29 April 2014 - heavenly things

29 April 2014 - heavenly things

Yesterday Jesus invited us to share in his relationship with his Father.  Our intellects are too limited for Jesus to explain who he is.  Instead, he invites us to unite ourselves to him by virtue of our new birth, the power of our baptism.  Then we experience, to the degree that we are open, who he is, beloved Son of the Father, for we too are made beloved children of our Father in heaven.

Today again Jesus explains why he is the only one who can reveal heavenly things to us.  Jesus tells us that we won't even believe earthly things, that is, the truth about who we are, let alone heavenly things.  What heavenly things?  The truth about who God is and who Jesus is in him and all that truth means for us.  But Jesus is here to reveal himself to us.  He says we won't even believe the earthly things but fortunately for us Jesus comes "down from heaven" to reveal who God is.  He tells us that if we have seen him we have seen the Father (cf. Joh. 14:9).  The fact that he reveals himself makes us realize that God is for us, and that no one can stand again us (cf. Rom 8:31).  In the light of this revelation we finally begin to believe the earthly things.  We believe the truth about who we are, sinners who fall short of the glory of God (cf. Rom. 3:23).  But even more so we believe the truth of who we are invited to become. 

Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed* we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (cf. 1 Joh. 3:2).

The more we gaze upon Jesus the more he reveals us to ourselves.  He does this by revealing to us the deepest truth of our potential the destiny which he intends for us.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18)

It is only in the light of this revelation that we can understand the idyllic conditions enjoyed by the "community of believers" in Acts.  How can it be that "no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own"?  Only the selflessness of Jesus himself, manifested in his followers, can explain this.  How can the community of believers be "of one heart and mind"?  It is only possible in the "unity of the Spirit" (cf. Eph 4:3) which Jesus makes possible.

So let us look to the one who comes down to us from heaven.  Let us behold more and more the truth of who he is.

The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.