Seventh Sunday in Easter: Gospel, John 17:20-26                    

John 17:20-26

If you were to read the title above and you didn’t have this week’s gospel reading as a reference, you might feel a bit lost. It’s a broad question until …. until you can capture just what “It” is. It is unity. Perhaps “spiritual oneness” might be another way to say it. Jesus is praying in our text and the focus of this part of the prayer is us. That’s right, it’s you and me. How do I know that? Hear the voice of the Son addressing his Father:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word ….” (v.20a).

“These alone” refers to those who Jesus had spoken to, or to those who had heard him in his earthly stay. And now Jesus turns to praying for those who would hear his message through them, his audience, specifically the twelve. And for what does he ask his Father? Verse 21 reads, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Huge concepts. But not just ideas. Jesus is asking God the Father for something as tangible as the cup that held my morning coffee. Unity. Jesus then spells out the fact that unity is found in the very Person of the Holy Trinity. You can read it. It’s right there.

Some people say the church already has unity because the Trinity dwells in us. But is Jesus only speaking of an “invisible” quality? I don’t believe so because the result of our unity is that the world would believe the church was God’s work. Again read it yourself. No, I think we fail at unity and not because the Trinity has failed, but because we have. Some say unity is found in the visible “head” of the church called the pope. Not true. Some say unity is found in doctrinal conformity. That doesn’t do it either. It’s an enormous idea, but perhaps because we look for unity in all the wrong places. When the world begins to get it, that God made the church for their sakes, well then perhaps we will have found our way. I’m praying what Jesus prayed.