Word to the Wise
Saturday, May 17, 2025 - 4th Week of Easter - Sat
[Acts 13:44-52 and John 14:7-14]"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. "
The basic purpose of the Last Supper discourse is to prepare the disciples for what would be taking place soon. It would be not only the passion, death and resurrection, but Jesus' return to the Father and the sending of the Holy Spirit. The theme is spread over four chapters, 13-17, and is not presented in a way that is particularly organized but is more like a stream of consciousness collection of statements and thoughts.
In today's passage, Jesus' unity with his Father is featured. "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." The consequence of believing this is to be enabled to do the "works" that Jesus did. The fundamental "work" is to bring people to faith. Earlier in the passage, Philip the apostle asks Jesus, "Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us!" Jesus replies, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father."
It will take Jesus' resurrection to finally convince the disciples of much of what Jesus says to them in the Last Supper Discourse. When he appears to them after his resurrection, in the Gospel According to John, he bestows the Holy Spirit. At that time we also see the struggle to believe that is manifested in Thomas' initial disbelief and his subsequent profession, "My Lord and my God." All of this comes together eventually and the Church reads it along with the other gospel accounts to give a bigger picture. For the time being, the Last Supper discourse will occupy the gospel scripture space and challenge us. AMEN
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