Lenten Reflections

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John 14:1-3

February 27, 2024
John 14:1-3

1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

 


Jesus exhorts his disciples not to let their hearts be troubled. Easier said than done! The problem is that they have received a lot of depressing news. Jesus has already informed them that one of them will betray him, Peter will deny him, and now Jesus is going away and they will not be able to follow him. That is a lot to cause anxiety! But Jesus encourages his followers not to be troubled. They may not be able to trust one another fully - or even themselves - in light of Jesus’ warnings, but they can trust God, and they can trust Jesus.

 

Jesus tells his disciples that the reason he is going away is ultimately for their benefit. He is leaving them to prepare a place for them (and us) in his Father’s house. The last time Jesus spoke of his Father’s house (John 2.16), he was referring to the Temple, the place where heaven and earth meet. But now Jesus is hinting that he will prepare a place in a new house, where an unhindered relationship with the Father is possible. Jesus promises his followers that he will personally make sure they arrive at their destination so that wherever Jesus is, they may be there also.