5th Sunday after Easter 9 May 2010 Sermon

5th Sunday after Easter 9.5.10 The will of God

Our Lord encourages us to pray for whatever we need and to have no fear in approaching Him. He will give us whatever we ask.

We understand that this means only things which are in accord with God’s will.

I cannot just ask for anything, like a million dollars or a luxury car. ‘You can have anything you want’ translates into ‘You can have anything He wants’.

Our first instinct is to ask for things which make our lives easier, anything that either increases our pleasure or decreases our pain. We are then led to a more balanced understanding that puts all our various wishes and desires under the banner of God’s all-loving will. He knows best what we need; and what is best for us.

Some of our prayer might amount to an attempt to get God to change His will to fit in with ours! Instead, we come to see that the point of our prayer is not to change God’s mind but ours. We change our will to agree with His, and when we do that we are in a position to receive what we ask for.

We reach a point where we no longer want just riches and comfort but want more important things like conversion of sinners; a world where everyone obeys God; the grace to forgive those who offend us; a genuine compassion for others in their suffering, and so on.

Coming to agree with His will might also mean things like embracing martyrdom, or cheerfully enduring persecution and other unpleasant treatment.

Peter and John reached a point where they were glad that they had been flogged on account of their faith.

Our Lord is not deceiving us with His promise but He knows that if we do ask Him for things He will lead us to a point that we are perfectly happy with whatever He sends us, or withholds from us.

If something goes wrong we can see that God will make it come right, or bring good out of evil.

Just as Calvary led to the Resurrection so it will be for us in our own lives.

The tears we shed now will be turned to shouts of joy later on.

Our Lord was forming His apostles. What He especially needed from them was the ability to weather a fairly high amount of stormy seas, so that they would become strong in faith – then be able to help others reach the same level.

For all our perplexities with God’s will we can reflect that there are many other people who would have even less idea than we do about how God operates.

There are many we encounter who reject faith in God because of some disappointment they experience. They do not wait around to find out how God answers their prayers.

We must be the people who do wait around to find out. We must become strong to help the weak; to offer the word of hope to those who see no way out.

Ask for what you will and you shall have it: Increasingly this prayer becomes, Lord, make us into the best possible disciples. The point of the prayer is not so much this or that particular outcome of prayer but simply that each one of us be totally in union with Him and His holy will.

Many still see God as the ultimate Mr Fix-it. If things are not fixed they become frustrated. He does fix things but not in isolation. The only total solution to all problems is for each person to come into union with Him - never arguing, never complaining, yielding in trust at all points.

This is where He is leading us in this time of preparation.