Messy Faith? Jesus Has Prayed!

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! [John 14.8-14] 

For years I have read this passage in near panic for the condition of the disciples as evidenced by Phillip's question. Jesus was about to be crucified and they still didn't seem to know who He was.

Today however, I see something different.

The disciples were no different than we are. Faith is never something we are fully prepared for - otherwise, it wouldn't be faith! What the disciples were facing was going to be messy. It was going to be hard. It was going to test them to their very core. In fact, Jesus had this conversation with Peter:

Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.” Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me. [John 13.36-38]

Again, Peter's condition should invoke panic - but Jesus matter-of-factly predicted Peter's circumstances with no particular alarm:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” [Luke 22.31-32] 

What we see here is that Jesus was fully aware of our messy faith. In Peter's case, even in his lapse into blatant denial, Jesus saw past it and addressed the work that should follow. Perhaps no other statement made by Jesus offers more encouragement to our messy faith than what we see here.

If Phillip and Peter were my disciples, I believe I would have thrown my hands up in despair thinking all my efforts had been in vain. But that is simply not how faith (and therefore Jesus) works!

There is however something we MUST take away from the disciples' example: they did not quit. As messy as things got - even as they would all flee in terror when Jesus was arrested - they would eventually carry the Gospel with such conviction that the world would never be the same. These men that scattered at first, went on to proclaim the Kingdom of God - many of them following Jesus to become martyrs themselves.

However, one of them did quit. Judas never really believed the extent of God's love and forgiveness. Instead of getting back on his faith-feet after his betrayal of Jesus, he gave up. Although most people who give up on their faith today don't commit physical suicide, they commit spiritual suicide by allowing their failures to determine their spiritual condition instead of their faith. They resign to their present condition instead of pressing on to where faith can take them.

We must see that faith is what turned Phillip's life around. At the subject passage above, Phillip did not yet even know or understand that Jesus was God! But that did not stop Phillip.

Faith is what turned Peter's life around. He would go on from the passage above mentioning him to flat-out denying Jesus. But that did not stop Peter!

Faith is what will turn our lives around. No matter what we have done, we must understand that Jesus is constantly praying for us to simply repent and believe in Him. We must see Jesus' words to Peter as His words to us, "I have pleaded in prayer for you, ...that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers."

But how could Jesus forgive Peter? How could Jesus forgive us? This is where faith and love prevail! Our faith in God's love as manifested in Jesus Christ will overcome all the shortcomings of our lives - if we simply repent and believe.

Brothers and sisters, be encouraged to repent and believe!

Will it be messy? We can count on it. But! Jesus has prayed for us! Now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to repent and believe no matter how messy it has been, how messy it currently is, or how messy it gets to be. Jesus has prayed for us!

Father, I have never felt so encouraged to repent and believe. I have never felt to relieved that even my goofed-up situations are no more alarming to You than were Phillip's or Peter's. I take courage today to repent and believe - and keep repenting and believing! So be it!