The Lord Stood By Him

May 24, 2012

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage.  For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."Acts 23:11

"I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me."  John 17:20-21

Piety

Father, thank you for making us the humbling gift to your Son.  Jesus, stand by us in our trials as you stood by your servant and friend Paul in prison and in life.  Send forth your Holy Spirit to fill us with the light of your life as we work to carry on our partnership with you.  Amen.

Study

Partners.  We know how important partners are in a business sense.  Pitney and Bowes.  Gates and Allen.  Mercedes and Benz.  We know it in an entertainment sense.  Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.  Butch and Sundance.  Luke and Han.  Batman and Robin.  Our books, too, are filled with partner pairs.  Ahab and the White Whale.  Leopold Bloom and Molly.  

In the Jesus Prayer that is central to John's Gospel, we hear in His own words, how Jesus wants to perpetuate his partnership with the Father through the work of his disciples and his disciples' disciples.

The Father and Jesus are One.  And Jesus through his life, death and resurrection, leads us to carry on His holy work and join with the Father in the same unity they enjoy and enjoin.

Action

What partners do you have in life?  Spouse? Siblings?  Friends?  How do they fulfill your life and your work?

Is your partnership with Jesus evident?  When you are on trial, will he stand beside you as he stood beside Paul?  When He is on trial, will you stand beside Him?  When he is on the cross, will you be at the foot of the cross with Mary and John? 

What action can you plan to do this week to put your partnership with Jesus on display for the world.  Think beyond wearing a cross and concentrate on the actions you can take on behalf of others which will help you live up to the expectation of Jesus that he declares:  You are God's Gift to Jesus!