Richard Kuns

This is the fourth Saturday of Easter and the feast day of St. Philip the Apostle. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts list Philip as one of the twelve disciples, but no more. John, however, shares three revealing episodes in Philip’s life.

Philip was part of the crowd that gathered along the Jordan River where John the Baptizer was preaching. He must have heard John exclaim: “Look! There’s God’s lamb! He’s the one who takes away the world’s sin…” (John 1:29).

We do not know why Philip was still there the next morning. John simply wrote: The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee, where he found Philip. “Follow me,” he said to him… (John 1:47)

I love that wording, where he found Philip. We usually think that we find Jesus, but the truth is Jesus finds us - often when we least want it or expect it. God loves us without condition, furiously.

Brennan Manning speaks of participating in a 30-day silent, directed retreat. His spiritual director gave him this verse to pray with every day. I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me. (Song of Solomon 7:10, NASB). He concludes the book with these words. Perhaps the gut issue in not how much theology we have studied or how much Scripture we have memorized. All that really matters is this: Have you experienced the furious longing of God or not? (the furious longing of God, p. 129)

Philip then found Nathanael and invited him to Jesus with the simple invitation, Come and see. (John 1:46c). God’s furious love, once experienced, generates love for your neighbor, your sister, and your brother. John shares another time when Philip is the “go to person” to find Jesus. Perhaps it is the Greek name Philip or maybe it is Philip’s openness to receive others. Whichever it is, when some Greeks wanted to come to meet Jesus, they came to Philip. (John 12:20-25)

John remembers and retells another story about Jesus and Philip. - John 6:3-13. It’s Passover time and Jesus saw a large crowd coming to him and understood their need for rest, food, and drink. Jesus turns to Philip and asks where they might find food for about 5000 people.

Philip’s response echoes what most of us might say. Even with six months’ pay you wouldn’t be able to buy enough bread for each of them to have just a little! (John 6:7). We don’t have enough resources to provide for these people. Scarcity is our first response.

John’s text tells us that Jesus knew what to do but asked Philip to test him. None of the disciples understood. Andrew also said: But what use are they (the five loaves and two fish) with this many people? (john 6:9b). We mistrust God’s abundant giving. The psalm poet wrote, And they spoke against God. They said: “Can God set a table in the wilderness?” (Psalm 78:19, Robert Alter)

Walter Brueggemann writes: It is our propensity, in society and in church, to trust the narrative of scarcity. That is what make us greedy, and exclusive, and selfish, and coercive. Even the Eucharist can be made into an occasion of scarcity, as though there we not enough for all. Such scarcity leads to exclusion at the table, even as scarcity leads to exclusion from economic life. (Journey to the Common Good, p. 34)

John remembers and shares one more exchange between Jesus and Philip. The conversation is found in John 14:8-11. Jesus has shared his last meal with the disciples and begins to speak of his betrayal, death, and resurrection.

Philip exclaims, Show us the father, then, Master, and that’ll be good enough for us! (John 14: 8). Jesus appears incredulous. When you see me, hear me, and observe how I live, you also see the Father. My life speaks: You must trust me that I am in the father and the father is in me. If not, then trust because of the things you’ve seen done. (John 14:11)

And now we know. Philip was found by Jesus! Because Philip was found, he finds others for Jesus. He discovers that God’s grace and provision are abundant, always available. Philips learns that it is our life that is the Father’s presence in a troubled, self-centered world. Your voice of love, your helping hands, your compassionate heart become God’s living image and presence here and now.

Richard R. Kuns - All NT passages translated by N. T. Wright