When first graders are asked what they want to be in life, how many aspire to be NBA basketball players or some other kind of superstar? If the ambitions of first graders were fulfilled, the NBA would be the greatest employer of workers in the world. Little by little children learn to be more realistic and temper their ideals about the future. Most will end up being ordinary workers who quietly go about their work unnoticed by the world.
At this point in our lives, we ask ourselves what is the work that God expected me to accomplish in my life? And, what work lies ahead?
We now move into chapter 17 of St. John in which Jesus finished his Last Supper discourse with a heartfelt prayer to the Father. At this point he looks back upon his short time on earth and reflects on his mission (John 17:1-11).
“Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him…I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.”
Jesus knows that the Father gave him authority over all people. He knows he would give eternal life—the life of the Trinity—to those specially chosen disciples whom God gave him. What a momentous assignment! Though there is little evidence at this point in Jesus’ life that he had authority over all people or that he had given the life of the Trinity to his followers, Jesus still is able to say that he finished the job God gave him to do, accomplishing his assigned work.
At this moment Jesus had gained some popularity, yet he was written off by the leaders of his day and plans were being made for his execution. Only a few accepted his authority; most had little regard for this poor rabbi from the hills of Galilee. Though he had worked many miracles during his short stay on earth, people had forgotten about these and were looking for something greater, namely a Messiah who would overthrow Rome. In the end only a handful of disciples remained loyal to Jesus. In the eyes of the world, he had failed. Yet, in faith, Jesus knew that he had done exactly what the Father wanted him to do. By the world standards he ended up a failure. He didn’t look anything like the great Messiah whom they had imagined would come.
Later in his prayer he said:
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours…”
We are shocked that Jesus’ prayer was so limited. The focus of his prayer is on the small group of disciples gathered at his side. He seems unconcerned about praying for the world, which by and large had ignored him and forgotten about him. God had selected a faithful few to follow Jesus to the end, and these were the gift he gave to his Son. It was for these that Jesus prayed. It was these who would carry out Jesus’ mission and eventually shed their blood out of love for him. They, too, would do their small part in accomplishing the work Jesus gave them to do. Most of them would die as Jesus did—failures and misfits in the eyes of the world.
Today we pray that we, too, would be gifts God gives to Jesus. We pray that we receive the gift of eternal life by the sending of the Holy Spirit. We pray that, though our works on earth may seem insignificant, we remain faithful in accomplishing them.
