Lecture 6 — Prayer for the vision of glory

^17:24^ Father, I will where I am, they whom you have given me may be with me; that they may see my glory which you gave me, because you loved me before the creation of the world. [n. 2253]

^17:25^ Just Father, the world has not known you; but I have known you: and these have known that you sent me. [n. 2264]

^17:26^ And I have made known your name to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith you loved me, may be in them, and I in them. [n. 2269]

2252. Above, our Lord prayed for the perfect unity of his disciples; here he is asking the vision of glory for them.

First, he mentions the persons for whom he is praying;

second, he shows the way he is praying;

third, he states what he is asking for.

2253. He is praying for those given to him; he says, **Father **. . . whom you have given me. That is given to a person which is subject to his will, so he can do with it as he wills. We can distinguish two wills in Christ: a will to mercy and a will to justice. His will to mercy is fundamental and absolute, because his compassion is over all that he has made (Ps 145:9); who desires all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). But his will for a punishing justice is not fundamental, as it presupposes sin: God does not delight in the destruction of men (Wis 1:13); I do not desire the death of the sinner, absolutely; but he wills it as a consequence of sin (Ezek 18:32).

All men have been given to the Son: you have given him power over all flesh (John 17:2), that is, over all men, to accomplish his will in their regard: his will for mercy, leading to salvation, or his will for justice, leading to punishment: he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). But those were given to him absolutely who were given to him so that he might accomplish his will of mercy for their salvation; he says of these people, whom you have given to me, that is, in your predestination from all eternity: behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me (Isa 8:18).

2254. The way he asks is given when he says, I will. This can indicate authority or merit. It indicates authority if we refer this to Christ’s divine will, which is the same as the will of the Father: for by his will he justifies and saves men: he has mercy upon whomever he wills (Rom 9:18).

If we refer this to Christ’s human will, it indicates merit, for Christ’s human will merits our salvation. For if the wills of the just, who are the members of Christ, have merit entitling them to be heard: ask whatever you will, and it will be done unto you (John 15:7), then much more so does the human will of Christ, who is the head of all the saints.

2255. He mentions what he is asking for when he says, where I am, they . . . may be with me.

First, he asks that the members be united to the head;

second, that his glory be shown to his members, that they may see my glory.

2256. He says, I will, namely***, where I am, they . . . may be with me***. This can be understood in two ways. In the first way it can be understood of Christ in his human nature. Christ, in his human nature, is soon to ascend and to be in heaven: I ascend to my Father and your Father (John 20:17). Then the meaning is: I will, as in heaven, where I am, about to ascend, they, namely, the faithful, may be with me, also in that place: wherever the body is, there the eagles, that is, the saints, will be gathered together (Matt 24:28). For this is what Christ promised: rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven (Matt 5:12).

2257. There is a difficulty with this meaning. Since Christ was not yet in heaven, he should have said, where I will be, and not where I am.

And besides, he also said, and no man has ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven (John 3:13).

I reply to the first that Christ, who was speaking, was both God and man. And although he was not yet in heaven in his human nature, he was there in his divine nature. And so, while present on earth, he was in heaven; and thus he says, where I am.

As to the second objection, when we read that and no man has ascended into heaven, but he who descended from heaven (John 3:13), we should understand that the Son is in heaven by reason of his divinity, and descended by taking on a human nature, and then ascended by reason of his human nature, now glorified. But now we have been made one with him. Thus, he alone comes, in himself, by descending from heaven, and he alone returns there, now one with us, by ascending into heaven. This is the observation of Gregory. (Moralia in Job 27.15.30.)

He says, where I am, using the present tense instead of the future, either because he would very soon be there, or because he was referring to Christ as God.

2258. But since God is everywhere: do I not fill heaven and earth? (Jer 23:24), it seems to follow that the saints also will be everywhere.

We should reply to this that God is related to us like light is to men. When the sun is over the earth, the light spreads everywhere. And although the light is with all, yet all are not in the light, but only those who see it. So, since God is everywhere, he is with all, wherever they are; yet not all are with God, but only those joined to him by faith and love; and they will be finally joined in complete joy: I am continually with you (Ps 73:23); we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess 4:17).

