David Bahn – Reflections

John 17:4, 9, 20

³ “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

⁹ “I am praying for them.

²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word…”

Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer recorded here in John 17 has three distinct parts. He prays for himself (v. 1-5), for his disciples (v. 6-19), and then for those who would come to believe in him through the witness of the apostles (v. 20-26). A closer look at this prayer yields a parallel, and perhaps even more helpful way of thinking of the three parts of this prayer: Jesus prays a prayer that expresses his love for God, his desire for the wellbeing of his disciples, and his desire for the success of God’s mission on earth. That three-fold concern may be summed up in three words: UP, IN, and OUT.

Mike Breen’s recent blog entry warns of a dangerous infatuation in the church of North America today with Missional Movement apart from the foundational and sustaining element of discipleship. He warns against an approach to church life (pursued by many who look to him as a hero of sorts along these lines) that is marked by strong missional programs but has little or no organized means of building disciples.  He likens the situation to that of a car without an engine – a great analogy.

I surprises me just a bit that he doesn’t simply express this issue in terms of the impossibility of sustaining a well-functioning Christian lifestyle that is not balanced in these three dimensions: UP-IN-OUT.  The concept is one he has championed for some time.

But of course Mike Breen didn’t first champion this balance (nor would he ever even dream of suggesting he did!). He discovered it in the life and ministry of Jesus. And here it is in Jesus’ prayer. Apparently this three-fold concern is a matter of such significance that none other than the Son of God prays about it.

Perhaps we can take something from this ourselves. Such concerns could shape our prayers. Maybe we could seek to give attention to all three areas of our lives as God’s people. We could look at the Bible more closely to see how God speaks to us in these three general areas of our Christian faith. We are likely to discover that one or two of these areas of focus come more easily to us than others. We may discover that our church has stronger focus on one than the other. It would be an opportunity for us to repent and believe, living in a new and more balanced way.