Introduction:

Grandparents often invite their grandchildren to stay with them wherever they are. Grandparents

want their children and grandchildren to have the good things they have achieved in life, or to

have even more. In like manner, God wants all his children to be with him. God wants all his

children to have all that his Son, Jesus Christ, has. God wants all humanity to be with him, just as

his Son, Jesus Christ, is with him.

Theme:

Where I am, there you may be also” (John 14: 3)

 

Do not let your hearts be troubled

Life in Jesus Christ is life in the house of God. Jesus assures his disciples that God has a

dwelling place for everyone; therefore, no one should allow their hearts to be in distress:

“Jesus said to his disciples:

“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.” (John 14: 1-3)

Distress, anxiety, and anguish can drive our hearts to be so troubled that we might lose our trust,

way of goodness and basic reassuring knowledge. In New Testament Greek, “the way” (ἡ ὁδὸς)

describes the path, the life, the truth and the access that lead to favorable things of God:

“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.” (John 14:4-7)

When Jesus says, Λέγει  αὐτῷ Ἰησοῦς Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή, “I am the way,

and the truth, and the life (John 14:6), he is assuring us that he is the access to the favorable

things of God. Are we interested in the favorable things along the way of Jesus Christ, or we are

interested in some other ways? Do we want to stay with Jesus along his way to the Father, or we

 

prefer to couch and create our own way, our own truth and our own life no matter want God is

offering us in his house here on earth or hereafter? Like Philip, it is ok to look for the channels

and procedures that help to show the way to the Father, to pick up the way to the Father, to be

with Jesus wherever he is, and to stay in “the way, the life, and the truth” that Jesus offers to help

us get to the dwelling place of God. It is not ok to look for the shortcuts of life that reject “the

way, the life, and the truth” that Jesus offers to reach the house of God here on earth or beyond

earthly life. It is also not ok if we lead people to reject the way to God:

“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.” (John 14:8-12)

We need basic faith in the words, in the way, in the works and the person of Jesus in order to be

with him wherever he is. Basic faith in Jesus Christ will keep us in the words and the works of

God. Basic faith in the words and in the works of Christ will empower us to “do greater works

than these, because [Jesus] is going to the Father” (John 14:12). Why are we not often doing

greater works as Jesus Christ promised? Why are our hearts still troubled with so many

unnecessary things and ways in our relationship with God, with members of our family, our

friends, with our co-workers, with our neighbours, with people we run into, etc.?

Come to the Lord, a living stone

Our hearts get sometimes reassured; but sometimes our hearts fall and plunge again into distress

because our basic faith is not always built on a living stone:

“Come to the Lord, a living stone,

though rejected by mortals

yet chosen and precious in God’s sight.

Like living stones,

let yourselves be built into a spiritual house,

to be a holy priesthood,

 

to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God

through Jesus Christ.

For it stands in scripture:

“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious;

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

To you then who believe, he is precious;

but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the very head of the corner.” (1 Peter 2.4-7)

If some “ways” and paths of life will make us stumble, fall and disobey, let us remember that the

“way” of Jesus Christ enables us to be with him wherever he is as “chosen people, royals,

respected nation and people of God:

“A stone that makes them stumble,

and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the word,

as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,

a holy nation, God’s own people,

in order that you may proclaim

the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness

into his marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2.8-9)

Do we choose the path and the way of Christ to be royals and honoured people of God, or we

just don’t care whichever way we take and where it leads us? Let us choose the path of Christ so

that we might at least proclaim the mighty works and marvelous light of God in the universe.

the disciples were increasing in number

Jesus Christ wants many people to access the house and the dwelling place of God. When we

choose the way of Jesus Christ, we enlighten and prompt the faith of many people to do the

same. The way of Jesus Christ has room for many people to offer their roles and skills like the

disciples, men and women of good standing, the whole community, and priests obedient to the

faith:

“Now during those days,

when the disciples were increasing in number,

the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews

because their widows were being neglected

in the daily distribution of food.

And the twelve called together

the whole community of the disciples and said,

“It is not right that we should neglect the word of God

in order to wait on tables.

Therefore, friends,

 

select from among yourselves seven men of good standing,

full of the Spirit and of wisdom,

whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part,

will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.”

What they said pleased the whole community,

and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,

together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor,

Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert of Antioch.

They had these men stand before the apostles,

who prayed and laid their hands on them.

The word of God continued to spread;

the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem,

and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6.1-7)

At the end of each day or week, how many people have we encouraged to get into the house and

dwelling place of God? Let us keep in mind that the house or dwelling place of God does not

only mean a building. The house or dwelling place of God means every favorable moment, every

favorable place, every place set apart for the grace and work of God, and wherever the word and

work of Christ are accomplished.

Conclusion:

This week, which way (ἡ ὁδὸς) is each one of us taking? Are we going along the way of Jesus

Christ? Who are we bringing away from or along the way of Christ? Are we satisfied with the

house or the dwelling place God offers? How are we helping Christ so that his greater works can

be shown to many in the world?