Mail was a big deal when I was traveling on Semester at Sea in the early 80s. Our 100-day journey meant every port gave us opportunity to hear news from home and to share letters filled stories about our adventures. Of course, news was several weeks old, because there was no facetime or texting, no way to instantly connect around the world. Yet each letter made you feel close to home. My mom was my most faithful letter writer. The feather weight paper was filled with tidbits of daily life. Mom would always sign it, “With love,” or “Always,” Mom. I imagine most of you have had rich experience with the art of letter writing; with travel, wars, and especially young love. A love letter signed, “Yours Truly” conveys so much; love, hope and expectancy.
“Yours” means whose you are and who it is that you belong to.
While “truly” means an honesty and truth to this declaration of commitment.
An expectant promise comes with this valediction, this closing.
As I read, and reread our gospel lesson, a priestly prayer Jesus made on our behalf, a kept seeing two words: “Yours” and “Truth.” My mind put them together as “Yours Truly.” Yet this prayer from Jesus to God on our behalf, feels like a love letter from God and Jesus.
This prayer is filled with three things: our belonging, God’s truth and a profound promise and I want to look at each part.
Woven through this prayer is our belonging to God and to Jesus. Ten times Jesus uses the word “Your.” Jesus said, “They were yours and you gave them to me” (6). “All mine are yours and yours are mine” (10). We are the ones God gave to Jesus, we are the ones who Jesus claimed and taught, we are the ones who Jesus protected and wants God to protect when he departs. Belonging to God unites us with God and with each other. For just as much as we do belong to God, we do not belong to the world. So, when that moment comes and you want to be more of the world and you think about gossiping, or telling a lie, or not claiming Jesus and your faith. Remember that Jesus is praying for you, asking God to protect you from this world, and calling you God’s very own, for you belong to Christ.
My question to you is, would you sign your love letter to God, with “Yours Truly.” Do you commit to this relationship, forsaking all others? Does God hold that special place in your heart where you say to God, “I am yours.”
Secondly, truth is major theme for John. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (8:32). Later as one of the seven I am statements, Jesus said, “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life…” (14:6). So, our relationship with God and Jesus is based in truth. We don’t get to have part of our life over here away from God and then bring the good part to church with us. We share all of ourselves with God. The good, the bad and the ugly. Because we are blessed with grace, and truth is the only way to have an honest relationship with our Lord. We come to church each week to be reminded of true north, of God’s teaching and humbly asking for correction and forgiveness. That is what Jesus is saying here, “Sanctify them in truth; your word is truth” (17). God’s word purifies us and helps place us back on course with God as our light and beacon. Prayer and reading scripture bathe us in God’s word. Doing these simple things of God each and every day means God is working in our lives to make us free from sin and more righteous in God.
Yours truly means we belong to God and we live in truth. But yours truly also implies a promise, a hope for the future, just like a loving valediction. The promise that comes with belonging to God and living in truth is we have eternal life. In 1 John we hear, “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (11). Our honest and loving relationship with Jesus is what grants us eternal life. In an earlier part of this same prayer, Jesus explains,
“And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you (God),
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent” (17:3, The Message)
When we are writing letters, separated from our beloved, we long for a time when we will be reunited. We wait with anticipation for that glorious union. Much like we as Christians wait for the day we are united with God in eternal life when this life is through. But Jesus just said we do not have to wait. We get to have eternal life now, in this life, through our relationship with Jesus, God’s Son.
Yes, the heavenly banquet will be exquisite,
Yes, hearing God’s angels sing will send the soul soaring,
Yes, reunion with those we love will bring great joy and contentment. But let us not forsake the blessings of eternal life that God has provided for us now in the fullness of knowing Jesus as our friend, our Lord and Savior, our peace.
The same Jesus who holds our grief and hears our tears when a loved one dies, offering strength and comfort.
The same Jesus we experience when a friend shows us kindness when our world feels dark. The same Jesus who teaches us a better way in his light and love when we rest in his word. The same Jesus who celebrates with us as we welcome a baby into the family.
Jesus is here with us now. Eternal life is now. Eternal life 2.0 is when we have finished the race and we are blessed to see God face to face.
When I think of eternal life now, I want to see my mother, I want all the eternal promises to be given. But just like when we signed off with “Yours truly” on a letter to a beloved, we can not yet be with those we love, who are already with God. Especially on this the day of celebrating families, celebrating mothers. Some of our Mothers are already face to face with God.
For the mothers here, thank you for your love, your caring, your inspiration and your hope. Also thank you for the times when you prayed for your children when all else seemed lost. Your prayers make a difference. They still make a difference. Keep praying.
“Let me tell you about a young woman who became one of the most important women in the history of the church simply because of her faithfulness as a mom who prayed.
Her name was Monica. She was born in 331 A.D. in North Africa in what is now Algeria. As a young girl, Monica converted to Christianity, still a relatively new faith. Her parents, who were not religious and not in sympathy with her new faith, married her off to a Roman pagan named Patricius. (Patriciusus)
Both Patricius and his mother, who lived with them, were hot-tempered people . . . and difficult to deal with. Nevertheless, Monica did her best to be a good wife and daughter-in-law. While Monica’s prayers and Christian deeds bothered Patricius, he respected her beliefs and not long before his death, both he and his mother converted to Christianity.
Monica and Patricius had three children, two of whom entered religious life as young adults. The third was a son named Augustine. Augustine was more of a challenge. By his own admission he was a wayward youth, giving in to most of the pleasures of his day. One writer describes him as lazy and uncouth. But Monica kept praying for her son. Her watchful, prayerful persistence paid off when Augustine finally became a Christian.
Monica lived to see her son baptized into her faith. She died shortly thereafter. She could not know that Augustine would go on to become one of the towering figures of the church of his time whom we now generally refer to as St. Augustine. From a sinner to a saint–simply and solely because of the prayers and the influence of his mother.” (Michal Stawicki and Jeannie Ingraham, 99 Perseverance Success Stories: Encouragement for Success in Every Walk of Life, Kindle Edition)
On this Mother’s Day, let us honor the mom’s in our lives, moms by blood or connection.
Mom’s may we continue to pray for our blessed children, mindful each is in God’s care. Finally, may we live eternal lives today, ending each prayer to God with “Yours Truly.” Amen.
