Introduction
(a)
The
value of teamwork. A lot to be done, which is best shared, with opportunity and
growth to be the outcomes.
(b)
What
lies beneath teamwork and unity?! Connectedness!
Context
This is part of a
much longer prayer that Jesus prayed just prior to his crucifixion. In this
prayer we see Jesus’ dedication to God’s purposes, and his great love for his
disciples. We also see expressed here a great concern for how the mission of
Jesus will be continued in the post-Jesus period.
Text
Let us listen to
the words of Jesus:
"I ask not only on behalf of
these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their
word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are
in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me
I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I
in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that
the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you
have loved me.
A Question
What does it mean
to be “one” (or “completely one”)???
This seems to
involve how we consider ourselves to be, how we view our connection with one
another, and then … how we act as a result of that connection. This doesn’t
begin with frantic activity trying to prove how effectively we can work
together, but rather begins with a state of being – who we are together. We
could use the word ‘unity’ or ‘united’, but that sometimes can become a little
artificial, like putting up a ‘united front’ (that actually covers up for the
real situation). We can try to force a sort of unity, attempting to force
square blocks into round holes in doing so. With a sort of forced unity approach,
we can become scared of having different views or diverse personalities because
this might upset the apple cart.
“Oneness” takes
us deeper than this. “Oneness” is an understanding, and an acceptance, that
when we come to know Jesus as our Saviour, we are also, with NO choice in the
matter, becoming related to all those who have made the same decision.
“Oneness”, therefore, is a deeply spiritual reality. As we fight it, as we may
do, we will undermine God’s (mighty) work of redemption (because this is contrary
to the most powerful brand of witness we can have – mutual love). And thus,
reacting against “oneness”, would be something we would be ultimately
responsible for and held accountable to.
We shouldn’t have
to force unity, we should just be “one”. We are part of one another. We
are spiritually tied to each other as we are tied to God. This is more than
about friendships (that might naturally emerge around common interests), but
rather about a broad compatibility that is found through our mutual relationship
with Jesus. This compatibility works with differing personalities toward common
agreed goals. Our doing (or our activity) would then be not so much an effort,
but rather more an expression of our being.
Now, this
scripture in John shows that, our only real hope for this “oneness” lies first
within the “Oneness” of the Trinity … the Community of God … Father, Son and
Spirit, and that we would actually be residing within that Divine “Oneness”
ourselves. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are perfectly “one”. These members of the
Divine Trinity have different roles or functions, but are “one” or ‘completely
unified’ in purpose – having a single harmonious will. They function in
different ways, but always toward the same end (in perfectly complimentary
ways). They are completely open to one another, knowing their mutual
dependence; and because they are God, there is a thorough likemindedness.
This is what we
are being drawn into. Our “oneness” is at home in God’s “Oneness”. In this way
we can collectively partner with God in addressing people’s need and the
problems of the world. Together we can discern God’s will for our church and
some of the solutions that our community requires. Because Jesus died to take
away our sin and free us from our burdens and brokenness, we can share in his
“glory” together – a shared experience of resurrected eternal life.
For us though,
the practice of “oneness” still isn’t always easy – it can come across some
opposition. Jesus, when on earth in a fully human form, had this “oneness” and
likemindedness tested: first, in his wilderness experience of temptation –
tempted to step outside of God’s will, where due to his relationship with God
and knowledge of God’s Word – Jesus didn’t budge; second, in the garden just
prior to his crucifixion, under the burden of great suffering, where he
ultimately concluded, “Not my will, but Thy Will”. The “oneness” that Jesus
prayed for, he actually modelled, even under duress; yet in Jesus praying for
this on behalf of his disciples, we recognise potential challenges that we have
to face up to.
“Oneness” is
practiced and recognised through functioning relationships. We acknowledge our
“oneness” with other believers as a spiritual reality, but it only becomes seen
… as it is practiced through community. What Jesus prayed, was that the
disciples would be seen to be “one” in all the practicalities of sharing the
Gospel. Also, as other people responded, on the Day of Pentecost, and on
subsequent great days of preaching and healing, that these people too would
become part of this very clear expression of “oneness”.
In effect, this
would mean that as believers gathered together constantly in their local house
churches, and committed themselves to the furtherance of the Gospel together,
that they would practice being “one”. As we read in Acts 2 and Acts 4 we see great
evidence that this was happening in a variety of ways, and the world was
noticing! You may recall that, in Acts chapter 12, when Peter had been arrested
and thrown into prison, the believers were all together as “one” praying for
Peter, with extraordinary results.
A Second
Question
So what is
the purpose of being “one”??
