5th Sunday of Easter Gospel Reflection
John 14:1-12 reflection
One of the most famous sayings in all of Sacred scripture comes from this Gospel reading, but this whole passage is well worth a deep reading over and over again. First, Jesus tells us such good news that Heaven is our home, not here on earth. We are exiles here on earth just as the Israelites were in Egypt. Jesus leads us in a new exodus to the true promised land in Heaven that has many rooms prepared for all of us to be caught up in the love of the Blessed Trinity forever. Just as Moses (a type of Jesus) led the Israelites through the Red Sea, Jesus the new Moses leads us through the waters of Baptism into His blessed family with the Father and the Holy Spirit as adopted Sons of God.
Before we can enter the Heavenly mansion Jesus must first prepare many rooms for us which requires Him to first defeat death by offering Himself up on the cross for the sins of the world and resurrecting from the dead 3 days later. Another important part is Jesus Ascension, He must ascend back to the right of the Father but this time bringing His humanity with Him for Jesus is fully God and fully Man. By Jesus taking on our flesh and glorifying it, when He ascends to Heaven this allows us to ascend to Heaven. “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” - (Philippians 2:6-7)
How many times have you pondered what Heaven will truly be like? Do you just imagine that it’s all the pleasures of the world, but no sin? Do you think gold roads and winged baby angels flying around with harps? Do you think it’s reuniting with all your loved ones? This is an important question for we are told to seek what is above (Col 3:1). If you are not desiring to speak with God and love him fully right now on earth then why would you desire Heaven, where you will be caught up in the beatific vision (seeing God face to face). We as Christians must have Hope and not allow our fear of Hell to drive our choices more than the fear of the Lord and His merciful heart that bled out completely for you.
Jesus gives all of us the most important teaching here, that teaching is “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.” (Jn 14:5-6). If we give ourselves to Jesus fully and are Baptized into His death and Resurrection and follow all his commands then we can have a real trust in His promises of salvation for it would be on us to deny him and walk away from Heaven. God sent His only begotten son (John 3:16) so that you and I may have eternal life inside of the Most Holy Trinity which is where all love flows from. The love of the Trinity can be seen as a great ocean of mercy with the love being like a tide of going out and in constantly. Let us swim in and drink of the life-giving waters for eternity by becoming disciples of Jesus today. The Patriarchs of the Old Testament dreamed of hearing and seeing the face of God and yet you have been chosen out of all eternity!
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. - Matthew 13:16-17”
