"Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Recently I recalled a challenge non-Christians sometimes aim at the Church, “If Jesus wants everyone to know he was raised from the dead and is the Son of God, why doesn’t he reveal himself to everyone? Surely, that will put an end to the discussion!” Judas’ question in John 14 shows the early church wondered the same thing, “Why doesn’t he show himself to the world?”
Jesus’ answer is typically direct; so direct we might miss the point altogether. When the Father and the Son takes up residence in the Church and in the heart of an individual, Jesus is revealed to us and to the world.
But the world doesn’t know what to expect from the revelation of God. If they’re looking for displays of military power or economic wealth they’re looking in the wrong direction. If they’re looking for success, charm or fame they’re blind to the revelation of God.
The early Church, facing resistance from Jews and gentiles, meeting ostracism, persecution and martyrdom glowed with the face of Christ. Clearly, he made his dwelling among them as the “Jesus movement” spread among the poor, the despised, the disenfranchised and the slaves. In those days, as people rushed to baptism despite the threat of death, the Church could say, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
Even now, when Christians have attained too much social acceptability, when we publicly boast of our belonging to Christ, God abides with us. Faith does him homage despite the distortions.
In the 13th century, when the Catholic Church was supremely powerful in all the wrong ways, Saint Francis of Assisi would urge his friars to “Look at the humility of God:”
Let everyone be struck with fear,
let the whole world tremble,
and let the heavens exult when Christ, the Son of the living God,
is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!
O wonderful loftiness and stupendous dignity!
O sublime humility! O humble sublimity!
The Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God,
let the whole world tremble,
and let the heavens exult when Christ, the Son of the living God,
is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!
O wonderful loftiness and stupendous dignity!
O sublime humility! O humble sublimity!
The Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God,
so humbles himself that for our salvation
he hides himself under an ordinary piece of bread!
Brothers, look at the humility of God,
and pour out your hearts before him!
he hides himself under an ordinary piece of bread!
Brothers, look at the humility of God,
and pour out your hearts before him!
Humble yourselves that you may be exalted by him!
Hold nothing back of yourselves for yourselves,
that he who gives himself totally to you may receive you totally!
Hold nothing back of yourselves for yourselves,
that he who gives himself totally to you may receive you totally!
Those who look at the humility of God shine with his glory, though the world cannot see it.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.