I am curious where Jesus says "pray to the Father and not to me"? (I'm thinking of John 14:14 here),
It was hypothetical, dear GOrwell (peace to you!), along the lines of him being recorded to say:
"Why do you call ME good? NO ONE is good... except the Father."
Of course, we know HE is good, too, but that's not the point; the point is will/do we OBEY what he SAID/SAYS? For instance, his words recorded at Matthew 6:5-14:
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you."
I speak with the Son every day... all day, some days. But that is not who I pray to because it is not who HE said to pray to. Does it matter? I have learned that it does, that being faithful in what is least CAN be accounted towars being faithful in much. For Christ is also recorded to have said:
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord, and yet do not do the things I say?"
And in another place:
“All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will comeand make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me."
He didn't say, anywhere, to ponder or worry as to whether he and the Father were the same or one entity. When he mentioned their being "one" it was to emphasis their unity... of MIND and SPIRIT... but not of body. Just as WE can be one with both him and the Father: in mind... and spirit, in spite of not being so of body.
Problem is, we get SO caught up in our concern about the construction of that unity that we absolutely overlook the instruction/commandment! But it doesn't matter what their construct is (except for purposes of telling/teaching the TRUTH... which is that while they are unified... they are not one Person, not at all!). What matters... is that we exercise faith... by DOING what he told/tells us to do! If we truly have faith we will OBEY the instructions he gives us... directly (because he speaks to us, directly)... just as we HEAR them from his own voice. If we don't have enough faith to hear him directly, we will OBEY the instructions that others recorded FOR those without such faith.
So, my point? Is it better to quibble over what/who he is... or to obey what he says? And, unless you've heard directly from him to the contrary, the record says that Christ said it is to the Father that we are to pray.
Now, does that negate asking Christ for something? No, it does not. Praying TO the Most Holy One of Israel can INCLUDE requests; however, per Christ, such requests are limited, are they not? Because PRAYER is not about making requests; it is about giving reverence to the Most Holy One of Israel, stating that HIS name is clean and above reproach, that it is HIS will that you wish to be done and HIS kingdom that you wish to be established... thanking Him for His blessings of food, clothing, shelter, etc., asking forgiveness for your sins, and protection from temptation. Besides these, there really is nothing else that NEEDS to be asked, is there... because, as Christ is also recorded to say, the Father already knows what else you need.
But, okay, perhaps you have a specific request: in that case, it is the SON that you go to. Because authority to GRANT your request has been given to HIM. I have referred to this scenario many times, but you need only look to the account of Joseph and Pharaoh: Pharaoh put Jospeh in charge of ALL that he had, except himself alone. When the famine came and people needed grain, they went to "Pharaoh" (because he owned all of the grain)... by going TO Joseph. Technically, they were making request of Pharaoh; however, literally, it was Joseph who they asked... and who granted them grain. But it was always Pharaoh's grain.
We are to KISS the Son, yes! Absolutely! We are to give him the love, reverence, regard, honor, respect, and "worship" that the Father has conferred upon him. And the BEST way to DO this... is to OBEY him! LISTEN... and FOLLOW... HIS voice/words. And that voice/those words say to pray to and glorify the Father.
How do we do this without going down the path of, say, the WTBTS... which utterly disregards the Son except in very minute instances, often including him as if an afterthought? By KNOWING him... so that we LOVE him. You can't disregard someone you truly love. Such a person is in your heart and on your mind constantly. You can't stop thinking of him (her)... or speaking with him (her) at every opportunity. You GO to "Joseph" because you know him and in knowing know why he was appointed: because he IS the image of the Most Holy One... and that One's representative. And through HIM... to come to know... and love... the Father. Because through "Joseph"... you "see"... "Pharaoh" (whose face you have not yet seen).
I hope this helps and, again, I bid you peace!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
