Thought for the Day - Sunday 10 May

Thought for the Day – Sunday 10^th May

Words from John 14 v 1-14:

‘“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. 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.”

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. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.’

These are very familiar words to so many people, mainly people whose lives have been touched by the loss of a loved one, because these are the words spoken so often by ministers at funerals to offer comfort, hope, reassurance and support to grieving families. Words which give that reassurance of a place for all, of being with God and having that peace which passes all human understanding. Indeed words which offer a promise for life beyond this life.

Yet, in using these words only in such settings we are in a way taking those words out of context because when Jesus spoke these words, to his disciples who were anxious, worried and upset that Jesus would very soon die, he was trying to reassure them that it was not all bad news. Yes in obedience to God he was going to die – to glorify God – but they had to remember there was that promise for life beyond this life and not just that promise but also the promise for life today.

Jesus wanted to guide his disciples as to how they should live in the changed world in which they would find themselves when he was gone and in that guidance to them we too can find the words which speak of how we might live today. By speaking these words, at this particular time, Jesus is putting everything they have ever done together into context for them and giving them a new perspective on life.

So what is Jesus saying?

Well, I suppose in a nutshell he is saying – Know me, know God; Trust me, trust God; Live me, live God!

In other words, it is not all about the future and the promise of life beyond this life it is about a way of life now.

‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’

In other words put simply, Jesus and the Father are one and so Jesus is saying what you see in me you get in the Father. How you see me live my life is an outliving of the life of God and how we all might live out our lives. So, he is saying sacrificial love, serving others, welcoming others and all those other things you have witnessed me do and been a part of yourselves – this is how it is in God’s kingdom not in some future time but in the here and now. So see me, see God; know me, know God; live as I have lived. So the way ahead for us as for the disciples is the very practice of loving one another – now!

Know me, know God.

It would have been a daunting thought for the disciples then, even more so perhaps when Jesus told them they would do greater things he did! Yet, once more he gave them reassurance, saying,

‘If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.’

They then, as we today, might be asking how can we possibly hope to do greater works than Jesus. Perform miracles? Turn the other cheek?  Share such love and grace?

However, surely that is where faith and trust come in. Jesus left the disciples with the Spirit to guide them when he left them and they had to trust in that Spirit and live out the life Jesus wanted them to live. They had to pray in Jesus name and then let the Spirit guide them. We have that same Spirit with us today, we can pray in Jesus’ name at any time and ask him to guide us for when we believe in Jesus and trust in the Spirit we are empowered to live in love and enabled to practice grace and in so doing life can be extraordinary and not just for us but also for others.  

Trust me, trust God.

So we are to know Jesus and in so doing know God, we are to trust Jesus and in so doing trust God but remember these words of Jesus also compel us to live Jesus and in so doing live God.

Here Jesus is really showing us a simple ‘way’ of life. By bringing ourselves into an ever strengthening relationship with God, where our love of him and friendship with him is ever growing, we then open ourselves up to a whole new way of life. A life, which reflects Jesus’ life, where we, with humble and trusting hearts, then give of ourselves in compassion, in love and in service and in so doing build up a sense of community, peace, justice and reconciliation. All of which is like a cycle because it further enhances our relationship with God – deepening it and growing it and thus empowering us to do even greater things. 

Live me, live God.

Of course, we mustn’t forget those first words of this passage:

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.’

We might think to ‘Know me, know God; Trust me, trust God; Live me, live God’ is a daunting task, perhaps even bringing fear to our hearts but from Jesus’ words we know we have nothing to fear, not now or in the future, for if we follow the example of our ‘way’ we will know the Spirit with us at all times, and if we trust that Spirit to lead and to guide us then we can be reassured that we will be empowered to give of ourselves and live out our lives with compassion, mercy, grace and justice which can not only bring peace and reconciliation to our own hearts but also to other troubled hearts.    

‘Know me, know God; Trust me, trust God; Live me, live God.’

Prayer

Loving Lord,

You created us to be in relationship with you – a relationship of love and generosity. Fill us with a sense of your call to us to be in relationship with you. Fill us with a deep awareness of your presence and love for us. Fill us with a growing awareness of your grace in our lives. Shape us into the people you created us to be, do not let our hearts be troubled by your calling to us and give us confidence to live out our lives as Jesus himself lived his that we might show your love and grace to the world. We ask these things in faith and trust and in Jesus name. Amen.

A prayer for Christian Aid Week from the Christian Aid Website

God of all, where are your children?
Let us see God’s children, who are far from home,
adrift in an open, overcrowded boat,
with no compass, no crew, no safety.  

God of all, why is there crying?
Let us hear the cries of refugees and respond with love
to those whose escape from danger
leads only to a journey into danger.  

God of all, who is praying?
Let us pray for the young lives being lost,
for the families who are broken apart,
asking for comfort and for justice.  

God of all, who is answering?
Let us see that You are in the boat,
alongside the members of your family.

May we, who bear your name,
answer with compassion for you.
Amen.