Wandering Crusader #270 The Lord’s Prayer

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. John 17:9

The familiar prayer found in Matthew 6 and again in Luke 11 is the prayer Jesus taught. Whether His disciples are to use it as a pattern for prayer or quote Him directly is a moot point. Either is acceptable to God if one’s heart is in it. However, if you want to examine the Lord’s prayer for His disciples, turn to John 17.

In Jesus’ words to the Father, He spends a good deal of time speaking about their relationship of love, obedience, and union. They are one substance (love) and live in a union of perfect harmony that makes each distinct. They have the same goal—to glorify each other in the salvation of man. We are quick to read over the chapter while giving it a sort of general nodding agreement.

We take the beautiful picture Jesus paints of the union of the Trinity as a given that we accept by faith, yet unsearchable in its depth. We understand the existence of the Trinity without fully knowing how it can be or its workings. C.S. Lewis once said that if we could fully understand God, He would not really be much of a God.

As important as the union of the Trinity may be, it is only part of the story presented in the chapter. Jesus is about to be crucified. His encouragement, His prayer, for His disciples is that they be included in the divine life. The apostles are going to work and live in cooperation with the Father in the same way Jesus did. They are His adopted sons, distinct, yet one with Him.

But this prayer is not just for the eleven. It is for every disciple for the entire church age. It is for you and me. If we should ever wonder what God’s will is, the answer is right here.

Maranatha