​The Meaning of Life

​The Venerable Joan Clark

John 17:6-19

What is the meaning of life? A philosophical question to be sure but this is not only the philosopher’s question. It is a genuinely human question and therefore a question that we all ask. It might be a question that is asked in despair or hope, out of cynicism, or out of sincere curiosity and a deep desire to have goals and guidance in life. However we raise the question about the meaning of life, it is our most basic and fundamental question.

And so it comes as no surprise that Jesus deals with this question and answers it. Surprisingly, the answer is not given in the context of an argument with the Jewish leaders or in a discussion with his disciples, and it is not given in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus deals with so many fundamental issues. It is telling that Jesus deals with the meaning of life in the context of prayer.

In the context of what has been called, by many scholars, Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. [Pause] The Disciples are in the upper room, now. They have just finished the Passover meal and Jesus is thinking about his crucifixion which will occur within the next 24 hours. He knows he is about to leave his disciples alone in the world and he goes before God as a priest would, to intercede for them, to pray for them.

Listen again to his prayer. I am lifting out a few key verses: "While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe, but I will remain in the world no longer…Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life…and this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." It is in this third verse that Jesus delivers the meaning of eternal life and in essence the meaning of life itself. He says, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

In essence, Jesus says, "the meaning of life is this: that you have a relationship with God, and me his Son, Jesus Christ." And that’s the long and short of it! But, Jesus himself, understood just how difficult it was going to be not only for his disciples but for all of us to come to this very simple realization in life and so he prays for two key things. First, in order that we might understand the meaning of life…

1. He Prays for Our Protection from the World.
We do need protection from the world because the world can steal life from us. Patsy Clairmont, author of the book God Uses Cracked Pots, tells a story about her youngest son Jason. Little Jason has two goals in life. One is to have fun, and the other is to rest. He does both quite well. So it was no surprise when he was sent out to catch the bus one fall day and there was, …a few moments later, a knock on the door. Mom flew to the door, jerked it open, and their stood Jason looking up with his back pack and lunch box dragging the ground. Mom demanded, "What are you doing here?" He bravely said, "I’ve quit school." Mom said, "Quit school?" As she looked at her child in disbelief she tried to think of some motherly wisdom but all that came to mind at the time was "A stitch in time saves nine" and "Starve a cold, and feed fever." They didn’t seem to fit the occasion so she asked, "Why have you quit school?" Without hesitation Jason said, "It’s too long, it’s too hard, and it’s too boring." This time she was equal to the task. She shot back, "you have just described life. Get on the bus!"

The day in and day out tediousness and challenges of life can be overwhelming. Sometimes life can be just too long, too hard, and too boring and we can lose our Christian hope and joy and succumb to despair. It’s then that we try to find meaning in life in things other than God. We look for escape through a bottle; we look for happiness in the form of another woman; we look for stability in life through another man; we try to resolve conflict through violence; or we try to solve material desires by stealing.

Jesus understood these trials and temptations and so he prayed, "Holy Father, protect them from the world so they may be one as we are one."

Police officers remind us of the protection that is all around us. Policemen guard our communities. The laws and rules protect our society. Parents teach honesty and integrity to their children so they will then grow up to uphold decent norms of behaviour. We all need someone to keep us safe. Some of us even need protection from our own fathers [pause]. So why should it surprise us that our souls need to be safeguarded from the corruption of the world. Jesus prayed for his disciples that the Father would protect them and keep them from losing their way in the world. Jesus knew, only if God protected them, would they be able to discover the ultimate meaning of life. We need a safe environment—and I don’t think this means merely a safe physical and social environment—but a safe spiritual environment to nurture our commitment to God.

Jesus understood how difficult it was going to be for us to understand the meaning of life. It’s difficult, because there are so many ways to get lost in the world; but, the way is open, because God is here to protect us. To give our souls the security that we need in order to hear his call and follow. This brings us to the second part of his prayer. In order that we might understand the meaning of life…

2. He Prays That We Might Know God.
Moses, when he brought down the ten commandments form Mount Sinai, he gathered all Israel together and he read the commandments before the people. And then he summed up the Ten Commandments in these words, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all soul, and with all your strength.

When Jesus was asked by an expert in the law, "What is the greatest commandment in all the law?" Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and all your mind."

And on the evening before his crucifixion, Jesus prays. He prays that the disciples will come to know God in a personal way. Actually Jesus is simply echoing those words of Moses. He is restating the lines in a brief phrase: "That they may know you, the only true God."

Jesus isn’t talking about knowing God like you know your ABC’s. Let’s not kid ourselves. People, when your spouse tells you that they wants to know you better they don’t mean your shoe size. They are talking about an intimacy. They wants to know you personally. That’s what Jesus is praying for and I want to tell you how hard this is. It’s hard enough to let our family in the door of our hearts let alone God. And yet, that is what is being asked of you. I tell you this is the only way to find meaning in life. And it’s the only way your children and grandchildren will find meaning in their lives. When Moses read all of Israel the ten commandments and summed the up by saying "Love God with all your heart," he added something very important. Teach these commandments to your children.

Of course, the best way to teach your children the meaning of life is to live it yourself in the home. If your kids see you putting other things ahead of God, they will become discouraged and disillusioned, like a young Jewish boy who once lived in Germany.
His father was a successful merchant, and the family practiced their Jewish faith. But then they moved to another German city, and the boy’s father announced that they would no longer attend synagogue. They were going to join the Lutheran church.

The boy was very surprised and asked his father why the family was joining the Lutheran church. His father’s answer was something like, "For business reasons. There are so many Lutherans in this town that I can make good business contacts at the Lutheran church. It will be good for business."

That boy, who had a deep interest in religion, became so disillusioned with his father that something died within him. He said to himself, ‘My father has no real convictions." The incident helped to turn him against religion with a vengeance.

That young boy later moved to England and began to write. His name was Karl Marx. As the father of communism he wrote the "Communist Manifesto," in which he called religion "the opiate of the masses." In other words, he believed that religion pacified people and made them ineffective for the world—it is a destroyer of progress.

I wonder if world history would have been different had Karl Marx’s father come to know God as Jesus had prayed for disciples to know God. One thing is sure. He needed to learn that from his father and he did not.

Your kids, your grandchildren, know whether you love God with all your heart. What they want to see is parents and Grandparents with such love and reverence for God that they bring Him into every area of their lives and put him first in everything. Kids want to see whether their parents love God enough to obey him.
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Conclusion
God gives us protection and he desires that we have a personal relationship with him. I am not speaking primarily to the lost this morning. I am talking to the Christian community. Remember that Jesus’ prayer was for his disciples. Those who had already walked with him for three years. We have a need to deepen our relationship with God. Jesus prays that we might do so. Will you pray that you might come to know God more deeply so that you can be one even as Jesus and the Father are one. "Hear, O Church: The LORD our God is one LORD: and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."