Breaking the Word

"I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 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. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, 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. 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. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. 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."  (Jn 17:20-26)

Jesus prays for those who will believe in him through the teachings of his disciples. In a sense Jesus prays for the generations that will come after him. Jesus prays for all the disciples and all the followers of the future generations. His prayer is always for unity of the followers. And the model for the unity of the disciples is same as ever. As the Father and Son are united so also should the disciples be united.

Perfection comes in unity. (“so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one”). This perfection and unity are the signs that God loved Jesus and God sent Jesus and Jesus loved the people.

The disciples are a gift from the father to Jesus. Since they are gifts they are loved and the name of the father is revealed to them. Each one is a gift from God and everyone should be loved and all together should form one unit and this is what the perfection that God wants.

And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth. (Jn 17:11-19)

One of the contents of Jesus prayer is unity. He prays for the unity among his disciples. The unity that Jesus prays for his disciples is supposed to reflect the unity of the father and the son. The model or the goal is very clear. This only goes to say that any disunity among disciples is a scandal. Shall we say that any division among disciples is a scandal?

Jesus believed that whatever happens in the world is in fulfilment of the scriptures. He says this with regard to his mission. He was sent to bring the word of God to his disciples and protect them. He has done so. But only one was lost and that too happened according to the scriptures.  

What is truth? Pilate asked Jesus and Jesus did not reply him. He kept silent. Here in his prayer to the father he is very clear about truth. He says your word is truth. Word of God is truth and Jesus himself is the word and he is the truth.