Unity in Scripture
Father…
As you, Father,
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 ask not only on behalf of these,
but also on behalf of those
who will believe in me
through their word,
that they may all be one.
The glory that you have given me
I have given them,
so that they may be one,
as we are one,
I in them and you in me,
that they may become completely one,
so that the world may know
that you have sent me
and have loved them
even as you loved me.
John 17: 20-23
This is Jesus’ last prayer before his death. He prays it in the presence of his disciples, pleading with the Father for their unity. In a way, it is his last will and testament: what he wants most to leave them.
Jesus prays not only for his disciples at the time, but for all his followers down through the ages: “I ask…on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word”. In other words, he prays for us. And what he desires most for us is unity.
As husband and wife, God calls us to be one; one in mind, heart and body. Our unity as a couple is profoundly significant to the mission of Jesus; our unity is the living witness of the unity that Jesus has with his Father.
Questions: For discussion
- Imagine that you have only one day to live: What would you most want for your fiancé?
- How do you feel knowing that Jesus looks to you, as a couple, to be a witness of the unity he shares with his Father?
- In what ways can you deepen your unity as a couple?
