I Am Not of This World

I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John 17:14-16

Eric

What is Jesus doing right now? Have you thought about that? According to the Bible, He is praying for you right now—as “he lives forever to intercede with God” for His people (Hebrews 7:25). Jesus is praying for you as you go to school, as you hang out with your friends, through your highs and lows, and in the midst of all your trials.

That has to make you wonder what He’s praying! What is Jesus, God the Son, asking God the Father for on your behalf? There might be a clue in the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before He went to the cross. He prayed for His disciples, and He prays for us. Part of that prayer is the above Scripture, our passage for today.

Jesus says His own are not of this world. He actually prays that phrase twice in these verses. Answer these questions about what else you see in this passage:

• What has Jesus given His disciples?
• How does the world feel about His disciples?
• What does Jesus pray for?

All of Jesus’ disciples who were with Jesus in the Garden were hated by the world. They experienced both incredible joy and immense suffering—joy because of Jesus and suffering because the world persecuted them. Church history tells us that ten of them were killed and one, John, was exiled to an island. Though they paid a great price for their faith, every one of them believed Jesus was better than whatever they sacrificed. They kept preaching that Jesus was alive despite threats against them because they knew Jesus is greater than this world.

It can sound like Jesus’ prayer that they would be protected from the evil one (Satan) was not answered, but it was. Because through all the trials the disciples faced, God held on to them and kept their faith strong. They were not of this world anyway! They finished this life holding on to the One who never stopped holding on to them. They are in everlasting paradise now, and the evil one will one day be banished. The evil one did not win and will not win.

You are not of the world either. When you feel out of place, just know that Jesus is praying for you and holding on to you.

Eden

I am left-handed—very left-handed. Unlike my sister, who’s also technically left-handed, I do absolutely nothing right-handed. I kick with my left foot, serve with my left hand, shoot left-handed, and even have a left-handed guitar. Imagine the surprise and excitement I felt when my third-grade teacher, after viewing my terrible cutting, said, “Eden, why aren’t you using left-handed scissors?”

There are left-handed scissors?! I had always cut with right-handed scissors in my left hand.

After school, I ran to my mom’s classroom to tell her the great news because I felt sure she didn’t know either. When I told my mom about the left-handed scissors, she looked at me with a smile and said, “I know about those, but you don’t need them. It’s better for you to learn to live as a lefty in a right-handed world. It will make you stronger.” I was pretty annoyed at this. Cutting was so hard for me, and left-handed scissors would have changed all of that. What my mom meant, though, was that being different and set apart while living in a world that is uncomfortable would build my character. She was right. Most things aren’t made for hardcore lefties like me, but I have persevered and learned. (My cutting could still be better!)

Being a Christian in a world that is not our home can often feel a lot like being a lefty in a right-handed world. If you try to do things the “right-handed way,” they feel weird and wrong. This is because we are different, set apart just as Jesus was. It isn’t always comfortable to be different—as a matter of fact, it’s downright uncomfortable a lot of the time. Jesus gets it. It was the same for him.

Being different because of our faith is the best kind of different to be. What a great comfort to know Jesus is praying on our behalf! He is never the one who runs away, but the one who holds on to us. He never moves. When we feel like He is distant, it’s because we have moved. He loves us so much that He pursues and brings us back. He is walking with us through life and praying for us along the way, so we never need to fear.

We know from Jesus that being a Christian is not easy. The fact that we don’t belong to this world shows how hard it is. It's hard not to fall into the lifestyle of the world because we live in it. Being a Christian comes with sacrifice and lots of difficult decisions. When we are in them, it’s often hard to see how our trials or difficulties could ever be used for good. But when we look back, sometimes we see where God was at work. Often, though, we can only see a little part of the picture in this life. If we could see everything God is doing, we would understand fully. One day we will!

Reflection & Discussion Time

• What does it mean to you that Jesus is praying for you right now?
• When have you felt like a left-handed person in a right-handed world? What did you learn from that experience?