Seventh Sunday of Easter • Year A

Historical Collect

O King of Glory and Lord of countless angels, in triumph you ascended to the highest heaven. Abandon us not to be orphans, but keep your Father's promise to send your Spirit of truth. You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Gregorian Sacramentary, 6th Century)

Thematic Collect

Blessed Trinity, in Jesus you have made us all one. Grant that his prayer that all his disciples be one as you are one be manifest in our lives for the sake of your mission in the world; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Common Thread

One might have thought that the followers of Christ would fade away. After all, his opponents had seen to it that he was crucified. Surely his disciples would die out too. But, devoting themselves to their Lord through prayer, they understood that Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’ death had been foretold in Scripture. What is more, they knew that their Lord was still with them, and they cast their anxieties upon him so that he would help them go through similar sufferings. They were able to stand firm in the faith, knowing that in the end, God would drive away their enemies—sin, death, and the devil—graciously receiving those who believe into eternal glory.

First Reading • Acts 1:12-26

We would not think of such a thing, yet it was commonly practiced by the early Church: They placed small stones with different marks on them into a container, shook the container, and they considered God’s choice to be the first stone that fell out. Imagine a congregational meeting conducted in this manner! Yet what takes greater faith: casting lots according to Scripture, or taking a vote according to Robert’s Rules of Order? Which accounts more for God's voice and which for ours? Whichever the method, verse 24 holds the key: “And they prayed ...”.

Psalm • Psalm 68:1-10

Who has the upper hand in the world? Appearances have always been deceiving. Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried. All looked lost as the disciples mourned. “But the righteous shall be glad.” Three days hence, all is changed. Two thousand years later, we are called to decide: Is Christ dead or risen? Do we mourn or do we rejoice with great joy? If we look at appearances, we may be perpetually sorrowful. But if we look to the Lord, all is joy and worthy of song.

Second Reading • 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11

We should not be surprised by tough times, yet we always seem shocked. “Why did this happen to me?” is often heard by pastors. Another common lament is, “This isn’t fair.” The Scriptures tell a different story, that we should ask God to put us through trials so that we may be purged of things that grieve God (Psalm 137:23-24). Our reading goes further, dealing with specialized tribulation: suffering for the sake of Christ. Here, especially, we are to rejoice. If we suffer for being a Christian, it is proof that the Spirit of glory rests upon us. What greater blessing could there be?

The proper response of the believer, then, should be humility — not the proud lament about unfairness. We should trust God with our anxieties, persevering with patience and allowing the trial to do its work of refining us (James 1:4). This is a trusted method for resisting the evil one. For when we whine and complain instead of rejoicing and persevering, we give a foothold for evil.

Gospel • John 17:1-11

Instead of the prayer in the garden of Gethsemane found in the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus’ prayer in John, as he awaits his betrayal, is for his disciples. The Lord is expecting the worst kind of emotional and physical treatment, and he is thinking about his disciples. In this is Jesus glorified. Our knowing the truth and keeping the Father’s word bring glory to the Son (John 17:10), and his glory brings glory to the Father (John 17:1). Jesus prays that we may keep the faith handed down to us (Jude 3), ultimately, so that his Father will be glorified.