Jesus' prayer for his followers

The lectionary readings this Sunday were Acts 1:15-17, 21-26, about what the early church did while they waited, and John 17:6-19, Jesus’ prayer for his followers before he’s arrested. In his prayer, Jesus prays for protection over his people. He’s fully aware that external circumstances in life will inevitably be hard at times. Jesus isn’t praying for an easy life for them. He’s praying for protection from the evil one, the father of lies. It’s easy to get sidetracked. Jesus’ desire and prayer was that his followers then and now stay in a system of truth. He knew the crucial connection between walking in truth and experiencing life. He is both the Life-Giver and the Truth. 

All of us have things we believe that aren't true. It’s a human condition. In light of this Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. We desperately need the spirit to guide us into what is reality. We participate in experiencing truth by staying connected to scripture. In this way we can live authentic lives in which our actions and our beliefs line up. It’s difficult to do what Jesus asked if we don’t know what he taught or what we believe. 

Some of us long for encounters with God. While others of us tend towards the study of scripture. Yet, we need both. The Spirit of Truth is in both the supernatural encounter and in the rhythm of being in the word. Our encounters with God will mean more to us. And, our engagement with scripture will become a delight. Let’s not be side-tracked. Let us be changed by the Spirit of Truth.