It is stated
twice in a couple of verses. That the world may know … and believe in Jesus …
that God sent Jesus … and that the reason behind this was God’s love for all
humanity. It is so the Gospel message (which is all about God’s love for
humanity) stands out as plausible, real and transformational. It is so that the
message we bring makes sense, has integrity, and is worth attention and reflection
(and adherence). There is a real expectation in these words of Jesus (v.20)
that people will respond to the “oneness” and the witness (to
Jesus) of the disciples. And of course this is what has happened
over 20-odd centuries, and continues to happen across the world.
We have to be
sure to note again though, the converse or opposite of “oneness” has sad
implications, because this undermines (or even potentially destroys) our
witness to the “sent one” (Jesus)! A lack of love makes it hard to reveal God’s
love. Let us not forget the privilege we have, in being drawn into a
Divine circle of love in which the Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist, and where
we can reside as well!!
Paul’s Body
Analogy
The apostle Paul
reflects on this “oneness” by using the example of the human body (1
Corinthians 12). All the different looking body parts with all their different
functions … all necessarily brought together towards a common purpose of active
life; where any particular disfunction upsets the whole. One part shouldn’t try
to be a different part because a foot cannot properly perform the role of a
hand – only a hand is properly fitted to do the work of a hand. No part lacks
value; all parts are indispensable (to each other). An arm can’t be jealous
about a leg, because the arm has got its own job to do – and the whole cannot
do without the arm being an arm.
And all this
proper functioning, and the correct use of all gifts (which is what the body
metaphor is about), is in aid of … ??? … serving "the common good"!! Here
described is the most wonderful collaboration of gifts, abilities and resources
that you could imagine … toward the attainment of a collective goal. And like
“oneness” being drawn into the Trinity, the spiritual body metaphor has Jesus
as its head – where the ultimate thinking and decision-making is done.
A spirit of
“oneness” acknowledges a great diversity of backgrounds, personalities,
temperaments, needs, beliefs, opinions, desires, interests and gifts; and the
bigger you grow the greater the diversity becomes. But the spirit of “oneness”
only admits one purpose – the sharing of the good news of Jesus in love!!
This is so rich; because we can bring together so many experiences of life (and
of God) into a magnificent tapestry of witness. This is the power of “one” –
the “one” that is many!! We learnt again last week, that there are NO limits to
God’s desire to love even the most hardened or broken people.
“Oneness” in
Action
I don’t plan to
address the big historical picture of the divisions that have occurred between
Christians, largely driven by pride, intolerance, error and personal power
agendas. That is far too big a subject, and a far too enormous task to fix. We
first need to understand, apply and practice our own “oneness” … as an example
(before we point fingers in other directions). “Oneness” begins with me,
acknowledging my spiritual connection to you. "Oneness" begins with us, acknowledging our spiritual connection with each other.
Most of us also know Christians
in the other local churches, and we should be sure to extend and embrace our
“oneness” across any artificial boundary towards them. We can express “oneness”
while respecting different traditions that see us worshipping in different
forms. [One example may be holding hands with our Anglican friends as they host
the Bright Community Garden.]
“Oneness” cannot
be legislated or enforced, it can only be lived and learnt. We must work on our
relationships in the Body of Christ. If the good news of Jesus is truly good
news, then we should be able to give it credibility through harmonious
relationships. And it is love that drives “oneness”! There are some Biblical
markers that we might assess ourselves against, as challenging as they are:
·
Paul
speaking of the ‘body’ – “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it;
if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26)
·
Paul
again – “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans
12:15)
·
James
5:16 – “… Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that
you may be healed”.
Here are some
other markers we could consider:
·
Encouragement
in the face of the world’s critical ways
·
Self-control
in the face of the world’s hostility
·
Sharing
in the face of the world’s selfishness
·
Generosity
in the face of the world’s self-centredness
·
Cooperation
in the face of the world’s individualism
·
Faithfulness
in the face of the world’s betrayal
·
Honesty
in the face of the world’s deceptions
·
Gentleness
in the face of the world’s quest for power
·
Forgiveness
in the face of the world’s desire for revenge
·
Peace-making
in the face of the world’s tendency for violence
·
Joy
in the face of the world’s despair.
As mentioned in
the earlier verses in John 17 (v.11-19), there can be opposition to those who
take a path that might bring some challenge to the status-quo or light into the
darkness. Jesus has different priorities and attitudes to the world. So, no
wonder Jesus prayed for a “oneness” that would hold a consistent witness
together under duress. We can be sorely tested! We can be discouraged,
disrupted and diverted! But any such opposition can be responded to with a
“oneness” wholly focussed on the will of God.
Prayer Support
If we bring this
text into the present, and why shouldn’t we – we see that Jesus is praying for
us. What more do we need!?! Jesus is praying for his disciples and his church to
be successful in their mission of representing him in the world of each
generation. As we consider the challenge of being “one” with a group of
very different people, and also the challenge of sharing the good news of
Jesus with a very complex community of need – we should be amply reassured
that as Jesus is praying for us, we might be and do exactly that! Amen!!
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