Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Thursday of Whitsun Week

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. John 14:1-22 (NKJV)

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so 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 speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the 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 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

Devotion

In response to the words of St. Thomas and St. Philip, Jesus speaks words which comfort and console the saints in times of trouble. In the midst of the heresy and darkness of this age, St. Thomas’ words strike at all the confusion which often threatens to overwhelm many Christians: “Thomas saith unto him, ‘Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?’ Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'” When we are tempted to compromise the truth, or to doubt that which the Lord has made known in His holy Word, knowledge of, and trust in, the One Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life calls us back from reliance on anything from the imagination or reason of man or the corruption of false teachers.

“Philip saith unto him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.’…’Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.'” There is no division within the Godhead. As we confess in the Athanasian Creed, “So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.” We do not know the Father apart from knowing the Son, and no one who denies the Son has the Father. But we who have been baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost have fellowship with the Lord, and thus fellowship with all those who are of this faith in its truth and purity.

O God, Who didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people by sending to them the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth with Thee, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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