Who is the Father?

Today’s Gospel Text: If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father 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. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:7-14

Reflection: Imagine someone telling you: “Yeh look, if you have tasted oranges then you need not bother about tasting sweet limes because when you taste oranges then it is the same as tasting sweet limes.”

“Ahw! How can that be, I would still like to go for the sweet limes and would not just be satisfied with the mere taste of oranges and more so since someone has spoken to me so much highly about sweet limes.”

Now it may not be really true be that the taste of oranges are the same as that of sweet limes but it is definitely true, without an iota of doubt, that if you encounter Jesus then it is the same as encountering the Father.

It is not just a beautiful way that Jesus brings out this relationship but it is the truth about the reality of God:

The Son shares in the same essence of God along with the Holy Spirit and thus we have the triune nature of the one true God.  

We cannot just separate Jesus from the Godhead nor are we doing any wrong to the Father by worshipping the Son, who is one in being with the Father, true God from true God, begotten not made.

Thus we have the greatest ever revelation of Jesus, which lays a very high and solid claim to his divinity, power and majesty:

“He who 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 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.  

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.” (vss. 9c-11)

Jesus it is that reveals the Father and his great love for us by his incarnation among us and hence through his blood, shed on the cross, we have access to the Father's love.

Prayer: Father, we thank you for revealing to us yourself and your everlasting love for us through Jesus your beloved Son.

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