Rob Thomas.
Acts.16: 16-34.
Revelation.22: 12,13,14,16,17,20,21.
John.17: 20-26.
Today is the 7th Sunday after Easter, as well as being the 1st Sunday after Ascension Day, (which was last Thursday), and I think the reading from Revelation is so appropriate. Only four days ago we celebrated Christ’s ascension to heaven to be for ever with his Father and today we hear, again, his promise that he will be back among us. Of course, we already know that he is indeed among us now; among us in spirit every day of our lives, but I believe that the message in those very last few verses of the Bible was that he would certainly return, not just in spirit but in body as well. So, what does he say about that?
(Rev.22 v12) “Listen!” Jesus says. “I am coming soon! I will bring my rewards with me to give to each one according to what he has done. I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
“I will bring my rewards with me to give to each one according to what he has done.”
I don’t think I need to spell out what that means! (Maybe I should sit down now and we could all meditate on just that that!)
A modern version, or the more secular version of this might be: You’ll get back what you give out! e.g. If we’re rude to someone, the chances are that we will get rudeness back; if we are disrespectful we will not be respected; so it also follows that if we give love, demonstrate love, we will get love in return. In other words, to coin another cliched phrase; we will reap what we sow. Isn’t that precisely what Jesus was telling John - what he’s telling us? We will get our reward according to how we have lived - or to be more precise - how we have loved, because it is really only through love that we can be what we need to be to one another. We really do need to love our brothers and sisters, the “family” members out there who we may not know intimately but are nonetheless our brothers and sisters. Many, of course, need more than just words of love and encouragement. There are still too many in need of tangible expressions of our love such as food, shelter, health care, assistance with childcare, money etc. I’m sure we are each contributing willingly to many worthy organisations whose sole purpose is to distribute those loving donations both here and overseas, however, I often have to ask myself “can I do more?” The soft answer is “probably” and the blunt answer is “yes,” and the question we all need to ask ourselves is; am I doing enough?
God will be the ultimate judge!
One very simple thing we can all do is to pray. I say “simple” because it is something that, in reality, costs nothing but our time and concentration. Now, for some, that is truly a simple act but if you’re anything like I am I can find the time but confess I have difficulty concentrating, which may be a sign of the times and my poor old brain cells are no longer able to work to full capacity - whatever that capacity may have been!
Prayer is so important and, as we heard in the reading from John’s gospel, Jesus prayed very strongly to his Father asking that his disciples not only be protected but also that they all may be made one with him and the Father. Here’s what he prayed; (John 21-23). “I pray that they may all be one, Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one so that the world will believe that you sent me.
I gave them the same glory you gave me so that they may be one, just as you and I are one. I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me.”
Isn’t that the epitome of what being a Christian, a true follower of Christ, is all about? Loving one another so that we may be seen to be - and truly be - one with Christ and the Father. That prayer of Jesus may seem to be just for his disciples but the plea is really for all people, then, for us today and always;
“May they be completely one in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me.”
You are probably aware that we already regularly pray for such unity when we come together at these services even if the words are used in different forms in the various liturgies, for example, in our service today when we are invited to share the peace, hear the words, think about those words - are we really responding to Christ’s prayer?
During the second rite (starting on page 456), the Invitation to communion is;
Bread and wine; the gifts of God for the people of God.
Our response is;
May we who share these gifts be found in Christ and Christ in us.
During the third rite (starting page 476), when we get to the prayers of intercession one of the prayers is;
Heavenly Father hear us when we pray for the unity of the church,
to which we respond;
May we all be one that the world may believe.
Our liturgies are full of scriptural quotations which are the cornerstones of our Faith but I often wonder how much attention we pay to them and their real meaning or are we just going through the motions of the service and paying little attention to the significance of each phrase, - to what we are saying.
I ask these questions of myself, and perhaps we can all ask ourselves the same questions;
Am I bound to others by the love of Christ?
Is Christ really in me?
Am I really at one with other believers so that our actions make the world believe?
I started with the reading from Revelation verse 12; “Listen!” Jesus says, “I am coming soon! I will bring my rewards with me to give to each one according to what he has done.”
Another question; What rewards have we earned?
I’ll conclude with the last two verses of our Bible;
(Rev 22) 20; He who gives his testimony to all this says, “Yes Indeed! I am coming soon!”
So be it. Come Lord Jesus.
21; May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone.