Common Life

 John 17:6-19

Jesus prays for the disciples, this is John's ending chapters. Jesus gives what people call a farewell discourse and it starts in 14 and ends here in 17. So Jesus prays specifically for the disciples who are going to be lost and confused once he's dead and then risen. Now the first part of this prayer is that they all would be one. Jesus wants them to remain with one another just as the Trinity abides with one another but is different persons. So what does this mean for us today? Why is it important for us to look at these words? Does oneness mean we always agree?

First of all if we are to be disciples of Jesus this prayer is for us. Most of the time we look at the words in the Bible as if they are recording history. We believe this is a living word and its not just history or rules, it is a way for us to live which is different from the world which leads to this way we need to look at today.

Jesus prays for the disciples to be one. This means us today, right now. We don't usually talk about this prayer in this way. This is what leads us when we are discontent or not in agreement to leave with our hurt feelings. This is not what Jesus is praying for. If we are to understand this better we need to become better about talking and listening to one another.

Think about it this way, when Thomas didn't believe that Jesus showed up to the others he wasn't kicked out of the house, nor did he leave he stayed. The story we don't get is what happened all that week before Jesus appeared again. Do you think there might have been a little tension between everyone and Thomas? Do you think they may have kept harping on the encounter they had to convince him? Of course these things happened and they stayed in relationship because this is what Jesus prayed for. They didn't have to agree on what they beleived, but they needed to stay in relationship with one another. Its why Thomas gets the next opportunity to encounter the risen Christ. 

It is the same with us. Staying together helps us all to work through difficulties, to begin to open our ears and hear one another. It helps us in accepting diversity and not marginalizing the others in our midst. This is the big thing. Jesus' whole ministry was about touching and admitting those who were on the margins. Those who needed healing, who were considered sinful and unclean. Those who were thought to be in league with Rome, such as tax collectors, or officials, or even soldiers. They all were a part of Jesus' group.

Today so many people disagree and cut one another off never speaking to one another. We are so concerned with labeling: left, right, conservative, liberal, masks or not, vaccines or not. We lose sight of being one. It is not easy to make our way through the differences and agreement is not the goal, but living with one another. Jesus' wide arms were to draw all people together. Isaiah's vision of a new Jerusalem included this vision as well. Yet time and again we miss the point. We still think it is in sticking to our guns and shooting someone down. We won't do this perfectly, but we need to try. Love requires us to give it our best shot.