The Request of Jesus

Psalm 97: 1 - 9

John 17: 20 – 26

June 1, 2025

We are at a strange time in the Easter story. Oh, I know, most of us have moved beyond Easter, beyond Resurrection Day, beyond that day when the world and its relationship to the Creator was forever changed. Easter seems like it was just so long ago. In many ways our world is back to its normal, chaotic, broken ways….. and so are we.

For the disciples it is even more acute. Yes, the Tomb was empty. Yes, they met the risen Jesus in the Upper Room when all the doors were locked and they – the disciples – were afraid that THEY were next. Thomas has touched the wounds of Jesus. They have caught fish – a miraculous haul – and had breakfast with the resurrected Jesus on the shoreline.

After all of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus the disciples gathered with their Lord one last time and have watched as Jesus ascended into heaven to, again, fill his throne at the side of God with whom He is One.

But here the disciples are, in this strange in between time. In that time between the Ascension of Jesus into heaven and the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Seemingly alone – but not really. Seemingly left to their own devices to fulfill the final command of Jesus to be his witnesses unto the ends of the earth. It is a strange time – this in-between time. A time between the presence of Jesus and the arrival of the Holy Spirit. A time between the power and majesty of Jesus and the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. An in-between time.

And yet, as Dr. Lucy Hogan reminds us in her writings on this text, as vastly different as everything was – these are still the same disciples. Peter is still bold and impetuous. James and John may still be jockeying for positions of authority in the church that is to come. Thomas has his questions; others still have doubts. There is no clarity, no clear direction. And so they wait, in this in-between time between Ascension and Pentecost.

It is not unlike the last time they were with Jesus before his arrest, trials, and crucifixion. A time between life and death. Can we remember back that far? Jesus has washed feet, called them to love one another, promised the Holy Spirit, and commissioned the sacrament of Holy Communion. Judas has left to betray Jesus. Jesus has taught and confused. Jesus has told the disciples of what is to come, and yet they don’t understand. There seems to be no clarity, no clear direction, only frightening predictions and stories of death. And so they wait, in the in-between time of the teachings and final actions of Jesus.

And in this strange in-between time….. Jesus prays. Jesus prays, before he goes out to the Graden of Gethsemane; before his arrest; while still surrounded by his disciples – except for Judas, of course – and Jesus prays. Jesus prays for his disciples. Jesus prays for those who will bear witness to the teachings and miraculous power of Jesus. Jesus prays for those disciples that he knows will face opposition and wrath, hostility and opposition, rejection and indifference.

Jesus prays for them….. and here is the kicker, Jesus prays for us. Verse 20 of our text: I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those WHO WILL BELIEVE in me through their word.” Those who will believe – friends, 2,000 years later that is you and me! We are those who will believe! So, as we read this text we read of the prayers of Jesus for us, today, right where we are!

And folks, let’s be honest, are we today really that much different from those disciples from so long ago? Oh sure, 2,000 more years of sophistication, worldly advances – certainly the world has changed greatly since then. But there are still the bold and impetuous amongst – those who have denied Jesus and had to depend upon his grace and forgiveness. These are still those, like James and John, who jockey for power, prestige, and authority amongst us. We still have our doubting Thomases who need to have things proven to their liking, in ways that they insist upon. We still have those who doubt – both those who use doubt as a catalyst for deeper understanding and those who use doubt as an excuse to wander and deny.

In the midst of all of these divisions – then and now – Jesus prays for all of his disciples of EVERY time and place that they would be one. Jesus offers a prayer for community. Jesus prays that, “all may be one.” Friends, to be a follower of Jesus Christ is to be a part of this great community of believers; to use church language – to be a part of the great cloud of witnesses that exist from throughout time who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

WE ARE ONE! But I have to ask, how is that working for us? In a Creation – God’s Creation – filled with over 32,000 denominations, and countless non-denominational churches who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ. In a world where faith traditions exclude other believers from their church and withhold the sacraments from them. In Southern California, in Orange County, where mega-churches use their size as validation to proclaim that they are the only ones proclaiming the gospel. Jesus prayed that all may be one. I ask again. How is that working for us?

I just spent 10 days in Israel. 10 beautiful days traveling north to the Lebanese border, north and to the east to the Syrian border, and then traveling south along the West Bank border of Jordan. We drove extensively through Galilee, along the Mediterranean coast, and throughout Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Beit Hanina. I sat and drank tea with friends in East Jerusalem. I was humbled to read Scripture in the midst of May 18th worship service.

I saw churches of all types – Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox. There – in the Holy Land – the great traditions of the Christian Church together as they have been since the church began to expand beyond Jerusalem at Pentecost. And yet, even here, at Holy Land sites governed by extensive agreements that are centuries old – there are signs of division.

In Bethlehem, at the Church of the Nativity, access to the birth grotto and times for tradition specific services are highly structured and maintained. Take too long in your time for prayer and the leaders of the next tradition coming in for their services will start causing a ruckus. A broom and a dustpan sit leaning up against one wall. No one is sure how it got there. Everyone is afraid to move it.

Oh, and don’t touch our denominational specific stuff. There is a ladder that stands famously outside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher – The Church of the Resurrection in the Old City of Jerusalem. The ladder was placed there by one of the 6 denominations that has access to that church daily for services. Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches all have access, and that access is governed by what is known as the Status Quo agreement. Violate that agreement and, literally, fights break out. There are YouTube videos shamefully showing followers from different traditions fighting with broomsticks over access and time at particular locations within that huge church.

Jesus prayed that we all would be one. And yet Republican and Democrats in the same church simply agree to not talk about certain subjects and certain politicians. We have people in this church, or should I say, used to be in this church, who no longer worship here because we were either not red enough or not blue enough in the last election. Long time friends, siblings in Christ, are no longer talking because of disagreements over politics. The fights may not be with broomsticks, but they are just as ugly, nonetheless. And Jesus weeps!

Jesus prayed for unity – in his time, and for all time. Friends, the unity that Jesus prayed for was NOT conformity. The unity that Jesus prayed for was not mindless submission to whatever is the trendy notion of the day. The unity that Jesus prayed for was a unity in Jesus Christ, in our common and shared proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. That proclamation binds us together; makes us one; in spite of whatever worldly disagreements, we might have. But just as we must work every day too make sure tat Jesus and his teachings are sovereign – primary – in our lives; so also, we must work to be sure that our community, our love for one another transcends temporal disagreements.

This unity, this love that we share in spite of our disagreements is a critical part of our witness to our neighbors, our community, and our world. Disagreement, polarization, and alienation have become widespread operative mechanisms of power in our world. We have never been more divided.

In our own in between time, a time between the first coming of Jesus and the second, we are called to be better. We are called to provide a faithful alternative to the world’s oppressive consuming power. We are called to love one another for God’s sake and for the sake of the Gospel. Our witness depends upon our community of love. Let us settle for mothering less. Amen.