“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
Jesus says these words after washing the disciples’ feet, so it is unmistakable that he speaks to them about discipleship and sharing the Gospel. He says, “From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.” In the Gospel readings from the past several days, John reveals in Jesus’ words his oneness with the Father, so here he connects the disciples’ mission through him with God the Father.
God, help me understand the depth of meaning behind your “I AM.” In the first reading, Paul stands up in the synagogue and recounts salvation history from the time that God chose Israel as a people set apart, a holy nation, to the coming of Our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus’ I AM is a truth he presents to the disciples not to lord it over them, but so that they might believe he is who he says he is.
I want to be able to accept these words of Jesus and trust that he is the Son of God. On my own, part of me holds onto unbelief. Jesus himself asks of me, “From now on I am telling you . . . so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.” With the trust of a little child, God, give me the grace to believe, and help my unbelief.
Today let me be ready when I witness God at work in the world around me. Will I be able to marvel at even the most mundane experiences or realizations and be willing to say to others, “That is the great I AM at work in the world; that is the gift of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God!”