Fifth Sunday of Easter A

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 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? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’

 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 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, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

John 14:1-14

       Our Gospel text today is a familiar passage for us.  It is one we may usually associate with funerals.  The words are certainly a comfort for those who have lost a loved one.  The promise of a place in the father’s house reminds us of heaven and is a comfort at a time of death.

       But these words of Jesus today have promise and comfort for us anytime we face difficulties, questions and doubts.  Jesus promises peace and comfort and a place of welcome in the Father’s house even before we find our place in heaven.
       Jesus is preparing his disciples for life without him.  Jesus urges them to trust in God and assures them there is a place prepared for them.  Jesus is not just talking about heaven.  Remember in John when Jesus spoke with the woman at the well who wanted to know where the right place was to worship God.  Jesus answered that it is not about a space, but a relationship.  When Jesus talks about preparing a place, he says he is making room forever everyone in a relationship with god.  Even though Jesus is leaving physically, they can be with him in relationship, because they will be with him in God.  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”  If Jesus is with the Father, his followers will be with him as well.  They are not left alone in the world.  We are not left alone in the world.  We, as followers of Christ, are invited to be “at home” in Christ, in a world that often seems hostile and confusing.

       It was a false gospel that was preached this week that the only answer to our difficulties in this world is for God to come and pluck us out of this world and it’s troubles.  You don’t have to wait to die or the world to come to an end to have a place in God’s house.  You have that place right now.

       “And you know the way to the place where I am going” This is the assurance and promise of Jesus.  You know how to get to this place that is in relationship with God.  It is not a mystery.   It’s not a hidden mathematical equation.  You don’t need someone to decipher it for you.  “You know the way,” Jesus promises.
       But we make it hard.  Thomas doesn’t understand and neither do the other disciples.  It’s only Thomas who has the nerve to raise his hand and admit in class he doesn’t understand.  “How can we know the way?” he asks.

       So Jesus makes it easy.  How can you know the way?   “I am the way,” Jesus says.  I can get you to the Father.  I will take you to the father.  Abide in me and you will abide in the father.  That’s all there is to it.  There is a place for you in relationship with God and I have prepared that place for you, says Jesus.

       When Jesus says “I am the Way and truth and the life” He is giving a promise and an assurance to lost and confused believers.  It is a promise for believers who are afraid they may lose their way.  It is a promise “you do not have to find the way.  You do not have to find room in the Kingdom of god.  You do not have to earn your way.  The place is already here and I have prepared it for you.  You do not need to find the way; I have already made a way for you” 

       This promise of Jesus is for believers to believe and be comforted.   It is a statement to comfort and assure and comfort believers.  It is not given for believers to go around bragging “I know the way and you don’t”  Later on in the lesson Jesus will talk about our task of mission, our call to bring others into the way but claiming to have a way that nobody else does is NOT what this text is about.  It is about comfort and assurance.  There is a place for you.  Christ has prepared it.

       Jesus is the way, the route, the journey.  Jesus’ life, teaching, mission and presence are what the church his to practice, a way of mission and servant hood.  Jesus as the way leads to the Father.  The place for goal is not heaven, it is God the Father.  The way to the father is Jesus.  Life with Jesus in his way, is the known and assure way to our place of comfort and well-being.  We can count on Jesus for that.

       But it still seems hard.  The disciples are not going to be able to see and touch Jesus.  This time Philip says “Lord show us the Father and we will be satisfied” Show me something concrete, give me some sign, some proof.  Give us something to hang on to so that we can know with absolute assurance that this is indeed THE way.

       Jesus is about to lose his patience by now.  “Have you been with me this long and you still don’t get it?”  But isn’t that the way we are?  Make it easy for me God.  Give me a sing, something concrete.  Show me the money!  But God has shown us.  Jesus says, “Whoever has seen me, has seen the father.”  We have signs all around us.  We have the Body of Christ, Christian brothers and sister to lean on and support.  We have the life and teachings of Jesus to remember.  We have his body and blood to eat and drink.  We have seen Christ and whoever has seen Christ as seen God the Father.

       Make it easier for us, Lord.  Sometimes I wonder, if deep down, that is not at the root of all our laments.  Make it easier.   Certainly it would have been easier if the world ended yesterday and all our problems went away and we lived in heaven forever and ever. 
       Make it easier, Lord.  But faith is as easy or as hard as we want to make it.  Christ is here.  We either trust that or we don’t.  When we don’t’ trust or believe it, then life does become a whole lot harder.  We say it is hard to trust but we make it hard.  Jesus says “just trust” Don’t let your hearts be so troubled.  Trust in God.  Trust in me.  I’ve made room for you with the father.  There is a place there in God for you, for me, for the person next to you, even the person you refuse to sit next to.  There is a place for all of us.  It’s not that hard.
       “If you ask anything in my name I will do it” Okay we are not talking about God as the great Santa Clause here.  This is in context of seeing the father and knowing the way.  If you want to know the way, if you want a place in god’s kingdom, if you want to be at home with God, you have it.  The place is there.  It’s ready for you.  It’s not hard.  It’s not a mystery.  Just believe and trust that.  If you must doubt and question EVERYTHING else, go ahead, but trust and believe this.  Christ has prepared a home for you in God.  Today.  Now.

       “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, because I am going to the Father”  That is the missionary passage.  We will do the works that Christ did, which is the work of loving and forgiving.  Not bragging that we have the way and no one else has.  But going the way that leads us to do the work of Christ, which is healing the broken, loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable, declaring the God’s victory over evil.  That is the way and the truth and the life.  Amen.