Scripture Reflections

On Sunday, we heard the following interchange from John 14:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.”

Jesus’ answer points to the unity of Father and Son. If you have seen one, you have seen the other. But he also indicates how we see him, and therefore how we see the Father, and this is what caught my heart this week.

After all, it would be easy for those of us living 2000 years later to say in frustration, “That’s fine for Philip, but I just want to see Jesus! Philip got to walk and talk with him, to eat and camp with him, to see him in the flesh!” But Jesus’ answer to Philip answers our frustration as well. To both Philip and to us, Jesus says, “Look at my words; look at my works. This is how you see the Father.”

As this thought grabbed my attention, my mind filled with things Jesus said and did.

Today salvation has come to this house.

The kingdom belongs to the children.

And filled with compassion, he reached out and touched him.

The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Go and sin no more.

Blessed are those who weep.

Again and again, Jesus’ words and actions sprung to mind, and in each instance, I realized that Jesus was revealing God the Father to us. If you wonder what God is like, if you wonder what he thinks about you, look at the words and actions of Jesus. There we find one eager for our salvation, close to those who are hurting, delighting in the humble.

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

Steven+