In whose name do we ask?

When he walked upon this earth, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ performed great miracles.

In today’s Gospel (John 14:6-14), our Lord promises us much more than that, prefacing his promise with his most solemn assurance:

Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me
will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.

Christ, ascended into heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father, empowers us.

Indeed, just in case we didn’t get that message: he repeats it with even greater clarity in the very next verse:

And whatever you ask in my name, I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

But wait, there’s more! In the very next verse after THAT, he repeats it yet again!

If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.

Of course, many of us still do not get what our Lord is saying.

One problem is that many of us – believers and unbelievers – are like children, looking at things in the world and at things that are beyond this world as if they were magic.

Among many unbelievers, the magic answer to all things is science and/or technology; for others, the magic is positive attitude.

Some of these once believed that the magic answer was faith and interpreted our Lord’s words as if they were magic.

Even some who are currently fervent believers in Christ may look on our Lord’s promise in today’s Gospel (and elsewhere) that way: use the magic name and – presto – your wishes will be granted.

The truth is that there is no magic.

Science is neither magic nor infallible.

Technology is neither magic nor 100% beneficial.

A positive attitude does not guarantee a positive result.

And even the most sacred of names is not magic.

Often when a prayer appears to fail, a magic-based analysis persists, usually concluding that not enough of the right ingredients had been used: e.g., “you need a pinch more faith”, “you have to use the Aramaic form of the Name”, “you have to pronounce the Name out loud”.

The truth is that when we use the name of our Lord as if it were magic, we are in a very real sense not actually praying in the name of the Lord. Rather, we are often praying in the name of convenience or comfort or greed or fear or something worse.

Even when we pray for a good thing (e.g., for the physical healing of someone who is innocent or virtuous), we are on some level and to some extent separating ourselves from God and his will.

That is not to say that we should not be honest with God in our prayer about our hopes and desires.

Our Lord himself gives us the pattern to follow (Matthew 26:39):

And going a little farther
he fell on his face and prayed,
"My Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."

Our prayer is perfectly effective when we are fully in Christ and when we pray fully from Christ and in Christ.

The name of Jesus is omnipotent, but our use of the name of Jesus is not magic.

Should we still pray in the name of Jesus, imperfect as we may be? Of course.

Should we pray for the things we want or need? By all means.

Will miracles take place even when we are not spiritually at the level of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul? Yes, thank God.

But our focus must always be on and in Christ: believing and living fully in the name of Jesus.

Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me
will do the works that I do,
and will do greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name,
I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name,
I will do it