John has little interest in the historical Jesus; he leaves this up to the synoptic writers. Instead, he is dedicated to our knowing about the divinity of Jesus. His symbols “speak” to us in abstract, poetic metaphors, the meanings of which become personal to and in each of us as the word becomes flesh in us. He is intent on our understanding that God is all about love and in this Gospel, John 17:20-26, he depicts a reciprocal image of love between Father and Son and us, each and every one of us…past, present and future. So here we have an image of Jesus as he prepares to leave us in the hands of the Holy Spirit, praying for our oneness with God and with each other. This unity is one of the hallmarks of Jesus’ ministry and life as he revealed the incarnation of God in Him and in us. Jesus’ life and his prayer for us is that we enter into a relationship with God by our love for one another, a relationship that takes us on a journey of transformation to a life centered in God. So rather than being an article of belief, God can be known in an intimate way as an experiential reality not removed from the world but in and of this world.
So, how do you feel when someone prays for you out loud? When we asked our Bible group this question some time ago, the answers ranged from comforted, awkward, embarrassed, grateful, honored, vulnerable, humbled and cared for. Perhaps being the intent of others’ prayers is to intimate for us? Maybe we feel “out of control” and must surrender to the will of others as they engage God with us and for us…and in us. Perhaps this is precisely what Jesus wants?
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