Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying:
“I pray not only for these,
but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
so that they may all be one,
as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
that they also may be in us,
that the world may believe that you sent me.
And I have given them the glory you gave me,
so that they may be one, as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may be brought to perfection as one,
that the world may know that you sent me,
and that you loved them even as you loved me.
Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may see my glory that you gave me,
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world also does not know you,
but I know you, and they know that you sent me.
I made known to them your name and I will make it known,
that the love with which you loved me
may be in them and I in them.”
This is really an amazing chapter of John, full of wonderful insights into the love of God, and our place in His kingdom. Jesus wants us to be with Him in heaven. He wants each and every one of us to be in a loving relationship with Him. This is truly an amazing thing when you think about it. The Lord creator of the universe, the most powerful being ever, wants you to be with Him in heaven, wants to be your intimate companion, and wants the best for you.
This is the point of everything that God has done, from the creation of the universe, to the plants and animals, and finally humans. The Lord created all things out of love. God is the source of all love, and in His being He is the perfection of all things, especially love. This is why you are here, why anything is here. The love of God cannot be contained, it must be shared. God put His image and His love into everything He ever created. From the milky way in the sky at night to the petals of a flower in spring. It is like the psalm said, “the heavens and earth proclaim the glory of God.”
All things in this world, that are either good, true, or beautiful, are all reflections of some aspect of God’s nature and being, and all you have to do is look or listen to experience it, and you will come to know Him personally. The pinnacle of God’s love was achieved in humans. He created us in His image. He created us fully capable of loving Him in the way He loves us, but He created us free, so that when we choose to love Him it is un-coerced, and free of any obligation. Freely given love is the most pure and perfect kind of love, and so it is the highest form of love. It is the same love that the trinity shares between each of its persons. And it is that love that Jesus is inviting us into, in the reading.
Can you believe that? It seems hard to believe that the Lord creator of all things, would want that, would want to be with you for eternity, but it is true. And so we must confront that question. If God is real (and He is), then do you want to have a relationship with Him, do you want to spend eternity with Him? He is inviting you to this, and He wants nothing more than for you to say yes. Are you going to either accept or reject this invitation? What are you choosing instead of Him, and His wishes for you? And Why are you doing that? These are good questions to ponder throughout the day. He is waiting for you to choose Him, What will you do?
Oh lord, help me today to come to know you in all of your creation. Help me to learn to love you, in the way that you love me, and help me to love those around me in the same way. And finally, help me to find a way to be with you for all eternity. Amen.
