Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Monday after Exaudi

Posted on May 17, 2021 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. John 17:20-26 (NKJV)
 
17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 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. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
 
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
 
Devotion
 
Just as our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for Saint Peter that his faith would not falter, so our Lord prays for all of us; and this prayer teaches us about life in the Church. Jesus prays that those who believe in Him would be one. Just as Jesus has unity with the Father, so we as believers are united to one another in Christ.
 
Notice that Jesus prays for those who “will believe in Me through their [the Apostles’] word.” This is the first part of Church unity and fellowship. All who believe, teach, and confess the word which the Apostles brought in the sacred Scripture are made one. If this word is not believed and confessed, then there is no fellowship. Even if a sectarian group says they believe in the Apostolic word and yet contradicts or modifies it, then we cannot have fellowship.
 
This is a terrible tragedy when brothers cannot walk in unity. We pray, just as our Lord prays, that all schisms and causes of offense would be done away with, and all those who wander from the truth of Scripture would be brought to repentance. Until such time, we keep this Apostolic word and unite with those who do likewise, knowing that Christ is still advancing His kingdom.
 
Prayer: Almighty, Everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will toward Thee and to serve Thy Majesty with a pure heart; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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