David Bahn – Reflections

John 17:20-26

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

It’s a silly and often irreverent movie, but Bruce Almighty nevertheless uncovers a profoundly-important truth in at least one case. When Bruce takes on the responsibility of answering prayers he discovers that the job of being God isn’t as easy as he thought it would be. Answering prayers one at a time proves to be too difficult, so he resorts to answering all prayers, “Yes.” Chaos ensues. While some people are made rich and happy, others experience one disappointment and catastrophe after another. Life and death are more complex than we can imagine; our needs and desires intersect and connect with others in millions of ways.

Jesus teaches that in his Lord’s Prayer with the opening words, “Our Father.” With those words, Jesus would remind us that we and others pray to the Father of all; we are not alone in our need, or in our praying. God’s “yes” to you may be a “no” to someone else. Beyond that, however, Jesus’ prayer here in John 17 reaches beyond the disciples to those who will come to faith through the witness of the disciples.

That would include you and me. His requests for us are the same as those for the apostles: unity, the assurance of God’s love, a revelation of God’s glory, and God’s protection. But of all these things, Jesus emphasizes unity. He prays that we are filled with Christ, that we have the same oneness as Jesus and the Father experience. He prays that God’s love would so fill them and Jesus’ presence so shape them that God is glorified and the world knows that Jesus is God’s Son, sent to redeem the world.

It is good to know that Jesus was praying for you and me 2000 years ago. But it is important to realize that he was praying for your neighbor as well – both the one who is a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ as well as the one who needs to hear the word of God and be brought to faith. God’s desire for you is his desire for your best friend and worst enemy. Jesus’ prayer for you is his prayer for the people of Texas, Mexico, Brazil, France, China, India, and all the nations of the world. His answer to our prayers may not all be “Yes.” But his yearning and prayers for all people is that we would embrace his love and salvation.

Next time you pray the Lord’s Prayer, hold in mind and heart the “Our” part of the prayer, and recall Jesus’ prayer for you and your neighbor. Then consider this: Jesus’ prayer is aimed not only at you and all who call him Lord, but goes beyond even that to your neighbor, your boss, co-worker, friend, enemy, and the generations to come. May Jesus’ name be praised by us all!