1 John 5:9-13, John 17:6-19, Psalm 1
I’ve prayed a few prayers this week – typical of any week. I’ve prayed for healing, for peace in world trouble spots, for particular people to get to know God and for others to get to know God better and to live that out, and so on.
What do I expect from these prayers? I expect the prayers to be fulfilled – somehow. I don’t expect to see the answers to all of them, and I don’t expect God to do precisely as I ask every time. God reserves the right to ammend as he sees fit. I also expect to be the answer to some of these prayers, though I don’t know which ones when I pray them.
Jesus prayed for his followers. What did he ask for in this prayer? And what did he expect?
Unity
Jesus prayed that his followers would be one as he and the Father are one. That’s a close oneness! It means agreeing so closely that we act as one person. It also means that if we are all acting like Jesus then we will be acting like one another.
Joy
Sometimes life is tough. Sometimes following Jesus is tough, but his prayer for joy is an encouragement. Jesus’ hope and desire is that we should be able to find joy in him. That is a joy that lasts a lot longer than any other.
Protection
Jesus prayed to his Father, ‘not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one (in the world).’ Jesus doesn’t pray for an easy life for his disciples because there is work to be done which may not be easy. But he does pray for them to be protected against evil, which is what he taught them to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus doesn’t take his followers right out of harm’s way, but he does give them the right defences to continue to follow him.
Sanctification
Our pew Bibles use the word ‘dedicate’ to translate the Greek word ‘hagiazo’ which literally means ‘make holy’. In strict translation we’re best to use the word ‘sanctify’. It is used in two ways in these verses. In verse 19 of Jesus devoting himself to the redemption of his people, and in verse 17 of the separation of the believer from the world in his/her behaviour, by the Father through the word.
Jesus asks for his followers to be set apart, made pure, made clean, made holy by the truth. Sometimes ‘set apart’ can be a special and important place to be, but at other times it can feel very lonely and we need to hang on to the truth that we are following.
I believe Jesus expected to see his prayer answered. Indeed he is the answer to much of it. We also have a part to play.
So, has Jesus’ prayer been answered .. ever? What happened to the first disciples? What happens now?
What do we see?
On the negative side, we see Christians fighting one another. We see Christians who are depressed, sad, angry. We see Christians persecuted to death for being Christ followers. We see nominal Christians who show no evidence of holiness in their lives.
On the positive side, we also see great unity – Christians agreeing; Christians loving one another. We see joy in Jesus, joy in transformation, joy in adversity. We see people protected in amazing ways that can only be divine interventions. We see people being sanctified, made holy – throwing off addictions, putting an end to harmful lifestyles, being transformed from selfishness and self-addiction. We see God’s image restored in people.
Why don’t we see unity, joy, protection and holiness across the board?
Because we live in the ‘now but not yet’. Jesus’ prayer is being answered but none of this is complete, yet. There are 4 phases to history. Creation – when God made everything, Fall – when people chose to separate themselves from God, Redemption – when Jesus died for the sin of humankind, and Consummation – when Christ returns, all things are made new and evil is no more. We live between Redemption and Consummation. Things aren’t perfect until all things are completed.
Until them we live by faith. We are dedicated to Christ, we are accepted by God, we are becoming holy but, as yet, our sanctification is not complete. Yes, Jesus prayed for our lives in this world and, yes, Jesus needed to pray it because these things are not automatic. It takes a lifetime to get these things established and consistent in our individual and corporate lives. Jesus continues to pray this prayer and we need to pray it too. And while we pray, seek and work for the answers to the prayer, remembering that we are often the answers to our own prayers.
Unity
How do we work as one? Do we work as a collection of individual ones working side by side, like the ‘parallel’ play of toddlers?
Or do we blend our individual activities into a harmonious result – like an orchestra.
An orchestra makes an effort to be in tune so that each instrument is in harmony with each other instrument. You know the sound of an orchestra tuning up. In a way we need to do that too. It’s the way to ensure that the music played will be harmonious rather than raucous. It takes effort; it doesn’t happen by accident; it requires listening—to the instrument and to one another – and practice. In tune and with practice, an orchestra can make lovely music, and enjoy making it. As Christians, God is the one who gives us the “note.” Jesus prayed we would all be able to “tune in” to it.
What does “That they may be one, as we are one” mean? In what ways are Jesus and God one? Church councils from ancient times have debated and created formulae to describe the relationship between God and Jesus. I can’t give you any simple answers but think of it this way: The three-in-one God is a society – three beings so closely united that they are one. Humans are made in God’s image. Hence humans are social, too. Genesis chapter 1 tells us that God made humans male and female. One human being isn’t God’s complete image. It takes two human beings to image God fully – two same-but-different human beings. Have a think about that in terms of being one as God is one.
A recent attempt to understand the unity for which Jesus prayed is found in the book, God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams. With reference to the possibilities of sharing and caring as well as the realities of human ability to cause hurt, Tutu says, “God does not force us to be friends or to love one another…. Each of us carries a piece of God’s heart within us. And when we love one another, the pieces of God’s heart are made whole.” [Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams, God’s Dream (Candlewick Press, 2008).]
Joy
Joy comes and goes. Some say that’s happiness; that joy is always there, albeit well under the surface at times. I think of the Psalm that talks about tears at night but joy comes in the morning in relation to what people call the dark night of the soul when one is deeply troubled. Day will dawn. We get through these things especially when we draw on God’s help, and joy returns.
Protection
Keep praying, our brothers and sisters need our prayers. This prayer for protection is as needed today as it ever was because evil hasn’t abated. Many call it spiritual warfare. It certainly is that serious. As Psalm 1 indicates, evil is real but evil is not sustainable. It is likened to chaff, or dead leaves blowing across the driveway, because it has no roots to draw nourishment to sustain it. Evil feeds on the living. In contrast, goodness is sustainable and will ultimately prevail because it is of the essence of creation. Goodness is rooted in creation and sustained by God.
Sanctification
Set apart is now. Holiness is now. But again, not yet. Sanctification takes time. In fact won’t be complete until we follow Jesus into the Father’s presence. We have assurance of salvation (1 John 5:11,12) and that is reliable. We are set apart. We belong to Jesus through our faith, belief, trust. That is now and forever.
So?
We can’t make ourselves fit Jesus’ prayer. But we can lean towards it; we can go with Jesus in that direction. By our submission to him his image shows more clearly in us. We can make choices that are unifying, joy-bringing, trusting, and sanctifying. God wants us to work with him mending broken things.
Pray asking God to lead you to action in response to what he has said today.