Reflection on “Two Passages”

A common thread which runs through both passages is man’s access to an increased sense of belonging that enables new possibilities. The passage from John conveys this idea through Jesus repeatedly mentioning oneness. An evolving union exists between his followers and he prays that this union will become more intimate moving towards the kind of relationship that exists between the Father and Himself. The Ephesians passage uses the language of citizenship and the metaphor of a growing temple both to illustrate a sense of progression. Mankind is moving forward, he belongs to and is a part of something. As a person lives in this truth one begins to exist as he was meant to: God enters and uses him.

Jesus prays that his followers may share a unity that is comparable with the relationship Jesus Christ and the Father share: “that they may be one, just as We are one” It becomes clear that one of Jesus’ goals concerns relationships. Relationships within the Church are to be intimate to the degree that there is intimacy between Jesus and the Father. Jesus was constantly orientated toward the father. It was His will that Jesus constantly sought to accomplish. Likewise we should be preoccupied with the Father's will but also our neighbors legitimate desires and needs before we are concerned about our own. As we become one with each other – truly sharing our lives – we can enter into Them: “that they may all be one… that they also may be in Us”

Man can cut himself off by acting as an isolated individual, however, doing so separates him in two respects. First when we do not realize the extent to which we are connected to others we cannot optimize our behavior and connections wither leaving one increasingly alone. Secondly because God created us with relationship in mind: “It is not good that the man should be alone” relationship is a fundamental aspect of our nature (Gen 2:18). When we act as if we are isolated we separate ourselves from God’s purposes and thus lose our humanity as he intended it. If we do not embrace our nature we cannot live up to our potential. Jesus fully capitalized on man’s potential by acting entirely on behalf of others. His time on earth was fully aligned with God’s will for man. What’s more Jesus enabled man to access the esteem God had for Him.

Jesus’ prayer opens the door for man to share in his glory: “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them.” This glory is largely a function of his role. Jesus was the incarnation of God the Father; he brought God’s presence to earth. If we are Jesus disciples then we must do as He did. We have changed camps and are no longer disconnected but belong with, and are a part of, something larger than ourselves. Becoming a harbinger of heaven and incarnating God’s manifest presence is what his followers are called to enter into. Ephesians 1:19 illustrates that we are not what we were before, but rather we are citizens in His Kingdom: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household.” As members of God’s household we are called to act accordingly. Man is called to bear His Glory. As we walk into both light and dark places our own glory will be revealed.

The temple refers to a place where God’s presence is manifest. Historically this was a building a great grandeur, however this is no longer the case. God is in and works through his people and their relationships. Ephesians 1: 20ff argues that the Spirit of God dwells in what is being built together and that the disciples of Jesus are the living stones. It is through the Spirit that dwells in us that we are being remade into something greater.

As we bind ourselves together in Christ our relationships evolve and new depth becomes possible. Jesus goes so far as to say that we will be “perfected in unity.” As we draw on Jesus’ spirit we can move forward his redemptive purposes on Earth. Jesus makes clear that one of these purposes is to love one another with a love that is not possible outside of God: “that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” With God’s spirit and love inside of us we can pour new life into people. As people come to understand what this invitation into God’s Kingdom is, the kingdom will expand.

God came to earth to plant a seed. This seed is the reality of life and it grows in the hearts of men. As we acknowledge our nature and begin to “walk” as he intended us to, we focus on others rather then ourselves. As we awaken to Real Life we realize that we are a part of something. That something is humanity and God. He is binding together those who are awake – aware of His life and its availability – into an instrument. It is this instrument that God is using to accomplish His purposes in the world. As we are “perfected in unity” we – the Church – become more effective in facilitating His will. We are gateways into the Kingdom of Heaven and enable its reality to emerge on Earth. It is God’s Spirit and His love that make this possible. Jesus prayed that the Father would be in us even as He was in Jesus. The Church is God’s vehicle for remaking the world. He will accomplish his goal of redeeming humanity and the world by indwelling people and flowing through them. It is through us that He works and continues to reveal His Love, and in so doing he makes us Glorious.