“My prayer is not for them alone. I
pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of
them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also
be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them
the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and
you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you
sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20-23)
Jesus expands His prayer. It’s not
just for the disciples who were there, it’s for all who hear their message and
believe. In other words, it’s now for us. And part of that prayer is that we
would be “in Them” in the same way that They are in One Another. Then He
launches into more talk about unity, and not just unity, but complete (perfect) unity. Borg-talk. Talk
bordering on Buddhism (all “self” disappears leaving only “Nirvana”). Time for
me to walk away talk. Except, I can’t walk away. Jesus is the one talking the
talk.
Some people would look at passages like this and cheer, “This is Socialism. We’re doing it right!” Except, it’s not, and they aren’t. Socialism is parody of what Jesus is talking about. It’s a farce, but the reason it’s successful is because it’s a farce because it tries to apply principles like “unity” to a community as if what Jesus described were already perfectly and completely the case. Even that might work, if those doing the applying were perfectly and completely united with Christ.
But Jesus didn’t say that our unity with one another, or our unity with Him would be instantaneous. He said, “May they be brought to complete unity.” Remember back when God was preparing the Israelites to enter the Promised Land? He told them that He would not drive out the nations all at once. He would drive them out little by little, as Israel was ready to take control of the land.
I think Jesus has some of the same idea in mind here. It’s not that the second you become a Christian, you turn into a marionette that He moves around a stage. It’s not that when you become a Christian, a switch is flipped and you become perfect, but you do become connected, and the changes take place.
Socialism assumes several things. First, it assumes that man is ready for this unity now. Man is basically good. If we could just make them share their toys until they learn to share them, everything will be fine. Secondly, it assumes that man can and must accomplish this himself. One of my problems with socialism is that it only works if it is either connected with God or very small. The moment the society becomes large enough that every member of society cannot know and discuss with every member of society, someone ends up disconnected. If I can’t go to the leader and voice my concerns, and the leader can’t walk into my house and see for himself what is going on in my life and we can’t come to a mutual agreement about it for which I can hold the leader accountable, and the leader can hold me accountable, then someone is disconnected, unplugged. The Unity is broken. This is why in Socialism, government must be large; to give the illusion of connectedness.
The problem is, of course, that man isn’t ready for this unity now. Christians are recovering from the Fall, so to speak. We are not there yet. It’s like a marriage. When you marry someone, you and that person are not actually united. Even our traditional marriage ceremony doesn’t tend to pretend that you are. It may be that “What God has joined, let no man put asunder” but you are still declare man and wife. Those two entities, legally united, must take years becoming more and more so, if they are to survive. We aren’t perfect, which means we tend to disconnect.
That is why we desperately need to be connected to God. It is only through the work that He does in our lives that we come to the point where the unity being discussed is possible. It is only through His omnipresence that we can maintain that connectedness. It is only through His omniscience that we can accomplish “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Some people would look at passages like this and cheer, “This is Socialism. We’re doing it right!” Except, it’s not, and they aren’t. Socialism is parody of what Jesus is talking about. It’s a farce, but the reason it’s successful is because it’s a farce because it tries to apply principles like “unity” to a community as if what Jesus described were already perfectly and completely the case. Even that might work, if those doing the applying were perfectly and completely united with Christ.
But Jesus didn’t say that our unity with one another, or our unity with Him would be instantaneous. He said, “May they be brought to complete unity.” Remember back when God was preparing the Israelites to enter the Promised Land? He told them that He would not drive out the nations all at once. He would drive them out little by little, as Israel was ready to take control of the land.
I think Jesus has some of the same idea in mind here. It’s not that the second you become a Christian, you turn into a marionette that He moves around a stage. It’s not that when you become a Christian, a switch is flipped and you become perfect, but you do become connected, and the changes take place.
Socialism assumes several things. First, it assumes that man is ready for this unity now. Man is basically good. If we could just make them share their toys until they learn to share them, everything will be fine. Secondly, it assumes that man can and must accomplish this himself. One of my problems with socialism is that it only works if it is either connected with God or very small. The moment the society becomes large enough that every member of society cannot know and discuss with every member of society, someone ends up disconnected. If I can’t go to the leader and voice my concerns, and the leader can’t walk into my house and see for himself what is going on in my life and we can’t come to a mutual agreement about it for which I can hold the leader accountable, and the leader can hold me accountable, then someone is disconnected, unplugged. The Unity is broken. This is why in Socialism, government must be large; to give the illusion of connectedness.
The problem is, of course, that man isn’t ready for this unity now. Christians are recovering from the Fall, so to speak. We are not there yet. It’s like a marriage. When you marry someone, you and that person are not actually united. Even our traditional marriage ceremony doesn’t tend to pretend that you are. It may be that “What God has joined, let no man put asunder” but you are still declare man and wife. Those two entities, legally united, must take years becoming more and more so, if they are to survive. We aren’t perfect, which means we tend to disconnect.
That is why we desperately need to be connected to God. It is only through the work that He does in our lives that we come to the point where the unity being discussed is possible. It is only through His omnipresence that we can maintain that connectedness. It is only through His omniscience that we can accomplish “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
Comments
Post a Comment