5th Sunday of Easter: The way to the Father's house

 

"Do not let your hearts be troubled"

John 14: 1-12

The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050326.cfm

Almighty ever-living God,

constantly accomplish the Paschal Mystery within us, 

that those you were pleased to make new in Holy Baptism

may, under your protective care, bear much fruit

and come to the joys of life eternal.

(from Collect of Mass)

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Our Gospel this Sunday begins with the words that we heard spoken by the Angel Gabriel to Mary or by a parent to their frightened child: “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” – Be not afraid.

The scene is at the Last Supper as Jesus encourages his disciples that although they will see what might appear to be the end of their Jesus plan, it is not the end but only the beginning of a greater plan by God.  Though the brutal suffering and crucifixion are on the horizon, after the resurrection, they will not be abandoned. So he assures them: Do not let your hearts be troubled.

But this is far more than the loss of a dear friend.  It is more than just a temporary absence or a vacation in which they will be reunited again.  Jesus reassures his disciples they will have a place in his Father’s house (heaven) and so too will we.  For now, they must carry on the mission of Christ entrusted to them and build up the Church he has established.  In that way, they begin to form the Father’s house in the community of the Church which is fulfilled in eternal life. So, it is a now and yet to come assurance that in a sense, the best is yet to come despite what may appear as failure through the cross.

The question of Thomas, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” strikes me as reasonable as these disciples have not yet experienced the resurrection. They are thinking in earthly, logical terms.  Jesus, in John’s Gospel, speaks in spiritual terms so it is another example of their gradual understanding of who Jesus is and the purpose of his mission to humanity, which is God’s itself.  Thomas does not need a road map or a GPS to show him the way.  He needs a Person who is the way itself. 

Jesus states you see me, you see the Father – this is what God is like, Jesus tells and shows us. When Jesus speaks, God speaks. Although this intimate group had seen and heard much up to this point the fullness of understanding is still hidden from them. Our Lord himself is the way to eternity. 

It may also be the question of our day.  Think for a moment.  What did these Apostles have to go on - The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and Jesus himself.  How learned were they in the fine points of the sacred scriptures: the Torah, the Law and the Prophets?  Likely not to the point they were able to connect the dots very easily, yet so much was part of their cultural experience and they came to know inherently as a Jewish people.

So, they had the person of Jesus himself.  They heard his teaching and they witnessed strange and miraculous events. We see in the first reading from Acts how the Church, in the face of growth, responded creatively as the Holy Spirit led them to see a great need for equality and fairness among the Greek and Aramaic speaking Christians. Yet, they still didn’t have much more than the testimony of the Apostles to go on and their direct experience of the Spirit among them. Eventually through the Apostles and St. Paul, the link between Old and New Testaments is uncovered and found to be fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

By comparison, what do we have?  Thousands of years of Christian history: Theologians, Doctors of the Church, Saints, Tradition, the New Testament Scriptures, not to mention overwhelming technological and scientific knowledge. It is far more than was available in the historical universe of ancient times.

Yet, we still ask the same question in this age of many distractions and miraculous medical science.  “You still do not know me?” Jesus addresses us. Every generation needs to hear the good news again and again.  The wealth of historical and spiritual treasure we have at our fingertips literally through the internet for example leaves us no excuse to remain unaware of the power of our Christian faith.

I think the focus of the Gospel and for our Christian lives is to once again hear the words of Jesus, which are astounding:  “I am the way and the truth and the life”  By this claim, he leaves for us no other choice and basically no option or door number two to walk through.  Jesus claims that he is THE way to the Father – to God; Jesus is the fullness of THE truth, and he brings us the promise and hope in THE life eternal.  If we find him, we need not search anywhere else and nothing else will fulfill or satisfy equally. And our faith life in the house of the Church is where we must remain to encounter the living Christ in sacraments, in word, in worship and in selfless works of charity.  In this way, our journey will take us to the true house of the Father in heaven where there are many dwelling places.

 Our second reading from Peter reminds us that the baptized are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own” called to greatness in the spiritual sense. So, maybe if we recognized our privilege not to be “holier than thou” but the privilege we hold in Christ to carry on his mission of self-less service, mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation, his good news in the world, we would not be so troubled by the world in which we live. To invite others to come to know the Lord Jesus in the ways we do it is more inspiring than simply words. We say what our Lord said to his first disciples: “Come and see.”

He is the way to the Father, the answer to our doubt, and the fullness of life that brings peace and harmony.  And as we gather in the Eucharist, in the presence of Christ risen and alive as our food and way, let us celebrate this gift of life and faith.