John 14: 1-12
The passage can be divided into two parts, verses 1to 6, and verses 7 to 12.
Verses 1 to 6:
Context:
The passage begins with Jesus’ assurance of the disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” This happened during the Last Supper after he had washed their feet, predicted that one of them would betray him, and that Peter would deny him. Jesus knows that the disciples will fail, and their world will collapse. He also had told them, “My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.” (Chapter 13). Yet, before he leaves them, he gives them an example and a commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”[1]
Content:
Jesus’ assurance includes a word of consolation and encouragement, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” While he knows they will falter, he tells them to have faith in God and have faith in him. He also comforts them that while he may be away from them, he will never abandon them, so that where he is they also may be. Here, Jesus goes on to distinguish himself from other leaders. He does not just show people how to get to a place, he is the way (Just imagine a time when you get lost, and somebody did not just show you how to find your way, but actually led you to where you needed to be. What a difference that was). And Jesus is the way of truth and life, the way that leads to the Father.
Verses 7-12:
Philip says, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Even though Jesus corrects Philip for failing to see the presence of the Father in Him, Philip’s prayer is incredible in challenging us to look at our own desires and goals in life. What do we want in life? Can we ever say honestly that God alone is enough for us?
The Christian faith teaches us that in Jesus Christ God is near to us. God is no longer a distant God. With the incarnation of the Son of God, God comes to live among us. In the prologue on the Gospel of John, the author professes the core of the Christian faith, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth” (1:14). God now lives among us so that we can know and be with God. Jesus, the Son of God, lived a human life so that all things human can now be divine. He walked the earth, he worked, he loved, he formed friendships, he rejoiced, he was happy, he was sad, he was disappointed, he was betrayed, he was denied and rejected. Yet, he conquered evil and sin, death and condemnation. He is now alive, and so are we, with Him.
[1] Moloney, Francis, S.D.B. The Gospel of John. Sacra Pagina series. Liturgical Press, 1998, p.393.
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