READINGS: ACTS 1:15-17,20-26; PSA 102:1-2,11-12,19-20; 1 JN 4:11-16; JN 17:11-19.
THEME: THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD
a. THEY ARE NOT OF THE WORLD BUT DO NOT TAKE THEM AWAY FROM THE WORLD
Towards the end of his earthly mission, Jesus became so much concerned about his disciples whom he’s leaving behind. In the gospel of John, immediately after Jesus rose Lazarus from dead (Jn 11), he knew that the hour has arrived for him to go into his passion (cf Jn 12:23).
In fact, the chief priests and the Pharisees not only concluded their plan to kill Jesus (Jn 11:53), but they also put a price for any person who would reveal Jesus’ location (Jn11:57). So from this moment, Jesus decided to seclude himself from the public, and was only see with his disciples. From Chapter 13 to when Jesus is arrested in Ch. 18 of John’s gospel, we see Jesus alone with his disciples, performing some farewell actions and giving them farewell instructions.
Having instructed them on how to live as his disciples (cf Jn 13-16), Jesus prays to the Father on behalf of his disciples (Jn 17) such that we can say that the final thing which Jesus did before he went into his passion, was to pray to the Father for his disciples as we have in our today’s gospel reading.
In Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, we can hear the words of one who is satisfied with what he has achieved in them. He is happy that what he received from the Father, he passed on to the disciples. But our attention is more on, “Holy Father…I am not asking you to remove them from the world. But to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world (ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου), just as I am not of the world (ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου).” (cf Jn 17:15-16)
THEY ARE NOT OF THE WORLD…
In today’s gospel, Jesus repeats the statement, “they are not of the world” two times (vv.14 and 16), and in those two times Jesus adds “just as I do not belong to the world” (καθὼςἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου) (vv.14 and 16). Hence, the disciples’ not-being-of-the-world is likened to Jesus’ not-being-of-the world. When Jesus was in the world, he understood his earthly existence as a mission that was continuously progressing towards a ‘going-back-to-the-Father’.
He knew that he has been sent into the world for a purpose at the end of which he is going back to the Father. Throughout his earthly days, Jesus never forgot that he is only but pilgrim on the world. And this helped him in remaining focus to the mission of the Father and also to know that he does not have much time.
Hence, he never wasted any opportunity to proclaim the Good News. If Jesus likens the status of the disciples in the world to his own status with the use of “just as (καθὼς)” it means that he is drawing the attention of his disciples to understand that in this world, they are nothing but ‘men on a mission’, and not ‘men of the world’ because although they still live in the world (Jn 17:11), one day, just like (καθὼς) Jesus, they will be called to depart from the world and go to their place of permanent residence. Where this ‘permanent residence’ would be depends on how much the disciples are able to remain focused on the mission the Father has assigned to each and every one of them.
“I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO TAKE THEM AWAY FROM THE WORLD…”
We can understand this Jesus’ words in two ways:
1. Although the disciples are not of the world, they are needed in the world. The world needs those who will remain disciples of Christ in word and action. Jesus needs those who will always bear his face, those who will always remind the world of his presence, of his love and mercy, of his closeness to mankind. The disciples are needed to continue the work of evangelization of the mercy and love of God.
2. Although the disciples are not of the world, they live in the world. And insofar they are in the world, they are not insulated or exonerated from the imperfections of/in the world. That they are disciples does not mean that they won’t suffer the injustice that is found in the world. That they are disciples does not mean that they won’t be part of the sickness in the world. That they are disciples does not mean they will be protected from hunger, needs, sickness, and other misfortunes that people face in the world.
From a positive side, that they are disciples does not mean that they should not enjoy the beautiful things with which God has blessed the world. That they are disciples does not mean that they should not be part of the positive and healthy progress that happens in the world.
Hence, when Jesus prays “I do not ask that you take them away from the world”, he is not praying that the disciples live eternally in the world but that while they are in the world, they are not insulated from the imperfections of the world, and they are not forbidden from enjoying the wonderful gifts of God in the world, but in all these, they should be able to remain steadfast in bearing witness to God’s love because the world needs such witnesses.
“…BUT I ASK YOU TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE EVIL (ONE).”
It is not protection from the world which the disciples need but protection from the evil (one) which is in the world. By saying this, Jesus admits that although the world is inhabitable for the disciples, evil exists in the good world created by God. Hence, the disciples, in living their life of testimony to God’s love and mercy in this world, must be attentive to the manipulations of the evil one.
The disciples need the Father’s protection from such evils in the
world because sometimes, evil presents itself as good. Just as the Father sent Jesus into the world, Jesus sends his disciples into the world. If the disciples stay focused on the word of God, standing always on the truth of the word of God, they will always see danger and evil coming because the Father will always guide their steps just as he guided Jesus’steps.
Such evil is exemplified in the case of Judas, as read in the first reading, who saw his position as a disciple as a wonderful opportunity to enrich himself. Discipleship is not a call for profit maximization. It is rather a call to remain always with Jesus as a branch to its tree. While living in the world, the only way a disciple can always remain with and in God is by living in love.
Today’s second reading tells us that God is love and anyone who lives in
love lives in God. St. Augustine is right when he said “love and do whatever you want” because where there is love, genuine love of God, no evil exists for where love abides, there God is found, and wherever God is, evil is absent. Let us be that genuine love which the world needs!
Fr. Nnamah Henry C.
Catholic Diocese of Aguleri