Gospel Reading for May 17, 2025 – John 14: 7-14
“LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON”
Jesus said to his disciples: “If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever 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 is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
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“LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON” is a common phrase that is often used when a son grows up to be like his Father. With Jesus, it is so much more than that, because Jesus and the Father are one. It probably is something our human minds cannot fathom, but simply said, we now know who or what the Father is, because of Jesus.
A lot of us grew up with the wrong notion of God: one who always sees us when we do wrong (not when we do good) or one who will punish us when we sin, among others. After knowing Jesus, we now know that these are just myths (or maybe, it was our parents’ way of disciplining us). During his 3-yr. ministry, Jesus had so much compassion for the sick that everywhere he went, people brought their sick to be healed by him. He spent time with publicly known sinners and spoke about repentance and forgiveness. He taught us to help the needy instead of wasting our life away in reckless abandon or living a life thinking only of ourselves. He taught us to pray and not lose faith in him. He taught us that when we surrender our lives to him, we will be assured of eternal life. He taught us so many other things we can easily find in the Bible.
If we really wish to know God the Father, we have to know Jesus very well!
Lord Jesus, thank you so much!
