Saturday, May 9, 2020
In God’s eyes who do you think was the greater saint, Pope John Paul II or his parents, Karol and Amelia Wojtyla? John Paul’s great works, of course, are known throughout the world. His parents, however, were the behind-the-scenes people who raised him. Amelia died when John Paul was nine years old, and Karol when he was twenty-one. I wonder what went on the Wojtyla household. I wonder how many prayers these holy parents prayed in behalf of their son, how much suffering they endured, how they tried to be good examples to their children. Do you think that John Paul would have ever even become a priest without such saintly parents? So who did the greater work? Do you think these humble and holy Polish parents (a process is in place for their canonization) had any idea that their youngest son would be God’s instruments in revolutionizing the Church?
Today, we continue to sit with Jesus at the Last Supper, and he makes an amazing, almost unbelievable, statement about us (John 14:7-14).
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
Remember an “amen” is like a huge exclamation point. And when Jesus says two “amen’s,” it is like a whole row of exclamation points. What follows the double amen is a statement that Jesus wants to drill into the deepest consciousness of his disciples. They would be given the power to do the same works that Jesus did on earth. That, in itself, is more than we can handle. Jesus, however, goes even further and says they will do “greater ones” than he did.
If this is the only verse of the Bible that we know and if we truly believe it, imagine how this would change our lives. For notice that Jesus did not limit these great works to the Apostles but extends it to “whoever believes in me.” Hold onto your seats—that means us!
Most of us are like Karol and Amelia Wojtyla—ordinary, hidden, and insignificant people. But look at the great work they accomplished! These two holy people are telling us today that we can do the same.
Great works are not necessarily the ones that are broadcasted on the evening news. Think of Jesus. We know about his great works of healing, exorcising demons, quieting storms, and so on. What about the work he did in prayer? Remember at the Last Supper when he prayed for the Apostles? What a greter work this was! Each of them—scared, uneducated, and lowly men—had the courage to remain faithful to Jesus unto the end and shed their blood (except John) for him. What a prayer!
Before we have time to recover from this verse, Jesus throws another one at us:
“And whatever you ask in my name, I will do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”
Did we catch the words “whatever” and “anything?” Do we hear Jesus say “will” not “might” or “could?”
There is no limit to our power of intercession. Anything we ask of Jesus to promote his Kingdom he WILL do. The secret of our power is that it is Jesus working in us—we are members of his Body.
Let not the enemy cause us to underestimate the power Jesus has given us, especially that of intercessory prayer.
“Sing to the Lord a new song” (Ps 98:1).
