October 8, 2023
Protection Which Is Greatly Appreciated
“But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:13-16 (NASB)
Years ago, a friend of mine rode with me while patrolling a zone. I was assigned that day to answer calls for service for my zone. My friend was a big man who was fulfilling his time as a reserve deputy sheriff. When I say he was big, he was BIG. He was 6’03, and about 290 pounds of raw strength. During the evening hours of the shift, calls for service sped up. A few minutes after dark we received an in-progress domestic violence call. So we sped off. When we arrived, a woman came out crying with a bloodied face. I pulled her aside while my friend went and met with the suspect. After pairing the woman with paramedics, I went in to meet with the suspect. He was drunk and cursing. My friend told him several times to settle down. Then, the worst thing the drunk could have done happened. He took a swing at my friend. I saw my friend catch the punch mid-air with an open hand. He then lifted the suspect off the ground with one hand, and said, “Are you stupid boy? I am a deputy sheriff!” A few seconds later the suspect was quickly cuffed and on his way to jail. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if I left the suspect alone with my friend after he got mad. That night I was thankful to have an additional hand, but my friend made a big difference that night.
“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” Jesus knew the trouble which lay ahead for His disciples. He asked the Father to supply them the joy that only the Father could give in turmoil. The truth they were given would be hated, just as Jesus’s words. “Although the disciples are not a part of the world, they are in it (17:11), and it is their calling to remain in the world. So Jesus does not ask the Father to remove the disciples from the world, but to keep them safe from the Evil One.”[1] Part of this comfort would be joy. This would help encourage them in their darkest moments. It is true today as well: “Christians must not take themselves out of the world but remain in meaningful contact with it, trusting in God’s protection while they witness for Jesus.”[2] Once we are saved by the grace of God, we too are in a battle. We must not run to our self-righteous ivory towers; we must go to where the people are, see their needs, and patiently show them the way to eternal life.
Although I had many encounters in throughout my law enforcement career which led me into danger, I will never forget how nice it was to have a friend ride with me that night. He helped me (just as Jesus did with the disciples), and offered protection I might have needed. Who knows what could have happened otherwise? Jesus prayed for the protection of his disciples who would enter into a world that was ready to fight them too. He knew they would need to be consecrated in the truth while they carried it to a sinful world. I too carried protection into a dark home that night with the help of a friend.
[1] Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (p. 538). United Bible Societies.
[2] Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 332–333). Victor Books.