The Heavenly View by Rocky Fleming
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
John 17:20-21 (ESV)
Imagine, if you will that you are having a conversation with Jesus in His heaven, and you see Him looking over the billions of people around the world who call themselves Christians. There is a tapestry of colors and cultures that weave together and form The Body of Christ. To Him we are beautiful. Yes, there are distinctions that He created, and He calls those distinctions good. There are different creative ways His family worships Him. There are numerous ways His family interacts with Him, and each other. When we worship together and love each other with His love that He gives to us, He is pleased. In Psalms 133:1 it is described it like this: “It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.”
If you are wondering about what this visual description means, we need to understand the implications that the Jew of the day would have understood. An image of oil being poured on the head of Aaron, is symbolic, for Aaron was the first high priest. The oil running down, symbolizes the flow of blessings and unity. In other words, it describes an experience of worship, even a consecration of something holy. When God’s family lives in unity with each other it is holy. To further describe it: It becomes an act of worship when we live in unity with each other, as God’s family.
Back in heaven you watch Jesus shaking His head as He looks at the disunity He sees in His family. There are racial divisions because of erroneous distinctions concerning color, culture, and self-centered pride. There are political differences, where being a citizen of another Kingdom should remind us that this is not the kingdom we serve or that we should fight for. But we do fight for our political point of view don’t we, and it creates disunity doesn’t it? There are denominational differences where we will fight for a certain doctrinal point of view, even if it means participating in slander, name calling, and now days, social blacklisting a person or another ministry because they have a different doctrinal point of view.
Do we ever think of what Jesus thinks of this? Do we consider that when we do this, we slander another believer simply because they have a different biblical point of view. Slander is sin. Can we stand before Jesus and declare that we know the complete truth and they do not? What do you think Jesus thinks of that spiritual pride? Might want to see the same things coming from the Pharisees in His day to get a clear idea what Jesus thinks about it.
I tell you what I believe. When we do these things and create disunity in God’s family because of such prideful reasons, we keep Jesus nailed to the cross, and we still wound Him with our own lashes to His back. Do we ever consider Jesus’ feelings about how His family hurts Him when we hurt each other? Do we really have the audacity, before Jesus, to throw rocks at another follower of Christ and not have them hit ourselves? Do we think He would be more pleased with our legalistic correctness with admonishing other believers because they don’t agree with us, or would He be greatly pleased with our grace and unity with each other, even those ignorant of what we know and deem correct? Would He want to see us edifying and building up the weaker believer, rather than tear them down? If we do not know that answer, we need to concentrate on getting to know the heart of Jesus and then it will become clear, for it is an indication we are not serving Him. We are serving the one who creates divisions … the enemy of Jesus and our souls. The evil man.
I’d like to challenge all our Influencers to challenge other followers of Christ, and all denominations that it is time that we love each other, and show a lost world what God is like, as they see Him through us. They see Him better by the way we love each other, than when we simply say that we love Him. I’ve seen this kind of love permeate the Influencers’ culture. I’ve seen it be contagious within this ministry and I believe it could be contagious to all Christians who love Jesus and want to please Him. Let them see your love for Jesus by the way you love them. Then, we may be able to turn our hearts and eyes toward Him and then each other, and fulfill His prayer “that they may all be one.”