Reflection on Jn 14:1-2
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
Chapter 14 captures deep truths concerning the mystery of the inner unity with Christ and the Heavenly Father. This mystery is also related to the Holy Spirit. Jesus uttered these truths on the evening before His death. He spoke about the faith in Him and about love which is made manifest in the keeping of His commandments. We are going to repeat the first two verses of chapter 14 for a period of two weeks.
In verse one, Jesus says: “Let not your heart be troubled…” These words also refer to you personally. Every day we face situations in which our heart is troubled; we feel tension and fear, see how evil and lies destroy the truth and good… It is a matter concerning our health, responsibility, financial problems, family problems, the war in the Eastern Ukraine…
What to do to let not our heart be troubled but find true peace? Jesus offers a simple solution: “You believe in God, believe also in Me.” And how to believe? To believe that God is almighty and next, that if He sends on us suffering, He always provides a way out. He either gives us the light and strength or solves the situation Himself. We should also believe in God’s love which is in Christ. God so loved (you) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). Our aim is to have life, but not only life on earth but above all eternal life. So amid trials we should surrender ourselves to God from this perspective of faith. This is the loss of our soul for the sake of Christ. This is our love for Him which makes us free. This is our entering into Christ’s death (see 2Cor 4:10).
Saints, and especially martyrs, are an example to us. They had fear too, but the faith in Christ gave them the light and strength. Christ Himself was their light and strength.
Jesus faces death. He knows that tomorrow, on Good Friday, He will be tortured and killed. From this perspective, He says to the apostles and to every one of us personally: “In My Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you.” Let us often lift our eyes to the starry heaven and think of the spiritual heaven with angels and saints. Jesus prepared a place there for all who received Him, and He reserved one for you too. You cannot lose this place at any cost. We live here just for a short time; we know neither the day nor the hour of our death. There we will live for ever, without death or suffering, in happiness without end. Our home is in heaven. We should feel ashamed that we completely forget about heaven. We ought to look forward to it. Jesus says in verse three: “I will come again and take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.” At the hour of your death Jesus will come again and take you to Himself. Are you ready for it today?
Download: Reflection on Jn 14:1-2
