Show Us The Father
Dr. James Mayfield
November 2, 2003
Text: John 14:8-12 Even though we think of ourselves as believing in God and followers of Jesus, many of us live our lives like the man who said to Jesus: "I believe; help my unbelief." We continually want to be reassured that God is with us, that God cares." So, like Philip we say: "Show us the Father." It does not matter that we have been following Jesus for some time, and have experienced the grace of God at work in our lives and been aware of God's grace at work in the lives of others. We are like Philip. For 3 years Philip had seen Christ heal the sick, feed the hungry, embrace the outcast, even raise Lazarus from the dead, and he had just heard Jesus tell him and the others, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Nevertheless, Philip immediately said: "Show us the Father; and we will be satisfied, then we will have what we need." It is an old problem. Regardless of our past experiences of the grace of God at work in our lives, we still want reassurance, especially when we are being asked to make a significant commitment of faith. That was the situation of Philip. He knew the time was coming when the extent of his commitment was going to be tested. Jesus had made it no secret that hard times were coming when the disciples would be tested. So, even though Jesus had just told the disciples that to have seen him was to have seen God, Philip said, as if he had not heard Jesus: "To be the disciples you want, show us the Father." How like us, that is. Regardless of the blessings in our lives, regardless of the grace we have received, regardless of the ministries of grace we have seen and experienced through this community of faith, we want to know with certainty, God is with us. "Show us the Father." "Show us" we pray. "God, when you make yourself known to me with such clarity it is beyond any shadow of doubt, when my faith is such that I no longer say: "I believe; help my unbelief," then, I will make whatever sacrifice you want, and do so in joy and praise. But first, show me. Show me you really care; show me you are involved in my life; then, I will do whatever you want." Like Philip we say, "Show us the Father, and we will be satisfied; that's all we need." And the response we receive is the same response given to Philip. The Christ says to each of us: "After all this time, after all we have been through together, don't you know who I am? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. Trust me when I say the Father is one with me and that I am one with the Father. Or, at least have faith in me simply because of all you have seen me do." Jesus tells us to look at the evidence of grace at work in our life, and in the lives of others. He tells us to look at the evidence of grace at work through this church, this community of faith, this expression of the Body of Christ. How are we to know God? We know God through what we see in Christ. We know God through the ministries of Christ. But this knowing God, is not merely knowing about God, having some interesting knowledge regarding what God has done in times past. This knowing God, is the kind of knowing that transforms us and shapes the way we live -- the way we deal with our yesterdays, what we say and do in the present and how we face the future. Jesus was telling Philip and in the process telling us, that if we allow our faith in Christ to shape the way we live, we will live our lives doing the same sort of things Jesus did. Today, those of us who are involved in the life and ministries of this congregation are making estimates of giving for 2004. Like Philip, many of us are saying, in one way or another: "Show us the Father; let us have a clear revelation and then we will do what you want; then we will give what you want. Today we are also participating in this service of Holy Communion, the sacrament that celebrates what God has done in Christ. This sacrament not only reveals what God has done in Christ, but also proclaims what God is doing in Christ. In this sacrament we are both confronted and comforted by the grace of God. We are confronted by God's grace in that when we receive this sacrament in faith we become more clearly aware of God's claim on us and on all we have. And in this sacrament we are comforted by God's grace in that we are both blessed and enabled to be the persons God intends, doing what God wants. When like that father we say: I believe, help my unbelief; when like Philip we say: "Show us the Father Jesus speaks to us the way he spoke to Philip. "Have I been with you all this time and you are still asking that question? Have you been coming to this table month after month for years and are still saying you are not clear about who God is and what you ought to do in response to God's grace?" Oh, that we might someday move beyond "I believe; help thou my unbelief." And who knows? By the grace of God, today may well be that day. God, help us be so aware of you that we do believe, truly believe and we respond to your grace with all we are and all we have. Amen. Pastoral Prayer: God, as we make our estimates of giving for the ministries of this congregation in the year ahead, enable us to see this as an opportunity to participate with you in ministries for others. Set us free from all that makes us selfish. Rescue us from the pain in our past and our fear of the future; set us free to love. Give us the peace that comes when we are aware that what we are saying and doing pleases you. Rescue us from the dark dungeons of doubt; free us from our bondage to things, and enable us to live by faith. Make us sensitive to the ways your love is at work in our lives. Open our eyes so that we are able to see our blessings. Transform us with the joy of gratitude so that we are set free to give of ourselves and what we have in sharing your love with others. Set us free to love others as you in Christ have loved us. On this day of Holy Communion and commitment, this is our prayer. Amen.
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