13 May 2017 - whoever has seen me

Today's Readings

Philip said to Jesus, 
"Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." 

This is a good desire. It is a desire for God. It says that to truly see God revealed will be enough to satisfy Philip. He does not need the riches or comforts of this world. Yet, somehow, he already has more than he knows of what he wants without realizing it.

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. 
How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 

What's missing for Philip? If the thing that would fulfill every desire of his heart is right before him how does he not see it?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? 

Philip's belief in Jesus still needs to be stronger. He may trust him as a teacher and a leader but he is not yet fully his LORD. He needs to look to Jesus and recognize his unity with the Father. The works that Jesus does, the power that only belongs to God, give testimony. This is the truth we all long to hear. God is with us. Emmanuel has come. If this is true then Jesus really must be able to satisfy our every desire.

The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this
and glorified the word of the Lord. 
All who were destined for eternal life came to believe,
and the word of the Lord continued to spread
through the whole region. 

Jesus is the desire of the nations. All of us are made for God. We are incomplete without him. There is no lasting joy or happiness apart from him.

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. 

- CS Lewis.

Let us come to realize with Philip that the thing we desire most is already before us. This will make us a light to the nations as we come to know the truth that everyone in the world desires.

I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.

The more deeply we believe the truth about who Jesus is the more power he has to work in our lives.

Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father. 
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.

Let us believe in Jesus as the fulfillment of our every desire. May he use us to spread this light to the world.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.