John 17:20-26
20 "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.
22 And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.
24 Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
26 I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them."
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I don't have time to compose what I really want to about this passage. It's deeper than meets the eye. Here are a few things:thoughts:v20-21 - Christ ties all those who believe through the Twelve into his prayer. This is Jesus praying for us, 2000 years ago.v23 - "I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one." I didn't get this until recently, but I think Christ is talking about spiritual union between man and God. If we remain in Christ by obeying his commandments -- loving God and loving one another -- we can be brought to perfection as one.
These aren't just flowery words. If you read about the lives of the saints, and read their writings, you can see this idea described from the "earth" end of the transaction. Our journey on this earth is meant to be one toward union with God. We have many people who have walked this path before us and have given descriptions of what we need to do, how it happens, and what it's like. It is worth the time to pay attention to them.
It is easy to get caught in the idea of "nobody's perfect". That's certainly true. But we are called to more than that, and I don't think we should use it as an excuse to keep from moving toward perfection. As we can see in today's passage, it is Christ's desire that we advance toward becoming one with him. He asks the Father for that very thing. He is inside us to help us. But we need to accept the help and embark on the journey.
