Day 22: The Church

This excerpt is part of the prayer that Jesus offered to the Father in the presence of His disciples in the upper room on the night before He was crucified. Many interpret “one” simply as “harmonious” or “unified in purpose.” Perhaps such a shallow interpretation would be justified if Christ had stopped there. But, let's read on.

“… just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 22 The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one,…” (NET)

Eventually, He summarizes with “completely one.” But, along the way, He prays that our oneness will be the same as His with The Father. Father IN Son and Christ IN the Father. Christ IN the Church just as The Father is IN Christ. “In” doesn't sound like simply “agree” to me.

There are three analogies used in the New Testament to convey the depth and significance of this oneness. The Church is described as the body of Christ, one body with many members (1 Cor 12:12-27, Rom 12:4-5). The Church is described as living stones assembled into a temple (1 Pet 2:4-7, Eph 2:20-22). The Church is also described as the beloved wife of Christ (Eph 5:23-32). These three analogies work together to give us one fantastic picture of God's heart and plan for His Church.

The Church is not a building or collection of buildings. It is people who walk the Earth today, in the past, and in the future; people from every nation, tribe, people, and language; some people “look” like us and some very different.

One Body: Physiologically, we’ve always known that the head is an especially important part of the body. We protect it with helmets, we reserve close contact with only those we trust most, we aim at it in zombie war games. The “head” is more than just a part of life. It's somehow the essence of one's identity…the preeminent part of individuality. But, are there any parts of your body that you can easily do without? Do we dare label any parts unimportant or vestigial just because we don't know what their role is? The many different people in the Church, together, make up one body with Christ as the head.

One Temple: “Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?” (1 Cor 6:19-20). It takes all the living stones to be assembled into a complete temple for the Spirit (1 Pet 2). No stone by itself is sufficient and no stone is less important than others…except that Christ is the chief cornerstone of the building.

Christ's Bride: Christ gave His life for the Church that she may become one-flesh with Him (Eph 5:29-32). Just as Eve was drawn from Adam's side, so the Church is drawn from Christ's sacrifice. As a husband's love for his wife is loving his very own body, so Christ loves (feeds and cares) for the Church…His body and temple.

These three analogies actually swirl together in one comprehensive image…man and wife become one body, hence one unified temple for the Holy Spirit.

In education, analogies motivate students, clarify student’s thinking, and provide concrete visualization for abstract concepts. There is a serendipitous effect of analogies that is less talked about. When using the “familiar” concepts to understand the “target” concepts, students often gain clarity and insight into the familiar as well. Thinking deeply about the analogy of Christ and the Church is likely to reveal a lot about the function and purpose of marriage. It may also provide insight into how we should view and nurture our own bodies.

For now, contemplate and discuss the nature of “oneness” in each of these individual analogies.

John 17:20- “I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, 21 that they will all be one…” (NET)

Interdependent