As Much As
John 17:20-26

I.H.S.

May the grace of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ help you know this. 
YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD!

Intro – They Don’t Know His Mind toward them.

In Luther’s Large Catechism, there is this sobering thought:

⁶⁶ These articles of the Creed, therefore, divide and distinguish us Christians from all other people on earth. All who are outside the Christian church, whether heathen, Turks, Jews, or false Christians and hypocrites, even though they believe in and worship only the one, true God, nevertheless do not know what his attitude is toward them. They cannot be confident of his love and blessing. Therefore they remain in eternal wrath and damnation, for they do not have the Lord Christ, and, besides, they are not illuminated and blessed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Kathos Key

It is a sobering thought, and yet has to do with the gospel reading this morning.  For what the heathens, Turks, Jews and false Christians need to know is what Jesus reveals in today’s gospel reading, the words that give the context to the title, “as much as”.

May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me

God the Father loves you, as much as He loves Jesus!

As much as, to the very same degree, to an equal measure…

God loves you, just as much as He loves Jesus.

“As much as.”

And this is revealed when we see how much we love, how much we are devoted to, how much we care for one another.

This is the very glory that Jesus shares with us, that we are loved, and it is proven in the unity we have with each other.  A unity that is often not spoken, but it is so…evident.

and proves the love that God has for us.

The Law

When you looked at the apostles, it is truly a miracle that they were of one mind and one heart.  There were men that were enemies, such as Simon the Zealot and Matthew the Tax collector. Seriously, both the lesser Simon and Judas from Iscarioth were rebels, they lived and trained to kill those who work with the Romans.  No one worked closer than the tax collectors, who grew rich off the people.

Or what about the “sons of thunder”, do you really think they got that nickname because they were so gentle and kind towards each other?

Yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit, they become one in mission and one in heart and mind.  The fisherman and the scholar, the enemies, the brothers, and even Peter.  Sounds a lot like us, if it wasn’t for the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

When we are so desperate, so overwhelmed we listen to God, and hear how he loves us, that love causes what divides us to drift away.  It doesn’t matter how much hatred we had toward others, how much sin was in our lives, how depraved and evil someone is, when the love of God cuts through to their heart, that love changes everything.

That is how incredible it is that God the Father loves us as much as He loves Jesus.

As God reveals this love, as Christ hangs on the cross, as He is in the grave, as His rises.  The Spirit reveals it to us, as our hearts are cut open, and all that which is broken begins to heal as we are untied to Christ in our baptism, and here at the altar, as we receive His body and blood.

Impact – so that’s!

We see it at work, as we don’t want to stop until we have past God’s peace to every person in the church. We see it as we kneel at the altar together.  I dare say it would be more than awkward to commune next to someone we are pissed off at!  But somehow, as our sins are forgiven together, there is healing of our relationships.

And the world, seeing this, realizes that Christ came for them all. 

For such unity is not natural.

It is Godly though – and people will praise God because of what they see Him doing in us. And that is a witness to the world, just as Jesus prayed it would be.

God has made us one, as He loves us as much as He loves Jesus…..and we will be with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for eternity.

And so, along with knowing Jesus asked the Father for this kind of peace, I end with one of the prayers and the words that follow of St Paul,

⁵  May the God who inspires men to endure, and gives them a Father’s care, give you a mind united towards one another because of your common loyalty to Jesus Christ. And then, as one man, you will sing from the heart the praises of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN!

So open your hearts to one another as Christ has opened his heart to you, and God will be glorified.
Romans 15:5 (Phillips NT)

AMEN!