Lenten Thoughts - Pray For God's Glory

What2Say2Day? Today's Lenten reading is from John 17:1-5.

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

To understand this reading we may have to first understand the word "glorify". The Greek root of the word used here is doxa which translates to the English understanding of having an opinion. Normally when this word is used in the New Testament it means to have a favored or high opinion. The actual Greek word for "glorify" is doxazo which also translates to having a favored opinion. There are secondary translations which equate to honoring, praising and make renown but these words all relate to having a type of opinion about that which is being glorified.

Now, with that in mind let's take a closer look at what Jesus may be asking for in this passage taken from his prayer to God on behalf of his disciples. Replacing the word "glory" with the phrase "have a good opinion" we can read this passage to reflect Jesus' want for God to not think less of him as he goes through this phase in his life, just as Jesus has never thought less of God in anything. Jesus is just asking that whatever happens from this point forward, no matter what, that the love he and God have for one another never diminish.

I have to admit, just as yesterday, that this new found meaning brings me into a deeper relationship with Jesus as I see him in a strictly human way. Jesus knows the time has come to give of his life for the things he believe in. Jesus knows too that he is human and needs to not face this time alone. His prayer, as is ours many times in our life, is that God not give up on him. Jesus' hope, as again is ours, is that we can count on someone to love us unconditionally, no matter what may happen.

So, pray for God's glory, but not that God is made famous, but rather that God's name only brings the opinion from others that God is a love that will never leave you. Now that's something we can all have a good feeling about.