Thus the meaning is this: where I am, that is, in your divinity, Father, which I have by nature, they . . . may be with me, by participating in grace: he gave power to be made sons of God (John 1:12); he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16).

2259. He speaks of manifesting his glory to his members when he says, that they may see my glory.

First, he makes his request;

second, he mentions the source of this glory, which you have given me;

third, he gives the reason for this glory, because you loved me before the creation of the world.

2260. He says that he not only wants them to be with him, but he also wants them, that they may see my glory, in a beatifying vision: when he appears we will be like him, for we will see him as he is (1 John 3:2). This can be understood to refer to the glory of his human nature after the resurrection: he will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body (Phil 3:21), or to the glory of his divine nature, for he is the brightness of the Father’s glory and the figure of his substance (Heb 1:3), and the radiance of eternal light (Wis 7:26). The saints in glory will see both of these glories. We read about the first: your eyes will see the king in his beauty (Isa 33:17). The wicked will see this glory only at the judgment: and then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and majesty (Luke 21:27); and Mark adds and glory (Mark 13:26). But the sight of this glory will be taken away from them after the judgment: let the wicked be taken away so they cannot see the glory of the Lord (Isa 26:10), as we read in one version. Yet the saints will see the second glory forever: in your light, that is, of grace, do we see light (Ps 35:10), that is, of glory, which the wicked will never see. In his hands, that is in the proud*, he hides the light . . . that it is his possession, and that he may come up to it* (Job 36:32–33).

2261. The source of this glory is the Father: so he says, which you gave me. He gave him the glory of his body at the resurrection. Although this still remained to be done, it had already been done in the divine decree; and this is why he says, gave: you have crowned him with glory (Ps 8:5). But he gave him divine glory from all eternity, because the Son is from the Father from all eternity, like radiance from light.

2262. He gives the explanation for the glory given to him when he says, because you loved me before the creation of the world. If we refer this to Christ in his human nature, then the because indicates the cause. For just as love and predestination are the cause why we have the radiance of grace in the present life and of glory in the future, for he chose us in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4), so also it is the cause of the radiance which Christ has in his human nature: predestined the Son of God in power (Rom 1:4). So the meaning is this: I say that you have given me this radiance: and the cause of this is that you have loved me, because you loved me before the creation of the world. The result being that this man is united to the Son of God to form one person: blessed is he whom you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts (Ps 65:4).

If we refer this to Christ as God, then the because indicates a sign. For then the Father did not give because he loved: for when we say the Father gave to the Son we are referring to the eternal generation of the Son. If love is taken essentially, it indicates the divine will; if it is taken notionally, it indicates the Holy Spirit. Now it was by nature that the Father gave radiance to the Son, not by his will, because the Father begot the Son by nature. And so he also did not give to the Son because he brought forth the Holy Spirit.

2263. Now he gives the reason why his prayer should be heard. Before, our Lord had included the faithful in his petition when he said, not for them only do I pray, but for those also who through their word will believe in me (John 17:20). He also excluded the world and unbelievers when he said, I pray for them; I pray not for the world (John 17:9). Now he gives the reason for this:

first, he mentions the failure of the world;

second, the progress of the disciples: but I have known you.

2264. Note that when he prayed for their sanctification he called the Father holy Father (John 17:11). But now, calling for retribution, he refers to the Father as just; God, the just judge (Ps 7:12). This eliminates the old error which said that there was a just God, the God of the Old Testament, and another God who was good, the God of the New Testament.

The failure of the world concerned its knowledge of God. He says, the world, not as reconciled, but damned, has not known you, as above: through him the world was made, and the world knew him not (John 1:10).

2265. But this seems to conflict with Romans: for what can be known about God is plain to them . . . his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made (Rom 1:19).

