Monday after Exaudi Sunday
Posted on May 13, 2024 by under
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
Unity is an important thing. At least, Jesus thinks that it is important enough to pray for. Jesus wants not only His twelve Apostles to be unified, but also all those who come into the Church after them. He is greatly concerned about the unity of the Christian Church; He prays, “that all of them may be one,” that is, that all Christians may be one.
This was obviously very important to Jesus, and it should be very important to us as well. Certainly, when Jesus prayed this prayer for the unity of all believers, He did not mean just organizational structures. Jesus would never pray for unity among the believers despite truth. Unity must be built on something more stable and solid than flimsy human organizational structures. Unity must be built on something more stable and solid than the shifting sands of human likes and dislikes.
What is that solid thing? What is that element that builds real unity among believers? It is the Word of God. The Word of God creates unity like nothing else can, because it is above all of us. It is the thing to which all of us must bow our heads and submit our demands. The Word of God does not depend on us for its existence. It doesn’t need us. It is above us, and we are bound to it.
Collect: 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.
