Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read John 17:13-18.
As we read this passage, we could see it as simply Jesus’ prayer for his apostles and those who were closest to him in his earthly ministry. However, through the church, Jesus’ teachings, expectations, and promises transcend time and apply equally to us as his current followers.
When Jesus says they and we are not of the world, he is saying that we no longer base our values on the world, and the world is not our center. Christ is our center. But unlike the Children of Israel, who were initially kept apart from the world in order to purify them, we are sent into the world. Some of our greatest theological writings were penned by hermits who withdrew from the world to live in seclusion. For most of us, however, that is not how we are to live. Jesus sends us into the world, to be with people, and in particular, to be with people who do not yet know Christ. When we live faithfully as Christians, enmeshed in the world and surrounded by people, they will see that we are different and yes, perhaps even weird. They will be curious and open to our witness to them in love.
Personal Worship Option:
Gracious God, send me where you would have me go. Give me friends and acquaintances who do not yet know you. Let me be as weird as I need to be as I reject the ways of the world and live for you. Amen.
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