We should say to this that knowledge is of two kinds: one is speculative, and the other affective. Through neither of these ways did the world know God completely. Although some gentiles knew God as having some of those attributes which are knowable by reason, they did not know God as the Father of an only begotten and consubstantial Son, and our Lord is talking about knowledge of these things. Again, if they did have some speculative knowledge of God, this was mixed with many errors: some denied his providence over all things; others said he was the soul of the world; still others worshipped other gods along with him. For this reason they are said not to know God. Composite things can be known in part, and unknown in part, while simple things are unknown if they are not known in their entirety. Thus, even though some erred only slightly in their knowledge of God, they are said to be entirely ignorant of him. Consequently, since these people did not know the special excellence of God, they are said not to know him: for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened (Rom 1:21); nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works (Wis 13:1).

Furthermore, the world did not know God by an affective knowledge, because it did not love him, like heathen who do not know God (1 Thess 4:5). So he says, the world has not known you, that is, without error, and as a Father, through love.

2266. Then the progress of the disciples is mentioned: but I have known you: and these have known.

First, their progress in knowledge;

second, the fruit of this knowledge: that the love wherewith you loved me, may be in them, and I in them.

As regards the disciples’ progress in knowledge he does three things:

first, he gives the root and fountain of this knowledge of God;

second, the branches and streams that flow from it;

third, we see their origin in the root or fountain.

2267. The root and fountain of our knowledge of God is the Word of God, that is, Christ: the fountain of wisdom is the Word of God (Sir 1:5). Human wisdom consists in knowing God. But this knowledge flows to us from the Word, because to the extent that we share in the Word of God, to that extent do we know God. Thus he says, the world has not known you in this way, but I, the fountain of wisdom, your Word, have known you, eternally and fully: and if I said that I do not know him, I would be like you, a liar (John 8:55).

2268. From this knowledge of the Word, which is the fountain and root, springs, like streams and branches, all the knowledge of the faithful. Accordingly he says, and these have known that you sent me. Augustine understands the word that as meaning because, and it then indicates the reason for their knowledge. (Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John 111.5. Note that the Latin conjugation quia can be used to introduce an object clause in the way that we use “that” in English (e.g., these have known that you sent me) but its more predominant use parallels “because” and introduces an explanatory clause (e.g., these have known because you sent me).) The meaning is then: I have known you, by nature, and these have known you by grace. Why? Because you sent me, so that they may know you: for this was I born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37); I have manifested your name (John 17:6).

If we understand the word quia as meaning that, it then refers to what is known. The meaning is: and these have known. What do they know? That you sent me, because he who sees the Son also sees the Father (John 14:9).

2269. They did not know this by themselves; they learned it from me because no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him (Matt 11:27). So he says, I have made known your name to them, and will make it known. He is indicating the two types of knowledge which the faithful have through him. First, is that of doctrine, and he refers to this by saying, I have made known to them your name, teaching them by my external words: no man has ever seen God: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has made him known (John 1:18); it was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him (Heb 2:3).

The other knowledge is from within, through the Holy Spirit. Referring to this he says, and I will make it known by giving them the Holy Spirit: when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will teach you all truth (John 16:13). Or, alternatively, I have made known your name to them* ** by the knowledge of faith, *for now we see in a mirror dimly, and will make it known through the vision of glory in their homeland, where they will see face to face (1 Cor 13:12).

2270. The fruit of this knowledge is that the love wherewith you loved me, may be in them, and I in them. This can be explained in two ways. The first and better way is that since the Father loves the Son, as is shown by the glory he gave him, consequently, he loves all those in whom the Son is present, and the Son is in them insofar as they have knowledge of the truth. So the meaning is this: I will make it, your name, known to them; and by the fact that they know you, I, your Word, will be in them; and by the fact that I am in them, the love wherewith you loved me may be in them, that is, will be given to them, and you will love them as you have loved me.

Here is the other explanation: that the love wherewith you loved me, may be in them, that is, as you have loved me, so they, by sharing in the Holy Spirit, may love. And by that fact I will be in them as God in a temple, and they in me, as members of the head: he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16).