5th Sunday in Easter (A)

Get to know Him JOHN 14:1–12

by Jemma Redman

I love this line in today’s gospel, which says “ ‘Have I been with you all this time Phillip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me?’…”

How could they not know Him? They journeyed with Him everywhere; they ate together; they saw Him do miracles; they heard Him teach and preach.

How could they not know Him? Doesn’t that sound like many of us? Do we know our husbands, wives, parents, children? We live in the same house, eat the same food, sleep in the same bed, and we still do not know them.

It seems that His disciples were just like you and me. They saw only the awesome things that Jesus did, and were proud and happy to be associated with the miracle worker.

They saw Him as a prophet, others saw Him as a troublemaker who went against the status quo, or as the carpenter’s son from Nazareth—what good can come from there, they asked? They did not see Him then as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Son of God.

For if they really knew Him, would Peter have denied Him three times? Would Thomas doubt Him, and would Judas betray Him?

When they were in the boat and the storm came and they were afraid, did they really know who was in the boat with them? It was after, always it is only after, when someone dies or moves away and is no more, that we realise who they were and what they did, and how many lives they touched.

As today, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Just like us who have families and friends, all have different perceptions of us, whether based on what they heard, what they have seen or our apparent status. Very few people truly know who we are. But if we are true to ourselves, like Jesus, we bring the truth of who we are into the world.

The more time we spend with God, the more He reveals Himself to us. We are told to worship Him in spirit and in truth, for instance good singing and good music are not worship. Worship is when your spirit joins with God’s spirit, then truth and revelation come. From that, flows the music, then the singing and the dancing, and the chains fall off and the yokes are broken, and burdens come down.

He told us that He is it—He is everything to us. He is the way, the truth and the life. Sadly, many choose their own path, their own life, and miss out on the life, the abundant riches of God, a life filled with God’s love, peace, joy, grace, mercy, provision, protection, healing and so much more.

During this time of COVID-19, we hold on to who He is, the Way maker, He alone is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.

Lord, cause us to know the way in which we must go, for we lift our souls unto You. Amen.

The gospel meditations for May are by Jemma Redman, founder of Spirit Global, a spiritual support non-governmental organisation called ‘to walk with men and women’. She is the Artistic Director of The Drama Ministry for the Southern Vicariate, and for St Mary Magdalene RC Church, Houston, Texas. She is happily married for 35 years.