Day 23

Jesus said to His Disciples, “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. The glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one, I in them and Thou in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given Me, may be with Me where I am, to behold My glory which Thou hast given Me in Thy love for Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world has not known Thee, but I have known Thee; and these know that Thou hast sent Me. I made known to them Thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:20-26 (From the First Gospel on Holy Thursday Evening)

What exactly is salvation? Over the course of these meditations we have talked a lot about salvation. When you think of salvation, what do you think about? Do you focus on the room that is prepared for us? Do you focus on the presence of God?

A few years ago there was a song that became popular in society entitled “I can Only Imagine”. It was a song that talked about what it might be like when we die and go to heaven. Some of the lyrics for like this: 

“Surrounded by You glory, What will my heart feel, Will I dance for You Jesus, Or in awe of You be still, Will I stand in Your presence, Or to my knees will I fall, Will I sing hallelujah, Will I be able to speak at all, I can only imagine."  

The song tried to put human emotions and actions into a discussion of what salvation might be like.

Over the last few reflections, I think we have seen, through the words of Jesus Himself, exactly what salvation will be, most notably in today’s passage. Some of the phrases Christ uses in today’s passage speak not only about how we are to live day to day, but also what it might be like for us to the counted among the shepp and inherit eternal life.

That they also be in us…

That they may be one even as We are one…

That they may be where I am…

That they may behold my glory…

If we listen to these words, they remind us of what it must have been like for Adam and Eve in Paradise. To be one with God…to walk and talk with Him in the cool of the evening…to behold the glory, power and majesty of God.

The Fall, original sin, changed all of that for us as God’s creation. We became separated from God. When God came to the Garden after they had eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, He called out “where are you?” Certainly God knew where they were, He knew what they had done. The question was more of a cry of sadness that God’s creation had become separated from Him.

The words of Christ today tell us that God’s plan for our return to Him, for us to get back to Paradise (salvation) was quickly coming to its fruition. Man was purposely put out of the Garden so that we would not be separated from God forever. We were put out of the Garden so that God could affect salvation for us. So that we could once again be one with Him, be where He is and behold His glory.

As Fr. Stavros says: Do something for your salvation today!

In Christ

Fr. David