Have we really come 50 days since Easter? In the Gospel narratives, Jesus has told his disciples that he’s going to prepare a mansion for them in his Father’s house. He’s promised them that where he is going, they will be able to follow. You’ll remember that Thomas told Jesus they did not know where Jesus is going – so, how can they get there? Jesus explains that he himself is the way, the truth, and the life.
It was Philip who made a request that challenged Jesus’ words. Philip wanted Jesus to show the Father to the disciples. Remember what Jesus has just told his disciples? “If you know me, then you also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Like the good teacher that he was, Jesus responded to Philip by elaborating on what he has just told the disciples: they have seen and known Jesus, so they have seen and known the Father. Then Jesus offers another reassurance about his departure: because of faith in God and in Jesus, the disciples will do the work that Jesus has done and more.
Jesus promises that the Spirit of truth will reveal all that He, and the Father, know and all that is to come. This connection between Jesus and his Father, between Jesus’ work and the work of the Father, is made clear in today’s Gospel. Jesus is in the Father, and God the Father is in Jesus. As God spoke his name to Moses, “I am,” so too Jesus speaks his name to his disciples: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Do you recall the theme music and opening words from “Mission Impossible!” “Good morning, Mr. Phelps! Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” Just before Jesus returned to heaven, He charged us to do something which seems impossible…one of the most amazing verses in the Bible. In one translation: “Verily, verily, I say to you: You that believe the works I do, you also shall do – and even greater works than these shall you do.” Sounds like mission impossible! And yet, our God, who cannot lie, has said it… …so, how can we make it a reality?
We can’t share the Good News if we have not heard the Good News. We must have a mission that is a vision of what Jesus meant by “greater things.” Our coming retreat time might be a good time to re-read and spend some time in private self-evaluation with our Vision and Core Values statement.
Jesus fed 5,000 people with a lad’s lunch. He walked on water. He raised the dead? How can we do “greater?” Jesus raised the dead? How can we top that? Well, let me ask you: “Did Jesus say we would be able to top his works?” No, He did not say we’d work greater miracles than He, but that we’d do greater works! What are the greater works?
Jesus raised Lazarus and the widow’s son – a physical miracle. Greater than raising someone physically is to raise them spiritually. And, our corporate commitment empowers us to do just that … to respond to the hungers of the people of God …. With the same compassion that Jesus showed the hungry crowd and a grieving family. The greater work is salvation…seeing people pass from spiritual death to spiritual life.
Jesus’ primary work was not walking on water, healing people physically, raising them from dead…though He did all of those things. His primary work was to seek and save that which was lost. The miracle of Pentecost convinces us of the greater work the Spirit accomplished through the disciples.
Jesus says His miracles were nothing compared to what is coming. The greater things we can accomplish will not happen by merely focusing on our community. It’s “mission impossible” to reach the world unless we have a plan of how to reach outside of our geographic limits! The price will be in going the extra mile: attentiveness, physical expenditure, emotional drain, consideration for the details of hospitality and self- and interpersonal care. This is what we’re all about…bringing glory to God by seeing people saved! That’s a purpose worth committing ourselves to. It’s bigger, greater than just ourselves and our problems. In so doing we bring great glory to God! Jesus BEGAN a work that we are to bring to completion. He BEGAN it in His earthly body, and He will CONTINUE it through us. The ultimate purpose is to bring glory to God. That goal is impressed on us every time we enter the chapel: that in all things God may be glorified! I’ll close with a little story that reminds us we can do greater things. Three friends were spending the day fishing in Lake Jovita. After they were out in the boat, one realized she had left the bait on the dock. So, she stepped out of the boat and walked on water to the shore and back to boat!
The others marveled at such faith! With that another girl, discovered she had forgotten her lunch box back in the car. She nimbly trotted across the water and back. The third fisher exclaimed: “That’s incredible! I am in the presence of greatness! But I believe – I have faith, too! She needed to use the restroom, so she stepped out of boat and promptly sank to bottom of the lake! Her two fishing companions looked at each other: “Should we tell her where the rocks are?”! We can depend on Jesus to be there when we need a stepping stone – He IS our rock.
~S. Roberta Bailey, OSB
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