In today’s gospel (Jn 15:16) we are told that “The Father will give you anything you will ask of him in my name”. Is this true?
Yes, this is true – but keep the sentence in context, or you risk turning it into a “prosperity gospel”! In the sentence immediately preceding the one quoted above, Jesus told his disciples that he chose them to “go forth and bear fruit.” So in this context we are talking about mission work, about continuing the mission of Jesus. By virtue of (and empowered by) our Baptism and Confirmation, we are called to spread the Good News – to participate in the mission of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Jesus is promising that every gift you need for this mission will indeed be given to you. In fact, attempts at fulfilling our mission will fail if we do not first seek the help of the Lord. We are talking about spiritual gifts, gifts from the Holy Spirit, the gifts needed to build up the Body of Christ. So a request for a Lexus or a Porsche would not fall under the umbrella of that mission-oriented promise of Jesus.
This insight also keeps us from giving in to fear, because we realise that we are not depending upon our own power and our own resources. Instead, we remain centred in and connected to the Vine (the reading immediately preceding today’s gospel). Normally our mission is not to leave for some far-off continent to evangelise. Instead, our mission area is our neighbourhood, workplace, school and home. This is where we spread the Good News of the love and mercy of Christ, which he manifested fully by laying down his own life for our redemption!
You see, God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments. For this reason the Church takes care not to neglect the mission she has received to see that all who can be baptised are ‘reborn of water and the Spirit’, and whatever we ask for that aids in transforming us and others into the image of Jesus, will be given to us.
Yes, this is true – but keep the sentence in context, or you risk turning it into a “prosperity gospel”! In the sentence immediately preceding the one quoted above, Jesus told his disciples that he chose them to “go forth and bear fruit.” So in this context we are talking about mission work, about continuing the mission of Jesus. By virtue of (and empowered by) our Baptism and Confirmation, we are called to spread the Good News – to participate in the mission of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Jesus is promising that every gift you need for this mission will indeed be given to you. In fact, attempts at fulfilling our mission will fail if we do not first seek the help of the Lord. We are talking about spiritual gifts, gifts from the Holy Spirit, the gifts needed to build up the Body of Christ. So a request for a Lexus or a Porsche would not fall under the umbrella of that mission-oriented promise of Jesus.
This insight also keeps us from giving in to fear, because we realise that we are not depending upon our own power and our own resources. Instead, we remain centred in and connected to the Vine (the reading immediately preceding today’s gospel). Normally our mission is not to leave for some far-off continent to evangelise. Instead, our mission area is our neighbourhood, workplace, school and home. This is where we spread the Good News of the love and mercy of Christ, which he manifested fully by laying down his own life for our redemption!
You see, God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments. For this reason the Church takes care not to neglect the mission she has received to see that all who can be baptised are ‘reborn of water and the Spirit’, and whatever we ask for that aids in transforming us and others into the image of Jesus, will be given to us.
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