Today's gospel passage (cf Jn 14:7-14) places us in the midst of a discussion that Jesus had with his disciples. These are privileged moments because they allow us to see into the heart of the Teacher, something that was not granted to every one of Jesus' listeners. In this case, Jesus was testing his disciples knowledge of himself (cf Jn 14:7): If you know me then you will also know my Father.
Jesus is often portrayed in the gospel of John as having a double knowledge of himself because by the time that the fourth gospel was written, the Church had already grown in her understanding of Jesus as the Son of God. It is interesting to note that Jesus invites us to know him, which means much more than simply knowing about him. The gospel writer wants us to understand this phrase in a much more familiar sense, as if to say: Do we know Jesus? Have we developed a personal relationship with him? Do we spend time in conversation with him every day? Do we listen for his voice? Do we seek his counsel and guidance before making important decisions?
If we know Jesus in this way, we can be assured that if we ask anything of him, he will do it (Jn 14:14), much as we might ask a favour of someone who we trust implicitly, like a family member or a very close friend. When we ask a favour of someone who is close to us, we already expect the answer to be yes and we already count on their collaboration, even before it is agreed upon. The same is true of the relationship that God wants with each one of us. We can trust him so implicitly that we can present our prayers to him and already know that he will help us.
Have a great day.
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