In Light of Jesus' Prayer

Scripture Verse that Caught my attention today: John 17:20-21a “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one.

Observation: This prayer of Jesus has not yet come to fruition.

Application: The hope of probably every parent with more than one child is that the children will get along…that there will be no ill will or hard feelings or days, weeks, months, or years without speaking to one another due to some pent-up conflict.

But, of course, it’s hard to assure that such wishes will come true. Human nature, being what it is, doesn’t have a particularly good track record in this regard.

The same can be said of brothers and sisters in Christ. There is a popular song that says, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” It offers a very nice sentiment, but sometimes I think a more accurate title would be, “They’ll know we are Christians by our divisions…by our denominations and our non-denominations, by our scandals and our infighting, etc.

Let’s face it, the Christian community as a whole hasn’t fared too well in the ‘unity of purpose’ category. And in the interest of full disclosure I must admit that I personally find some expressions of Christianity to be remarkably far from my own understanding of what being a Christian is all about. I’m sure some feel the same way about me.

Yet Jesus’ prayer still stands. And by the grace of God, so do we. The prayer may not yet have been answered, but it is still in affect. And someday I trust that we’ll see it fully expressed in the kingdom of God.

Prayer: Lord, help us all, in our own ways, work more toward the fulfillment of your prayer rather than against it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Jeremiah 18-20, Psalm 93, John 17)