Christian Community: What Jesus wants and how we get there (John 17:20-21)

The theme of this week’s readings has been living in Christian community. Today’s reading (John 17:20-21) tells us what Jesus wants that to look like: we are to be as closely knit to each other as Jesus is to the Father. That is a tall order, but this week’s readings gave us several directions on how to fulfill it.

 

One was do better than the world around us.  Ephesians 4:17; 1 Peter 1:17; and Romans 12:2  each told us to aim higher than the norms/standards of the general culture. As Romans 12:10  put it, we are to “outdo one another in showing honor” to each other, something we rarely see in the world at large.  We are to love on each other to extents and in ways that the world would not.  That is how we live out Jesus’ command that we are to love each other so well that the world will know us by our love. John 13:34-35.

 

Another was to subordinate our desires to those of our brothers and sisters, to focus on their good.  As Philippians 2:3-4  put it, we are to “value others above [ourselves], not looking to [our] own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Relatedly, Ephesians 4:17-24  and 25-32  told us to get rid of the junk in our own lives that either hurts others or hinders our ability to bless them.

 

We were also told to follow Jesus’ examples and directions. Matthew 11:29 told us to put His yoke around us and follow Him. Philippians 2:5  told us to “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” The WWJD  concept of the 1990s comes to mind. 

 

Do those things come naturally? No.  Do they require us to change our default modes of operating? Yes. Is that hard? Yes, at times. 

 

But as anyone who has received the blessings of Christian community will tell you, it is worth it, exponentially so.  So ask God for His help in doing these things. He will be glad to provide it, and you will be glad you did them.

 

Prayer:

Loving Father, help us to love each other like you and Jesus love each other. Help us to love beyond worldly norms, to put others first, to remember and follow Jesus’ examples. And help us to taste and see the goodness of the community you desire for us, and to be motivated by that to persevere and excel in these things.