“Some Greeks…came to Philip”
The opening of the Gospel reading describes some Greeks coming to Philip. Philip is a unique Apostle due to his background and heritage. He also has key roles during the proclamation of the Kingdom by Jesus.
Who is Philip? What we know of Philip mostly comes from John’s Gospel. He is a native of Bethsaida, a town in Galilee, and belonged to the Tetrarchy of a son of Herod the Great who was also called Philip. (cf. Lk 3:1) He always comes fifth in the lists of the twelve Apostles, hence he is definitely among the first. Like Andrew, he was the only other Apostle with a Greek background and presumably spoke Greek.
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Besides today’s reading, where else do we see Philip in the Gospels? Philip is distinctively mentioned in three places. First we see him going to Nathanael, the second time is at the feeding of the five thousand, and finally at the Last Supper.
After being called by Christ, Philip goes to Nathanael to tell him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (Jn. 1:45) Nathanael’s reply was one of skepticism, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” but Philip answers, “Come and See” (Jn. 1:46). Jesus uses the same words when disciples of John the Baptist approach Him and ask where He is staying. Jesus says, “Come and see.” (cf. Jn. 1:38-39) Philip is inviting all of us to come and see Jesus. Pope Benedict comments on this by stating that while his response may seem a little dry, “Philip displays the characteristics of a true witness: he is not satisfied with presenting the proclamation theoretically, but directly challenges the person addressing him by suggesting he have a personal experience of what he has been told.”[i]
In order to have a good relationship with someone you need closeness. Jesus chose the twelve Apostles to have that close relationship. He wanted them to come and see and learn from Him personally. In today’s Gospel reading, we see Greeks come to Philip and he brings them to see Jesus. The Apostles and the Bishops work tirelessly to bring the sheep into the Church and see our Lord. It is important to see Jesus but what is more important is to “learn Christ” (Eph. 4:20). We must go to see Jesus and then learn from Him in order that we may serve Him.
The second place that we see Philip come to the fore scene is at the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus looks to Philip and asks him where they can buy bread to feed all of the people (Jn. 6:5) Philip answers, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” (Jn. 6:7)
Discussion Question
How would you have answered Jesus if He asked you that question?
We can appreciate Philip’s answer. It is grounded in natural thought and reason. We know that Jesus feeds all five thousand people and has more left over. We believe in reason and faith when things seem overwhelming. Going back to the story, it is important to see that Jesus turns to Philip and asks the question. This shows that he belonged to Jesus’ close group.[ii]
The last place that we distinctively see Philip in the Gospels is at the Last Supper when he asks Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.” (Jn. 14:8) Jesus responds, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father…Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?...Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me.” (Jn. 14:9-11) Jesus is giving us a deep and powerful insight into not only who He is but also what He is. “To express ourselves in accordance with the paradox of the Incarnation we can certainly say that God gave himself a human face, the Face of Jesus, and consequently, from now on, if we truly want to know the Face of God, all we have to do is to contemplate the Face of Jesus! In his Face we truly see who God is and what he looks like!”[iii]
Why did the Greeks go to Philip in today’s Gospel reading? As stated earlier, Philip probably spoke Greek and likely served as an interpreter for them with Jesus. This teaches us to always be ready to accept questions and requests about our faith. When we take these things we bring them to the Lord directly because only He can fully satisfy them. When someone asks us to pray for them, “it is important to know that the prayers of those who approach us are not ultimately addressed to us, but to the Lord: it is to him that we must direct anyone in need. So it is that each one of us must be an open road towards him!”[iv]
What did Philip do after Pentecost? It is said that Philip first evangelized in Greece and then Frisia (northern coast land between Germany and Netherlands), where it is believed that he was either crucified or stoned to death. Saint Philip is the patron of hatters and his feast day is May 3rd. “Philip teaches us instead to let ourselves be won over by Jesus, to be with him and also to invite others to share in this indispensable company; and in seeing, finding God, to find true life.”[v]
[i] Benedict XVI, The Apostles, pg. 95-96
[ii] cf. Benedict XVI, The Apostles, pg. 95-97
[iii] Benedict XVI, The Apostles, pg. 98-99
[iv] Benedict XVI, The Apostles, pg. 99
[v] ibid.