Commentary on the Gospel of
Effectiveness of teamwork, community prayer!
Our Lord Jesus Christ initiated a tradition which the early Christians continued, namely community living amid ‘teamwork’. He was always with His disciples and sent them our in pairs. Peter and John went out together and on their return after their arrest, interrogation and consequent release the whole community reassembled. They share their experience within community living. What is most outstanding in their faith-expression is their ‘oneness’ – and they prayed with one voice.
I like their faithfulness to our Lord’s traditions! The second tradition is replicated in the format of the prayer: ‘Our Father.’ They acknowledged ‘God’s sovereignty’ in praise of the Father whose ‘kingdom’ we pray for. They bring the current reality to consciousness – ‘as if the conspiracy against the anointed one, the Lord Jesus Christ’ was not enough, they now turn the threat on us His followers. It is amazing how these our ancestors in faith did not pretend or presume that God knows what is happening. They clearly restate their present reality before God in prayer: ‘now, Lord take note of their threats,’ just like ‘let your will be done!’ They did not go on telling God how to handle ‘their persecutors,’ instead, they focused on themselves, presented their prayer intention: ‘enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness.’ Our prayer intention matters a lot in the sight of our God, and it has got to be clearly spelled out, like ‘give us this day our daily bread.’
They formally concluded the prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who assures us that wherever two or three of us, that is, ‘the community,’ are gathered in His name, He is there with them; as well as, ‘whatever we ask for in His name, will be granted to us by the Father.’ Our faith reassures us that the Lord’s promises never fails. And this was the instant confirmation received by our brothers and sisters of the earliest Christian community, for therein, the place shook and the Holy Spirit came down upon them. Our faith leads us to the peak of the Mount of the Lord, where we are immersed in His presence. Let’s go to Him in prayer as a community of believers. Let’s remain current with our ‘small Christian community’ or constitute one if there was none. Lord Jesus, bless our community teamwork.
