May 1, 2023

Today's Reading:  John 14:1-14

Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 9:1-24; Luke 9:37-62

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’?” (John 14:8–9 ESV)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. If our reading was a reality television show I can imagine Thomas being pretty upset with Philip while James is giving both of them the stink eye.  Neither Thomas nor Philip come across as especially apostolic in our reading, but only Thomas gets the lasting legacy of the ‘doubting’ nickname attached to him. James, on the other hand, only gets his name mentioned in the Gospels and has to share his day on the liturgical calendar with Philip. 

In all seriousness, it is easy to give the apostles a hard time. They don’t come across as especially smart in the Gospels. They question Jesus, they don’t understand Jesus when he speaks in figurative language,  and they don’t believe him when he speaks plainly.  They spend a lot of their time with Jesus not really understanding what is going on. At no point in their doubts and questions did Jesus ever disown them. Despite their flaws they remained His. In other words, they are a lot like you.

They did not bring anything special to the table. They were not recruited for their athletic prowess or sought out for their intellectual achievements.  They were not the best and brightest of their generation. They just happened to be the guys that God picked. The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus changes everything for them. Prior to the first Easter they question and doubt, after the Resurrection they are completely different.  Everything they needed to follow Jesus was given to them by God. 

It is the same for you. You bring nothing to your relationship with God. You may doubt and you may question, but you still belong to Jesus.  The Crucifixion and Resurrection that changed them has changed you as well. The same Holy Spirit that was given to them has been given to you. What they witnessed with their eyes, you participated in with your Baptism. Philip and James have rooms in the Father’s house and so do you.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We praise You, Lord, for Philip, Blest guide to Greek and Jew, And for young James the faithful, Who heard and followed You. O grant us grace to know You, The way, the truth, the life, To wrestle with temptation, To triumph in the strife. (By All Your Saints in Warfare, LSB 518:18)

- Pastor Grant A Knepper is Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Modesto, CA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Jonathan Lackey is an LCMS seminarian.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.