Sunday Reflections
5th Sunday of Easter year A
Jesus is the connecting connection
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John ( 14:1-12)
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, 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, then you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him,
“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?
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 speak to you I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
1. In Nigeria, our people know the importance of being highly connected. Our public service system can be blocked and unblocked depending on the connection of those involved with a particular issue. One who is not connected to the happening network will often be denied his or her rights and privileges. Even in the Church people talk of connection. The members of the charismatic renewal and the “powerful men of God ” talk of divine connection, the connection that makes other connections possible. Our readings today tell us that Jesus is a connection that connects all.
2. In today’s gospel, Jesus calms the troubled hearts of the disciples: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” He then proceeds to tell them that he is connected to the Father in such a way that he is in the Father and the Father is in him. “To have seen me is to have seen the Father.” The disciples were highly confused concerning this message, namely that God can be like man and that Jesus is in fact the God. When he announced his imminent departure, the disciples, through the voice of Philip expressed their doubt, saying: show us the Father and we shall be satisfied.” Jesus had to explain to them that to have seen him is to have seen the Father. His identity is the same as the Father. He dwelt much on this and emphasized that no one can accomplish the miracles that he was doing if such a person is not divinely connected.
3. Jesus in the same teaching underlined the fact that being connected to him as God, empowers one to do the same work that he did. “He who believes in my will do the same work that I do. He will even do greater work because I am going to the Father.” It’s a way of saying that he is truly God and can divinize those who attach themselves to him. Such people would do greater things than Jesus because he will always support them and answer their prayers. “If you ask for anything, I will do it.” By saying this, he affirms that he is the “Way, the Truth and the Life,” meaning that he is the connection that connects.
4. Belief in Jesus affords one a special connection to God. St. Peter in today’s second reading (1Pt2:9 described the believers as ” a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people set apart.” The first reading (Act61-7) affirms that many priests of Judaism become obedient to the new way and joined this chosen people. All these go to confirm that to follow Jesus is to follow God. He who is connected to Jesus is connected to God.
5. The conscious awareness that being connected to Jesus is being connected to God should make every Christian to live without a destructive fear, this fear that discourages one from striving to change bad conditions. The disciples were experiencing exactly this destructive fear that presents the future without the physical presence of Jesus as hopeless. This prompted Jesus to give them the assurance that we heard in today’s gospel. If after three years of years of coaching, the twelve apostles still failed to understand that Jesus is truly God and that being connected to him is being connected to God, who are you not to have some doubt about the teachings about God and the teachings of the Church? From the gospel, we see that Jesus was not disappointed with the apostles rather he multiplied examples for them to understand. You have right to your doubts. However, you also have the duty to search the scriptures so that you can believe Jesus. His word is: “let not your heart be trouble. You believe in God, believe also in me.” When the events around you pass your understanding about God, as is the case in Nigeria today, do not abandon God. Hold on to him. Do not go to look for other gods. “Those who choose other gods increase their sorrows” (Psalm 16:4). Do not insist on seeing the Father before you can believe. “Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe” (Jn20:29). Do not forget that with Jesus, you are highly connected to theFather.
