Take a Stand - Week 3: Wednesday

John 17:15

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

Commentary

St. Cyril of Alexandria | Commentary on the Gospel of John 11.9
Christ does not wish for the apostles to be set free of human affairs or to be rid of life in the body when they have not yet finished the course of their apostleship or distinguished themselves by the virtues of a godly life. Rather, his desire is to see them live their lives in the company of people in the world and guide the footsteps of those who are his to a state of life well pleasing to God. After they have done this, then at last, with the glory they have achieved, they will be carried into the heavenly city and dwell with the company of the holy angels.

Questions

Read John 17. The entire chapter Christ is praying to His Father. How beautiful and comforting is it to know that Christ prays for me! How can Christ know what the amount and severity of hardships I go through? He went through hardships too. He lived like me as a human. He was persecuted, died, and finally rose from the dead. If He did all of this for me as a human, how can I not run to Him with all my problems?

• This life is temporary. This life and this world itself are not evil because God created everything, but sin entered the world and is present. My goal should not be to run away from my problems. Instead, my job is to take them and present them to Christ. Christ intercedes for me. What are the big problems in my life that I should take to Christ?

• Christ doesn't only care about the grand problems, but also the trivial. What are the small and trivial problems in my life that I should present to Christ in prayer?