What Jesus Wants

John 17

"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 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. - John 17:20-21

One would think that a man's final words as he faces the end of his life would capture what really matters most to him. As He prays here on the very eve of His crucifixion, we have the privilege of having a glimpse into what mattered most to Jesus. I read this chapter to some of my closest friends last evening and they all agreed that what Jesus wanted most, was for His people to be one.

It shouldn't be too hard should it? It isn't like He was asking for the world to come together in unity. He simply wants His people to be one. It would be another matter for Him to ask liberals and conservatives to come together, PC users and Apple users to unite, Americans and Russians to bind together or Maple Leaf and Habs fans to join hands. He wants the church to be one and that shouldn't be such a big deal, because they are already supposed to be on the same team, are they not? I had said earlier that the Kingdom of God is made up of people who really want to be a part of that kingdom.

When I speak of "church", I'm really just talking about people. Sometimes we get together in our homes and sometimes a bunch of us get together, put up a building and hire a musician to lead us in song on a Sunday morning. It doesn't take too long to look at the church and see that we are anything but united. We come together in different forms for sure, but we are also fragmented in many ways. If you live in North America and live in a large urban centre, you might notice that there are so many different kinds of institutions or denominations. Christians are fragmented to where Christianity is kind of like a religious Baskin Robins. If you live in a small rural community, you might be blessed and only have one "kind" of church.

This is not what Jesus wanted. He wanted His people to be purified by the truth. The truth was supposed to help bring about our oneness. I don't know how to describe what has happened. Some of us have likely been too stubborn to listen. Others of us really do want to know but we really don't see things the same way as the people next door and can't find a way to work through it together.

What I do know, is that we desperately need what Jesus is asking for. We are a people made up from all different walks of life. We consist of individuals from different cultures, languages and race. We have different careers, political convictions and hobbies. It seems like the very way of living works to tear us apart, from the pleasures of this world to even the very real cares of life. The diversity of our makeup pleads for the grace to truly become one.

If you are among the people of Christ, what is holding you back from experiencing the kind of unity He wants you to have with the rest of His people? Are there places where you resist the work of His word and His Spirit?

If you are on the outside looking in, I understand if you've been disheartened at how fragmented Christians can be. I hope it helps to know that Christ isn't pleased with it either. Please don't blame our failings on Him, and I won't judge you by the people you associate with.
Deal?