“ … they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.” (John 17:14)

They do not belong to the world, because “they belong to you… and they have kept your word.” (John 17:6)

St Paul wrote in 63 A.D. to the believers of Colossae : “… you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. ” (Colossians 3:9-10)

St Paul called Christ “the image of God”. This means that God, who exists from eternity, is invisible and incomprehensible to human kind. However, this God, who exists by Himself, knows Himself from eternity. From knowing Himself to showing Himself is the Word: the Word who becomes man. 

After the birth of Christ, men see and know the incarnated Word, and so know and see God, the Father. Thus, from God’s view, Christ is His image, His only son. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

Through baptism, we become the mystic body of Christ. Thus, it is not difficult for us to understand Jesus’ words: “… whatever you did for one of these brothers of mine, you did for me” or “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 

We even won’t have difficulty understanding St Paul’s words : “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.”

In the eyes of God, we are so lovely!