a faithful God who is sovereign over all His creation. He plans, executes, and governs every event in this universe, from the biggest galaxy, the most poweful black hole, the strongest king, the longest river, the weakest peasant, and down to the lowliest atom and quark. There is no independent existance or movement. He predestined every movement for His glory, and I know that everything happens not only because He allows it, but because He ordained it. Far from discouraging prayer, faith in His absolute control is reason to pray. After all, you are not petitioning one who has relinquished some of His sovereignity. He never comes back to you and says, "Sorry, I ’d like to, but I can’t". So how do I reconcile His promise with my seeming lack of results? Rather than try to resolve it, I encourage you to join me in prayer. Somehow, God will fulfill His promises to us. He is not lax in them. Pray for your neighbor’s salvation. Pray for your mother’s, brother’s, or other family member’s health. Pray for your finances. Pray for the faith to trust God even when you do not fully understand what He says. Pray in His name and know that what you pray for is done.
VII. Pray
But my faith is so inadequate, and my prayers so ineffectual. They may be. Pray anyway. But my sins prevent me from having any confidence in God’s gracious favor. Actually, knowledge of your sins is a sign of divine favor. It’s only His own that He brings to repentance. You have been baptized, and you trust in Him. Let His prayers for you give you strength to pray to Him.
VIII. The Great Thanksgiving
In the next chapter of John, chapter 17, we find Jesus interceding for us in His high priestly prayer. Regardless of how much may be lacking in our prayers, Jesus suffers from no such malady. His prayer is:
"Those whom you gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost" (John 17:12)
He keeps you, and one way He does so is by the Great Thanksgiving, the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, the Communion, that is laid before your eyes today. As you consume Him, know He is praying for you and interceding for you. And His prayers will never fail.
This is the word of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Soli Deo Gloria!
