John 17:20-23
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you 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. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.“
It’s amazing to me to think that Jesus, when He prayed for His disciples before His death, looked into the future and saw me as well. He saw you, if you are a disciple of Jesus. He saw all of us, and He included us in His prayers for His disciples. Why? Why did He include us? Because He knew that once He had ascended, the world would only be able to know Him through our continued testimonies of what He has done in our lives.
When the church is fractured and there is in-fighting and a lack of unity, it looks no different from a regular social club. Those who are on the outside looking in see nothing that would draw them to want to be a part of this group. There is nothing special there. It’s just like any other group. But when the church is in unity and harmony, when we reflect the sacrificial love of the savior, the picture is completely different. Then the church no longer makes sense to those who are on the outside looking in. It looks different. It looks special. It looks unique. The Bible says that it is the goodness of God that lead us to repentance. It isn’t His judgement. It isn’t fear of His wrath. It is His overwhelming love for us and His goodness that makes us seek to change how we live our lives.
Are we doing a good job of showing Jesus to the world? Are we living in love and unity with each other to show those on the outside the goodness of God? That’s the testimony Jesus wants us to give the world. Not just our words about what He has done in our life, but our actions that demonstrate how his love has changed us from selfish people into a unified, selfless, loving body that accurately reflects Him to the world.
Father, I thank you that when Jesus prayed for His disciples, He also prayed for me. How humbling to think that even then, I was on His mind. Father, I pray that you would help me cultivate a humble heart. Help me to not esteem myself more highly than I ought to, but help me to see others the way you see them. Help me to know what is essential truth and what is nonessential. Help me to stand up for what you want me to stand up for and to let go of everything else in the pursuit of peace and unity. Be with our churches. Help us have such unity, peace, and love in our midst that we draw in those who need you most. Help me reflect You to the world around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Beautiful Mess 