Quite often when we hear stories from Jesus they are confusing. Sometimes I wonder if he had a bit of a weird sense of humour when he tells stories and answers questions with other questions. This doesn’t always reassure us that we have completely understood what he has been saying.
Just imagine what we can do, believing in Jesus, taking time to listen to his voice before reacting and following The Way.
In our first few words in our Gospel story for the week we have Jesus saying “Do not let your hearts be troubled”: We have to back up a bit to what was happening before this part in the Gospel. He had just told his disciples that he would be crucified; that one would betray him; and one would deny him. Just put yourself in the disciples’ sandals and you might understand why they might be troubled. So here we have Jesus reassuring them that it will be okay. It would probably have given them a bit of a relief that he was going to explain and reassure them a bit.
If we use these words for us, here in this time, gives us the idea or assurance that we have control over our lives and how we respond to our burdens, having Jesus within us.
Our next line is “Believe in God, believe in me also.” This makes sense, easy enough. Not that we can’t get lost in our beliefs but the sentence is clear enough.
The next two lines are clear as well and reassuring (especially for us who know how Jesus’ life ends and continues within us). “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you”. So Thanks to Jesus, our ‘room’ will be ready for us when we get there.
Then it gets a bit trickier, when Jesus says you know the way to the place where I am going. Bravo to Thomas for being brave enough to say that they didn’t know where he was going and how could they know the way. Jesus response is to say that he is the way and the truth and the life. No ones comes to the Father except through me. If you were listening last week, you might be thinking back to the words Jesus said that he was the gate. We all have to go through Jesus, through the gate, because only there will you find God.
Jesus talks about being the way… He is way to an abundant life. His way (through life) is the only way we should be following.
About truth…He is the true God, truly a man and taught the way of God in truth.
I am life…. In Jesus we always have life even though we have died.
I once again applaud Philip for saying that if Jesus would just show him and the others, the Father, they would be satisfied. Jesus then goes onto explain that God is in him.
How many of us feel God in us? I have quite often told someone that the sermon they gave or a letter that they wrote to me, was extremely powerful and that the words meant so much, to get a response like ‘I just listened to what God told me, it actually came from him’.
I never realized that Jesus said something very similar, “The words I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in my does his work.” I never really connected this line to us as well.
Jesus is within us, always, but how many times have we not listened. Like we heard last week, we know his voice or we should know his voice. It is one of peace and love, not hatred or meanness. I know, that in some cases I speak too quickly and definitely don’t listen to that voice. Verse 12 which states ‘Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these’.
Just imagine what we can do, believing in Jesus, taking time to listen to his voice before reacting and following The Way.
Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.
Thanks Be To God!