Phillip’s request, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied,” makes me smile. These disciples had been there when Jesus turned water into wine. They had witnessed scores of healings – from blindness, from paralysis, even raising Lazarus from death. They had feasted on the loaves and fishes. They were there when he walked across the water to join them in the boat. What more did they want? Wasn’t that enough to reveal that Jesus is God incarnate – the embodiment of God’s mercy, compassion, and power? Apparently not.
How often, when praying to God, are we like Phillip? “Just this one more thing and then I will be satisfied. I’ll be happy as soon as I get through school…get this job… meet the right person…get the kids into school…get the kids out of the house…lose the weight…make more money…retire…” On and on it goes, and we are still not satisfied with the life we’ve been given. Maybe the key to this in found in vs. 27, when Jesus says, “I do not give as the world gives.” Maybe satisfaction comes in finding peace and gratitude in the here and now. Maybe it is in grounding ourselves in all that God is doing in the present moment: bringing peace in turbulent times, giving us a good night’s rest when we are weary, surrounding us with people who love us even when we have a hard time loving ourselves.
Today, make a mental list of how God is being revealed in your life right now. Offer a prayer of thanks for each one.