After that last supper, Jesus...
Illustration
After that last supper, Jesus gave the church words of comfort, encouragement, and
challenge. He told them not to let their hearts be troubled (14:1). He told them if they
asked anything in his name it would be granted (14:14). He reminded them they would
never be abandoned or orphaned (14:18). He told them that he would send the Spirit to
teach and remind them of all they needed (14:26). He promised them that, despite it all, at
the center of the storm of their lives there would be a great peace -- the peace of God
(14:27). He gave them many words to think about and he said: "I have said these things
to keep you from stumbling"(16:1). But the great prayer in our text today is Jesus' prayer
for his disciples and for the church. He prayed for many things before he left. Toward the
end of the prayer we have the central part of this last will and testament he left them. "...
That they may be one as we are one" (17:22). He uses this word, "one," four separate
times in the latter part of the prayer. Doesn't Jesus still long for one-ness when he prays
for his church? The religious wars that have been fought by Christians with Christians are
many. The divisions in the church even after all these years are ever-present. Practically
every denomination is torn asunder by a multitude of issues on which people cannot
agree. Uniformity was not Jesus' prayer for his beloved. He prayed that, despite whatever
differences they had, they might find a commonality in Christ Jesus. So, like Christians
through the years, we meet and lift up this last longing that Jesus gave us in his prayer.
He prayed: "... that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that
you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (17:23). You might
flip through the yellow pages of your phone book and hold up all the pages that list the
different varieties of Christian churches. In the deep-South town where I live there are
fourteen pages of such listings. We do not have to agree on polity or doctrine but those
who proclaim Jesus is Lord really are brothers and sisters. We are not to be competitors
but colleagues.
