Fifth Sunday of Easter
John 14:1-14
"What Do You You Want From From Life? "
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 when 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.
4* ¶ And you know the way where I am going."
5* Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
6* Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.
7* If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him."
8* Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied."
9* Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, ’Show us the Father’?
10* Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.
12* ¶ "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.
13* Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;
14 if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. RSV
Grace and Peace to you from our Lord Jesus, the Christ.
Have you ever thought about what you really want out of life? To some that may sound like a strange question, because of course every very knows what they want from life. The good old American Dream, a house, a nice family, a car, and enough money to live a comfortable life.
But is that what you really want out of life?
Maybe the three pictures concerning life might help you newer that question. These were taken from Pastor Valbracht book, Embalmed Alive.
’’The French painter Broulette painted series of three pictures in which he tried to depict what he saw as contemporary life.
In the first picture he shows a frantic man searching for some important piece of paper. The room in which he is searching is in shambles. Drawers were opened, papers are flung all over. Beds torn apart, pictures pulled off the wall with the backs torn off. And following the person around the room is the figure of the devil holding the missing paper high above the head of the one who is desperately searching, searching for the missing paper.
This painting shows us people, as they try to find that one magic or ideal thing, place, person, or project that will bring happiness into their lives. It shows people searching restlessly for something to make life happy. Maybe that missing paper will never be found, but along the way many others are things are tried booze, pills sexual excitement, local gossip, we could go on and on, but happiness is never found.
The second painting shows a haggard man in a large field digging with a spade. Behind him are numerous holes that he has already dug, and beside each hole is a box with the covers open; and the boxes are all empty.
This picture shows a person searching for goals in life, but never really finding one that makes him/her happy. The person is always looking for something bigger and better. If I only had this if I only had that, then my life would be complete. I’ll work to build a grand home, then its a house by the lake, then its a trip to Europe, then its, on and on, but never ever finally arriving at something, someone that makes that person happy. Life is always pushing, pulling that person in a new direction, there is never a moment to enjoy what one has.
The third picture is that of a man bound and gagged and tied in a chair, while his terror-stricken eyes watch a thief rob his room of all his valuables.
This picture shows a person’s futile attempt to find happiness through things, possessions in life.
Our gospel lesson this morning gives an answer to that question about what do I really want out of life.
Jesus says:
¶ And you know the way 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, but by me. RSV
In our gospel lesson this morning, Jesus says he is the way, the truth and life. What we really need and want out of life is to follow Jesus, it is as simple as that. We need to let the guiding principle of grace guide us and then all the other stuff of life will fall into place.
If we follow Jesus, then a certain contentment will follow, we won’t have to be searching for things, or digging to find treasure or be afraid of being robbed of our possessions, for we will know and understand that in the large scale of things, these are not as important as our relationship with Jesus Christ.
A poem says: "Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow. The same Everlasting Father, who cares for us today will take of care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at Peace then, and put aside all anxious thought and imaginations."
With Jesus as our way and truth and life, we can walk confidently into the future, knowing that He is with us to guide us. It does not matter that we might not know the way, or that we think He is leading us on the wrong path, but we must have faith that He is leading us, period.
Professor Gerhard Frost of Luther College tells this story:
’Imagine you are walking through your neighborhood and you pass a house where the family is loading the car to go on vacation. There are three children all under the age of 5 in the mini van waiting eagerly for Mom and Dad to finish the last minute details.
You walk up to the mini van, poke your head in the window and ask: "Where are you going?" They don’t know. "What highway are you taking?" Wide-eyed they say they have no idea "Where are you going to have supper tonight?" Again no idea. Then you ask: "With whom are you going?" Their eyes brighten, "With Daddy and Mommy, of course!!" They answer!!
They didn’t know exactly where they were going, they didn’t know the way, they didn’t know where they would eat or sleep, but with whom they were going that they knew. That was all that mattered. They were going with Mommy and Daddy and Mommy and Daddy would take care of them, would provide for them would bring them to their final destination.
God doesn’t tell us all the answers about where we are going on the road of life, He doesn’t tell us all the details about how we will be taken care of, or what might happen to us along the way, but he does give us himself in the form of his son, Jesus Christ, to be our guide, the guide who leads the way, because Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life."
A closing poem says it well:
"May the strength of God pilot me
May the power of God preserve me
May the wisdom of God instruct me May the hand of God protect me
May the way of God direct me
May the shield of God defend me
May the host of God guard me against the snare of the evil one and the temptations of this world.
May Christ be with me Christ before me, Christ in me Christ over me,
May your salvation, O Lord, be always mine this day and forever more. "
Author Unknown
Christ said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life."
Amen
