Philip, The Apostle

 

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us”.

John 14:8

Philip was one of the disciples whom Jesus personally invited to follow him. He is mentioned in the synoptic gospel only in the list of the disciples. We get his words and actions from John’s gospel. He was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip may have been a disciple of John the Baptist as his call took near Bethany beyond Jordan where John was baptizing. He was eager to share the light he received to his friend Nathanael and invite him to Jesus. Jesus tests him by asking “where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat” when a large crowd approached him. Philip looks only to the expense of the matter where Andrew finds a possibility. He acts as intermediary between Christ and Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover. We see Philip also in the Upper Room who were waiting for the coming of Holy Spirit.

The request of Philip, “to show us the Father, that is enough for us” is the intense desire of a spiritual person. But at the same time, he fails in seeing the Father in Jesus.  The question of Jesus to Philip, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me Philip” is a question to all our spirituality. We have to accept it that we still lack in knowing Jesus as he is. Though we are feeble weak and fragile, we have our Lord to correct us and lead us to new spiritual life.

The disciples are not extraordinary beings. They were ordinary people with extraordinary anointing.  They were not perfect. But they were not rejected in their weakness. They were not replaced with a new better one. God is not a Boss who always demands perfect people to be with his Company. Jesus always strengthens them, corrects them and leads them to new spiritual directions.