so that they may all be one
Jesus wants us all to be united. He wants us to share in the unity of the Spirit by the bond of peace. We may be jaded about togetherness but this unity is important to Jesus. It is a gift given at Pentecost when the separation that began at the Tower of Babel is undone.
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.
The unity that Jesus wants for his people makes us believable witnesses. It reveals something about the relationship of Jesus to the Father when his people dwell in harmony. It is only when our relationships with one another begin to manifest that very unity and love that Jesus and the Father share that we are truly beginning to reach our potential. So let us not dismiss love of the brethren as optional. Let us not dismiss it as simple kumbaya nonsense. This is how we show the world that Jesus is sent by the Father. They will know we are Christians by our love.
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.
Paul exploits the weakness of disunity and partisan politics in setting the Sadducees and Pharisees against one another before the Sanhedrin. We can imagine this sort of thing happening all too easily in the very Church of God. But this just shows us that we have a way to go in realizing the promise of unity that Jesus offers. That promise allows us to put first things first and to be his witnesses no matter what.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome."
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