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John 17:6-19

 

onoma - I have made your name known (6-8). Jesus probably does not use onoma as an appellation for a specific name of God (e.g. Abba, "I AM,") but more likely the phrase refers the character and identity of God that Jesus has made known to his disciples. [1]

initiative and response - We see an intriguing interplay between divine initiative and human response: I have . . . whom you gave me . . . They were yours . . . and they have believed . . . and they have received it and they know . . . NIB: "Indeed, vv. 6-8 repeatedly emphasize God as the One who gives and from whom Jesus comes. In the context of the prayer, Jesus’ review of his ministry in vv. 6-8 reminds God of the connection between the community’s life and God’s gift . . . [2]

the disciples in the world - "If there is a development in the petition, it has to do with the relationship of Jesus’ disciples to the world . . . As for the disciples, they are seen in vs. 9-13 as persecuted and in need of the Father’s protection; in vs. 14-19 they are seen as carrying out a mission, though still persecuted and still in need of the Father’s protection; in vs. 20-23, they are seen as fulfilling their mission, and persecution is no longer part of the picture." [3]

 

Have you ever experienced a similar kind of praying in which the pray-er offers a prayer that is intentionally meant to be overheard? What did you hear?

At what temperature is the thermostat set in your church? Anonymous Christian level (no involvement in community, just slip in and slip out of worship)? Frozen-chosen levels? Or perhaps, yours is a "very warm church" (friendliness that nearly suffocates!)? Is the thermostat set at "In-house friendship" (friendliest church in town-to its own familiar faces)?

How might this prayer invite you to contemplate a deeper, more meaningful life of prayer with God?

 

Let the homily describe the genre of prayer/narrative as one that reflects an ongoing conversation that Jesus has had with the Father and one that we are invited to join in as intimate conversation partners.

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[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible IX (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995), page 791.
[2] Ibid, page 440.
[3] J. Ramsey Michaels, Good News Commentary: John (NY: Harper & Row, 1983), page 280.