SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES (FEAST)

Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these. 

Although Philip had been following Jesus for some time, he still had much to learn about the Lord. For example, when faced with a huge and hungry crowd, he only thought about how much money it would cost to feed them all, not that Jesus could miraculously feed them (John 6:5-7). And in today’s Gospel, Philip doesn’t yet understand that Jesus is the face of his heavenly Father.

But despite his lack of understanding, Philip still believed in Jesus; he still followed him and continued to learn from him. And that’s all God needed to use him. As Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these” (John 14:12, emphasis added). Philip was called, responded with faith, and God would continue to build on that faith.

We too have been called by the Lord and have responded with faith—and he is still at work in us. He isn’t asking us to know and understand everything, just that we would keep believing in him. That’s the starting point, as it was for the apostles Philip and James, whose feast we celebrate today. And even now, we can step out in faith and do the works that God is calling us to do.

In fact, the more we step out in faith, the more our understanding will deepen and grow. So go ahead and exercise your faith. Offer to pray with someone who is sick. Take on a project that you think God is calling you to do, even if you don’t feel completely qualified. Share an uplifting story about the Lord with a coworker who is struggling.

After the events of Easter and Pentecost, Philip and James understood what God had done in Jesus. They went on to preach the gospel and were eventually martyred for their faith. Like these two apostles, Jesus knows you believe in him, and he can work with that. As he increases your understanding, you can trust that the Lord will open even more doors to build up his kingdom in the world today.

“Jesus, I believe in you. Send me out to share your good news!”

1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Psalm 19:2-5
John 14:6-14