Jesus prays that we may be one. He prays that his followers may be one, in the same way as Jesus and God the Father are one. As Disciples of Christ, WE need to spread love and unity. The source of our unity is rooted in the unity of the triune God.
Jesus remains one with God the Father. His mind and heart are totally aligned with God’s will and intentions. That unity fuels and directs Jesus’ focus. It’s his center; it grounds him. It keeps him firmly planted through times of storm and trial. His unity with the Heavenly Father is his strength.
This is the degree of unity Jesus prays for us. He prays, “So that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be completely one.”
Division is in our DNA. Division turns the world into Us vs. Them. Division reduces our broadness of concern. We need only take care of our own. Those other people can take care of their own needs. Division makes our world a smaller place. Our focus narrows. Narrowness begets more narrowness.
There is power in Unity. Many people feel a sense of unity when engaging in a team sport, like playing on a basketball team. During the intensity of action on the court, the individual players of the team begin to function as a single unit. They anticipate one another’s moves. They know where they need to get to, where to pass the ball, how to set the block. They cease to think about their own selves and focus into a single mind. The more intense the play grows, the more they become one.
That unity of mind is what Jesus prays for. That unity isn’t just about us. It’s much bigger than just us. Jesus prays, “As you Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us.”
What joins us together in perfect singularity is our unity. Jesus prays that our hearts and minds may be woven into the very fabric of the Triune God. He invites the Spirit to draw us into the good and gracious will of God.
He prays that we will love what God loves. He prays that God’s desires will be our desires.
This spirit of love and unity draws together Jesus with God the Father. This is the golden cord binding us with them. Jesus prays, “May they be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me.”
He prays this so that the world may come to know the great love of God through Christ Jesus! That the world may see and experience it THROUGH US, as we are the living heart of God alive in the world today. Our heart beats as one. They beat with the same love with which God has so loved the world.
