HUH!? John 17: 1-11

Sunday's Gospel (John 17:1-11) was one of those things that make you say, "WHAT!?"  Sometimes I think the Bible is quite ridiculously unintelligible! And it goes on and on, until Verse 26!  Here is my paraphrase, in an attempt to understand what the heck it means.  The real scripture is at the bottom, see what you think:

"Once Jesus had said this, he looked up to heaven and said, 'Father, it’s time.  Glorify me now, so that I can glorify you even more.  You gave me power over flesh, and even gave me power to give eternal life to everyone you put into my care!  The definition of eternal life is that they know that You and I together are the only true God.  I did your work and brought you glory while I was here on earth, and now the time has come that you return to me the glory that I have always had.  I showed forth your name and your being to people here – they were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have been faithful with me.  Now they understand that everything you have given me, is something I got from YOU.  They know this because I gave them your words, and they believe in you.  I am praying specifically for these special people whom you have given into my charge, because they belong to me, and what belongs to me, belongs to you. 

I am leaving the world to come to you, and leaving them behind me here in the world.  Please, Father, keep them safe, so that we may all be one eventually.'”

This is the Revised Standard Version: 

^"1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee, ² since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. ⁴ I glorified thee on earth, having accomplished the work which thou gavest me to do; ⁵ and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made. ⁶ "I have manifested thy name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word. ⁷ Now they know that everything that thou hast given me is from thee; ⁸ for I have given them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from thee; and they have believed that thou didst send me. ⁹ I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom thou hast given me, for they are thine; ¹⁰ all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. ¹¹ And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. "