Even In the Last Prayer

St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

Scripture Passage

John 17:6-19

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Jesus’ Last Prayer

What we read was Jesus' last prayer before he died.

Jesus sensed that his death was coming near. His situation was getting worse and more dangerous.

This all happened because he raised Lazarus from the dead. After raising Lazarus, Jesus became very popular and so many people followed him.

This wasn't good for Jesus. Jewish leaders were threatened by Jesus.

Jesus' influence became bigger and bigger and he became more powerful. This didn't sit right with the leaders who had the power during Jesus' time.

So they decided to get rid of Jesus. We see that in chapter 11.

In chapter 12, we see Mary pouring her perfume on Jesus' feet to prepare his death.

And in chapter 13, before Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, he said this.

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (John 13:1)

Death was all around Jesus. Death was the inevitable reality Jesus had to face.

Then we see Jesus' last prayer in chapter 17. After this prayer, Jesus was arrested.

Full of Love

This is a beautiful prayer.

Not just the content of what Jesus said but Jesus' heart.

He was facing his own death. His death was imminent. He was facing his own critical moment.

And yet, his thoughts were so focused on his disciples. He was talking about nothing else but the disciples.

Help them not to fall into the temptation of the world. Even though they may be hated by the world, strengthen them so that they may overcome the troubles they may face.

Help them O God so that they clearly understand that they belong to you, not to the world. Protect them from the evil one. Sanctify them with your truth.

It's all about the disciples. Nothing about himself. He only worried about his disciples. Their well being.

Isn't that what love is?

If you love somebody, you think about that person before you think about yourself. That's what love is.

That was what St. Paul said.

Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:4, 5)

Then Paul talked about the mind of Jesus.

(He) who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death
even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8)

Emptying oneself – yes, that is love. Unless you empty yourself, you cannot love.

That is what love is. You empty yourself and leave space in your heart for others.

If you are full of your own agendas, full of your own thoughts, and your wants, you can never love anyone.

If you do everything on your terms, then, you can never love others.

We reflected on Jesus' love last week. His love was sacrificing himself for his friends.

What we see in Jesus' last prayer is his love. That's what I see.

The Heart of Parents

That is what our parents did and do. They always worry about their children.

Are they doing Ok? – Korean parents always worry about their children not eating properly. Maybe it has to do with their poor upbringing. Eating well was important.

We cannot imagine parents who lost their children. Who will ever understand their agony? I can't imagine how the young couple would cope with their pain?

Manivannan and Jawahar who lost their parents and their child in highway 401 crash in Whitby in the course of a police chase.

They said this.

His small toys and clothes remain spread around our home, and we have no courage in us to even enter our home which is filled with our only son's memories. My parents had arrived in Canada only two days before the tragedy.

There is a Korean saying: When parents die, you bury them in the ground. But when your children die, you bury them in your heart.

After family gatherings, my wife always worries about children. Sometimes, she said they don't look good.

Not because there is any problem. But it is just a mother’s worries. If there is any holiness in worries, it is mother's worries.

Parents always think about their children before they think about themselves. That is the heart of parents. That should be the heart of parents.

As I reflected last week, the first people babies encounter in this world are their parents. The first experience they have is love from their parents.

Especially, mother's love is special. Mother's love makes us who we are.

The Aching Heart

In parents' heart, there is . It is a special Korean language. It literally means lump – it is an emotional lump – emotional baggage.

It is the aching heart. When they see children, their heart aches. When the children suffer, the parents suffer more.

One day, my son took us out to get delicious food. After lunch, he was going back to his work and I watched him walk away.

To me, he looked so sad. I started to worry if he was doing okay in his cold, competitive work environment.

Jesus showed very well the aching heart of parents by telling us the story of the prodigal son.

The father was waiting and waiting for his son who took everything from him and wasted it.

The elder brother was angry and did not join the party. The father had an aching heart for the elder son too.

If you have no love, there is nothing to worry about. There will be no aching heart.

But parents always worry.

Jesus told us not to worry about anything but parents' worry, even Jesus cannot stop.

They are worries that come from love.

It is an automatic thing. I would like to call it the holy burden.

Loving with Parents’ Heart

Now we parents have to turn those worries into prayer.

Even our children, we have to leave them in God's hands. As Jesus left his disciples in God's hands, we should leave our children in God's hands.

When parents pray, it has the power. Because it comes from love. It comes from their desperation.

I didn't have much interaction with my father. He passed away when I was 18 years old.

My father was busy but I was also a teenager and had no interest in interacting with my parents. So I didn't have a deep relationship with him.

But my mother – I started the immigrant life with my mother. She was my immigrant partner. Including my brother.

She never told me to do this or that. She was always gentle. But through her quietness, I learned so much about life.

You don't have to be a parent to have parents’ heart. Jesus' heart was parents' heart.

As our parents loved us, let us love one another with parents' heart.

Appreciate your parents' love. Show them your appreciation.

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