I remember the moment; I don’t remember when it took place . . . perhaps in young adulthood, during my quiet time. A Bible verse caught my attention–John 17:21–causing my eyes to widen and fill with tears.
First, a bit of context. That chapter includes Jesus’ prayer after the Last Supper and mere hours before the crucifixion. He asked his Father to sustain him, to manifest God’s power through his death, resurrection, and ascension, and in so doing, prove that Jesus was the Son of God (vs. 1-5).[1]
Second he prayed for his disciples—for their protection, joy, spiritual growth, and unity (vs. 6-18).
And then (wonder of wonders!) Jesus prayed for you and me, his future followers!
“I pray also for those who will believe in me,” he said (v. 20, emphasis added).
I read on with eager expectation. What did he ask God to do on our behalf? Strength to endure? Guidance for wise choices? Kind and generous hearts?
Those are worthwhile prayers, but it would seem Jesus left those for us to request.
Instead, he prayed for one over-arching blessing to characterize his believers: unity.
“I pray that they may all be one, Father!
May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you.”
John 17:21a GNT
Among all the things we need as his followers, why would Jesus pray for unity? We’ll get to that in a moment.
First, we need to understand he wasn’t praying for uniformity, expecting his followers to agree on every issue. The apostle Paul and his co-missionary Barnabas disagreed over their young companion Mark (Acts 15:37-39), and godly men throughout church history have taken different sides of various issues: Martin Luther with Huldrych Zwingli, John Wesley with George Whitefield, and John Stott with Martyn Lloyd-Jones—to name a few.
It’s doubtful Jesus expected his followers to grow into one big denomination. What he did desire was a spirit of love and an attitude of grace to bind us together, equipping us to overlook differences of preference and tradition. He’d have us focus on what we have in common.
At the Christian university I attended, all students were required to take the course, Philosophy and Christian Thought. One of our textbooks (a very thick one!) was titled, The Protestant Faith. And though the differences between denominations were certainly laid out, I was struck by how much doctrine and theology we share in common—much more than what divides us.
That’s what we need to concentrate on: the foundational truths like those we recite in the Apostles’ Creed, and our purpose of introducing others to Christ as well as taking delight in obeying him and growing more like him.
Even more important? A covering of love—love that admits wrong, forgives grievances, allows for differences of opinion on nonessentials, and doesn’t dishonor others but seeks the best for them.
Last but foremost: we must continually look to Jesus through prayer and worship, privately and publicly.
Perhaps you remember A. W. Tozer’s illustration. If one hundred pianos are all tuned to the same fork, they’re automatically in tune with each other. Similarly, if one hundred worshipers look to Christ, they’re going to be much more in tune with one another than if they focus on other matters, worthwhile as they might be. That would include unity itself.[2]
And now to answer that question, why would unity be so important to Jesus? His reason is revealed at the end of John 17:21.
“May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me.”
John 17:21b GNT
The world is plagued by ugly divisiveness, hatred, and vitriol.
Jesus desired his followers to be characterized by the beauty of unity as we strive to love like him—overlooking slights, sidestepping fights, and giving up our rights.[3]
When people witness such beauty, there will be those who desire it for themselves and come to faith in Christ.
* * * * * * * * * *
O Father, point out those areas where my preferences and opinions interfere with my love for your people. Help me put aside differences and focus on areas of commonality. May I play an active part in the beauty of unity within my circle of influence, drawing others to you.
[1] Barnes Notes on the Bible, www.biblehub.com.
[2] A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, 90.
[3] Patsy Clairmont, Boundless Love, 236.
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When our focus is on Jesus, we CAN live in unity with one another, respecting differences of opinion, and gently correcting those who, in haste, point fingers of blame at others. I don’t know about your other readers, Nancy, but I feel that there are too many folks out there who are seeking to destroy us with their rhetoric of hate and division. We don’t need to be dragged into their petty arguments, but need to lean into Jesus and His teachings. As the Lord said, disciples will be known by their love for one another.
Blessings, my friend!
Amen, Martha! Love IS key. As Jack Hyles said, “On the essentials, unity. On the nonessentials, liberty. In everything, charity.” We too often come up short in that last virtue: charity/love!
Good thoughts here, Nancy. That Tozer quote is great.
Thank you, Jean. Isn’t that an insightful illustration? I love Tozer!
With age comes wisdom, Nancy. This lesson resonates with me today much more than it would have, say, twenty years ago. I pray for healing in this troubled world, and unity from the divisiveness.
Amen, Dave! “Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other’s hearts in prayer” — Charles Finney. May the burden to pray for unity grab ALL our hearts!
It makes perfect sense that if we believers all look to God, spending time with Him in prayer and devotions we will all be aligned to receive what He desires for us…unity among His children, leaving no room for strife, grudges, or unforgiveness. The Tozer quotation is the perfect way to explain unity among believers, Nancy. I so much appreciate the insights you shared this week.
Thank you, Cheri. I too found that Tozer quote to be insightful. I wonder how many disagreements and divisions might be avoided if we individually and corporately prayed, worshiped, meditated on scripture, and sought after God?
Nancy,
What an enjoyable thought about unity. Your prayer at the end is so appropriate. I really wonder if we will see an example of a church like this! We are too proud to admit our faults and ask forgiveness. Sam
Yes, pride no doubt enters into many a disagreement. Sometimes each side is partially right and partially wrong. God is the only One who can help us sort it out, and it takes humility on both sides for that to happen.
Well said Nancy. As a youth that verse struck me as well.
It’s a challenging verse because we have to play an active part in its application. Maintaining unity isn’t easy!
“… overlooking slights, sidestepping fights, and giving up our rights.” Love it! So true, Nancy. When the world sees a group of people with all kinds and degrees of differences – all getting along and loving one another – what a testimony!
I loved those steps to unity, too, from Patsy Clairmont, a Women of Faith speaker. She had such a gift for putting words together in clever, memorable ways!
Our pastor just preached over the Apostles creed the past two Sundays to explain each sentence thoroughly. He mentioned the controversy in a few of the lines that are included (the line that mentions Jesus going to hell and then the line referring to belief in the Catholic Church) but made the more important point in reminding us that the creed points to unity in Jesus and should not cause division over the controversial lines. I loved his take on that reminder but it’s also a sad truth how desperate we are to rip one another apart even when something aims to glorify God!!
…May we set our differences aside and focus solely on Him.
Amen, Alicia, and kudos to your pastor. Sometimes we can veer off into non-essentials and get quite focused on them. It’s a wise choice to review the essentials of our faith now and then, and renew our commitment to unity!
Yes well said!!
It is amazingly overwhelming to realize that Jesus prays for us. “Who is man…?” Yet he prays for us and keeps us in his watchful care!
Amazing indeed, that Jesus continues to pray for us (Romans 8:34)–a thrilling yet humbling realization!
More authentic unity with one another and deeper union with God–the Great Commandment. And we definitely need to focus more on that. Thanks for this!
You’re welcome, Dayle. The Great Commandment does play an important role in unity. As we seek to love one another, we’ll certainly bond more firmly in unity. Thank you for adding your insight!