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John 17:20-22
February 7, 2025 by Rebecca Littlejohn
DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
John 17:20-22 – “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.” (NRSV)
Have you ever thought about whether your life could help someone else believe in Jesus? Have you ever thought about whether our shared life as a church could help someone believe in Jesus? There are two common stereotypes out about churches: The first is that churches are full of arguing hypocrites, and the second is that we’re always asking for money. People use these assumptions as excuses for staying away.
In this context, Jesus’ prayer makes a lot of sense. He knew our witness wasn’t going to be credible if we were always stirring up conflict with one another. And yet, his prayer isn’t about simple agreement; it’s about communion. The church is one when we are one with Christ, who is one with God. It’s a lot deeper than avoiding disagreement. Such communion is, Jesus even dares to say, glorious. It is that vision for the church that we celebrate when we join in the Lord’s Supper.
What is amazing and challenging about the Disciples experiment is that we aim to live within this communion without necessarily first making sure we all agree. Because we know it’s about something deeper than agreement, we claim that Christ empowers us to seek unity together despite disagreement. Far too often, we try to meet this challenge the easy way – by simply not discussing the things we don’t agree on. But to do that ignores what Jesus has said about our unity.
The communion we aim for as church isn’t about agreeing with one another; it’s about being one with Christ. That means that we have to hear and attend to one another’s hurts as Jesus would hear and attend to them, even if we are the ones who caused the hurt. It means letting go of our own will and praying for God’s will to be done. It isn’t always easy, but it is rewarding. And the witness is gives to the world makes a difference!