Reflection - Plainly?

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/060319.cfm
Acts 19:1-8
John 16:29-33

No reflection on a passage from the gospel of John can be considered complete without the context for Jesus’ words and actions. Such is the case here. The setting for Jesus’ words is the Last Supper. It is part of a long discourse. Our passage begins with the disciples exclaiming that Jesus is now talking in plain language which the disciples can gratefully understand. But what has Jesus said that invited such a response? When we read the previous three verses we find out. There Jesus says:

"I have said this to you in figures; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall ask the Father for you; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father." (John 16:26-28)

What the Apostles first recognize in Jesus’ words is that ‘figures’ or parables will not here circumscribe the way he is speaking speaking to them. This is a specific change from his words as recently as in the previous chapter where he spoke to them of himself as the vine and he disciples as branches. The Apostles are clearly thankful for the shift, probably because they, too, were having trouble with the clarity of his message.

But then we come to a remarkable assertion — this too from the previous four verses. “In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall ask the Father for you; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father.” (John 16: 26-27) True, Jesus is speaking plainly and not in the parables and stories with which he taught before; but the meaning of his words is extraordinary and grasping their import stretches our understanding.

When I was young it was not unusual for me to ask my mother to ask dad for something. From my perspective at the time, she certainly had more intercessory scrip than I did. Besides, she could present my case better than I could.

Further, asking in the name of means that the request is presented as coming from one with far greater authority than that inherent in the presenter. So when a police officer identifies himself as “LAPD”, he’s not simply identifying himself as a police officer but as one with the authority of the Los Angeles Police Department. When a proclamation is made “in the name of the king”, the herald is saying that this proclamation comes, not with his authority, but with the authority of the king.

Jesus’ words in this instance imply more than anyone could possibly expect.

We are told that Jesus is not going to ask the Father for us. His ‘intercessory scrip’ is not more important than ours. Furthermore, the Father will understand in spite of our inability to ‘make our case.’

We are told that we can and will ask on our own but with the authority of Jesus. For that reason it will not be necessary for Jesus to ask for us.

We are told that all this is possible because “the Father himself loves you.” And that it is our relationship to Jesus which makes the difference in our relationship to the Father.

In future years St Paul will elaborate further on this teaching.

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:17)

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I’m not sure why the disciples felt that Jesus was “now talking plainly.” Every time I am confronted with this teaching it seems deeper and more mysterious than before.