John 14:1-14
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 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? 3 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.
4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. ”8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 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’? 10 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. 11 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.
12 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. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
Constant Dialogue and Shared Destiny
This Sunday, the Gospel invites us to learn how the Lord Jesus trains His disciples through dialogue expressing a mutual love, confidence, respect and trust.
By telling the disciples that He is going to the Father, and they know both the way and the destination, He is preparing them for His last days in Jerusalem. He announces again and again how He is going to be treated by the highest religious and political authorities in Jerusalem, and how He will suffer crucifixion, death and then rise from the dead.
Preparing the disciples for this upcoming event, Jesus tells them, "I go to prepare a place for you in my Father's house" (V. 2) and "will take you to myself" (V. 3), and "you know the way to the place" (V. 4).
The disciples, surprised and astonished, tell Him that they have no idea what He is saying. Thomas asks about the final destination that Jesus' way leads to in order to know what He insinuates, while Philip asks Him to show them the Father. Jesus continues the dialogue declaring, "I am the way, the truth and the life," the way committed to the truth and leading to the life that transcends existence, time and place (VV. 5-9).
This way qualifies those who follow it for heavenly life, beginning with life on this earth and culminating in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what Jesus calls us to when He says, "I am the Way," follow me and I will walk it with you until we reach what we both desire for your happiness, your good and your salvation.
When the hour of His betrayal arrives, they will face difficult circumstances, even despair and the abandonment of everything they have experienced with Him over the past three years. He will go to the Father and return to take them with Him, assuring them that they know the way and the place that He is going to. Jesus then reveals to His disciples the essence and the core of His identity and of His mission: to know that He alone is the door and the key to the Father's presence.
Jesus invites us to follow Him with confidence in both times of trouble and ordinary times, to trust in God the Father and the Son, guided by the Spirit of Truth until we attain life eternal.
How do we react to Jesus' readiness to share and dialogue?
How can we accept His reassurance that He will walk with us so that our hearts don't become terrified?
Do we believe in eternal life and that Jesus is the only door to enter and enjoy this life?
When we feel it difficult to understand Jesus, let us dare to open a free dialogue with Him. He certainly has the appropriate answers, helping us to continue our walk with Him (Synodality) and even more to work with Him (Synergy). This constant dialogue leads to the same final and blessed destiny.
May we always remember and honor Jesus' words to us, "I am the way, the truth and the life."