(Audio)
What did Jesus come to earth to do? To bring salvation, yes. But salvation was not only from something, that being sin, but also for something, that being sonship and union with God himself. He came to "break down the dividing wall" (see Ephesians 2:14) between Gentiles and Jews, indeed between people of every tribe, nation, and tongue. He came to remove the veil around the Holy of Holies to open the new and living way to the divine presence (see Hebrews 10:20). Before he ascended Jesus prayed for the Church, expressing this union as his deepest priority.
“Holy Father, keep them in your name
that you have given me,
so that they may be one just as we are one.
Jesus prayed that the Church because he knew she would be attacked by a world that misunderstood her to be the enemy. It would hate the Church as it hated Jesus himself, as a living contradiction of sin, as if the voices of the suppressed consciences of those living in the world was given visible form, and made an audible voice. But the world would not often attack the Church in its entirety. It would rather target individual Christians, seeking to entice us to compromise our values and beliefs. Giving even a little ground in this way set up something more dangerous for the Church than opposition from the outside: opposition among the members themselves. Paul too was aware of this danger. He knew that those who compromised on truth would not be content to merely drift themselves, but would seek to draw others after them.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
For both Jesus and for Paul this danger to unity based on truth represented a primary existential threat to the flock whom they so loved. Both of them prayed and taught about this danger for the sakes not only of their immediate hearers, but for us modern sheep who would continue to face wolves, and for our modern Church that would still, as ever, under attack by the Evil One. The primary assurance of safety from this assault was to be covered in the protective will and prayer of Jesus himself. But how could we do our part to ensure this was true? Both Jesus and Paul repeated and similar theme in this regard.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
In his own prayer Jesus reminded us, "I gave them your word", the full revelation of the Father, that he himself made known. This was the word that was living and active, a powerful antidote to all the powers of sin and division, and, as the embodiment of truth, the ground for any kind of meaningful unity to which we might aspire. Jesus would go on to pray for his Church, that she would not only know this word, but be consecrated, set apart and defined by the truth itself, just as Jesus himself was set apart by his Father.
Consecrate them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
We should notice that we were not called to be set apart in truth to remain apart. We were set apart so that we could go out into the world, clear on what Jesus himself had to offer, and on what the world desperately needed to receive. Realizing these things would help us avoid making the mistake of thinking that what the world needs is something that is in our own power to to offer. Without the word of Jesus holding our own hearts steady we would be indistinguishable from the world. Sadly, it would often be the case that that distinction is not always as clear as Jesus prayed for it to be. And when it was not thus clear the unity of the Church herself would show signs of breaking down, as she became to some degree disconnected from her intended unity with God himself. The prayers of both Paul and Jesus were meant to avail for her and therefore for us as well. If we have not been not been as committed to the truth as Jesus himself intended let us hear him pray for us, that we may be freshly reconsecrated, for ourselves, for our brothers and sisters, and for the world. In this way we may hope to receive the desire of Jesus for us "that they may share my joy completely".
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