May 10, 2020

Helen Jacobi

Easter 5     John 14:1-14

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Some of the lines from our reading today may be familiar to you – “Do not let your hearts be troubled; there are many rooms in my Father’s house” – this is often read at funerals.

And Jesus saying “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to God except through me” is one of those bumper sticker phrases which aims to exclude anyone from God’s love who is not a Christian.

Both of these passages we assume we understand because of those contexts which have been imposed upon us over time.

“There are many rooms/ or dwelling places in my father’s house” is heard as a reassurance for those mourning – “I go there to prepare a place for you.”

It is seen as a reassurance about the existence of heaven, and life after death.

And with apologies if this has been an important passage for you but John the gospel writer did not have funerals in mind when he wrote these words.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled” is not actually about sadness at a funeral, but about deep distress, fear, and agitation in the face of persecution and suffering.

“John” is writing in the late first century for a community struggling to come to terms with their identity as people of Jewish descent who are being rejected by their own because of their new beliefs and practices.

Do not let your hearts be troubled in this context is – it will be ok – you can step out on the Jesus road – and it will be alright because God will be with you just as Jesus was with you.

Jesus is telling the disciples to stand fearless in the face of persecution, as he stood fearless in the face of death.

He tells them there are many rooms, or many places to dwell in his Father’s house which is not “heaven” – but about being in relationship with God.

The awkward translation “dwelling places” is trying to get at the double meaning of the word meaning a place, and as a metaphor for the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit”.

So when the disciple Thomas, who is ever practical and can’t think in images or metaphors, says “we do not know the way to this house, where are you going, get the map out and show us the way.”

Jesus replies – I am the way – I know God, God dwells in me, and God dwells in you too, because you have known me.

Exasperated Philip joins in “show us the Father and we will be satisfied” just show us already! where, how, what, on the map, in a place.

Jesus, also rather exasperated, says “Have I been with you all this time and still you do not know me?”

Knowing, abiding, dwelling, being in relationship; these are the things John writes about.

There are many rooms in my Father’s house; there are multiple ways to be with God because this is about relationship, not about a physical place.

The disciples know Jesus, he has said to them: abide in me as I abide in you; be with me, walk with me, to the cross, follow my way, and you will know God.

The line “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” has been used over the centuries as an exclusive line, to exclude other religions, and to claim Jesus as The (only) Way to God.

But again the context we use scripture in can distort the original meaning.

Remember John’s context of persecution and opposition and struggle.

They have to find their “way” through this.

The word used for “way” can mean a road, or a journey, or a course of conduct, the way we behave.

In the Book of Acts the early church is described as people of the Way (19:23, 22:4).

The followers of Jesus lived and acted a certain way; they followed a path laid down for them.

And that way was far from exclusive; Jesus never excluded people from his table, his teaching, his followers. Instead he went out of his way to welcome the outcasts and the “sinners.”

So what might these overused and seemingly familiar, but not familiar, lines have to say to us today?

“Do not let your hearts be troubled” might not go down to well – really? when 100s of 1000s of people across the world are dying and when our neighbor has lost their job and when the kids are truly driving us crazy after 6 weeks of lockdown.

Our hearts are rightly troubled by all of these things and more; we are experiencing something life changing and world changing.

If our hearts were not troubled we might be concerned!

Yet perhaps we can hold that sense of trouble or distress within the container of our relationship with God.

Jesus who went to the cross, Jesus the good shepherd holds all of that distress.

That doesn’t really seem possible does it.

Like Thomas and Philip we want to say – how, show us how?

And Jesus replies – stay with me; be in relationship with me; walk my way and I will show you, step by step.

So our challenge now is to discern what the next steps will be for each of us in the Jesus Way.

What will be the path; where will it lead?

As we move out of lockdown (we hope!) we need to take the time to reflect – what have we discovered about ourselves in this time?

what do we want to retain?

our sense of Sabbath time, more time for family and walks; the birds, the lack of pollution.

And what are we looking forward to most – not just takeaways – but seeing people, family, and enjoying the offerings of our local businesses – the hard work of our neighbours.

And what are the hard things we need not to lose sight of; the stress and worry for those losing jobs and businesses.

And what do we want to see on the other side of all of this?

I want to see the homeless who have been housed stay housed;

I want to see us tackle homelessness and poverty with the same energy we have tackled covid 19;

and can we apply the same worldwide energy to climate change.

When Jesus invites us to follow his Way – these are the things that we can do in our context.

At St Matthew’s over the next few weeks we are going to be having conversations together about our new world that we are entering. What do we want to leave behind; what do we want to embrace; what role can we have as people of faith in the public conversation that is evolving?

As we do this Jesus invites us all to walk the Jesus way, being held, and abiding together in the many dwelling places of the house of God.