Jesus’ Prayer

We put effort into the things that are important to us.  But what about the things that are important to Jesus?  This Sunday’s scripture passage from the Gospel of John concludes a long section where Jesus has been frantically teaching his disciples everything they will need to know after he is dead.  The hour of his death is fast approaching and Jesus is trying to pack as much as possible into these final hours.  Then, at the end of this valuable and intense period of instruction, Jesus pauses, looks up to heaven, and begins to pray.

And what does Jesus pray for?  What is so important to Jesus that he will use some of his final breaths as a living person to ask for it?  In the midst of his final hours Jesus prays, “that they may all be one.  As you, Father, are in me and I am in you…may they be one, as we are one.”

There are lots of things that divide us as Christians.  We have different theologies, different opinions, different worship styles, different tastes, different geographies, different cultures, different prejudice, different sins.  We Christians are a broad and diverse people.  Therefore we are bound to have differences and to experience division.  But we do hold one thing in common.  We do hold Christ in common.  And if Christ is really important to us, if what is important to Christ is important to us, then we must put effort into overcoming our differences and divisions.

In our consumeristic culture it’s pretty easy to get around the hard work of overcoming our differences for the sake of unity in Christ.  We shop for the church and the Christians who are the best fit for us.  And usually this translates into the church and the Christians who are most like us, in theology, in opinion, in taste, even perhaps in prejudice and sin.  And if something were to happen in that church, if differences arise or division ensues, then we simply shop for another church that might better suit our needs.  The hard work of reconciliation is pretty easy to avoid in today’s social climate.

But if we are going to claim the title, “Christian,” then Jesus’ prayer must be our prayer and Jesus’ work our work.  Jesus built bridges.  He didn’t burn them.  Jesus reached out to those who were different.  He didn’t avoid them.  May we do the same as we seek to live lives of faithful Christian discipleship in today’s diverse and different world.

May the words of my mouth, the meditations of my mind, and the feelings of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Amen.