The Disciples' Roadmap

Friendly Hill Road, Friendly, WV (2017)

Scripture

John 14:1-7

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. 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, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to the place 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 except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”  (NRSV)

Devotion

During the Last Supper, Jesus took time to prepare the disciples for what was to come.  This advice included how to keep proclaiming God's word in Jesus's physical absence.  Knowing that the road would be difficult and the way often unclear, Jesus explained that they should not let their hearts be troubled, because he was preparing a place for them.

"Do not be troubled."  Those words are powerful when said in the midst of anxious and troubling times.  It's comforting to know that no matter what we face or how dire our situation may be, this is not the end.  Christ is preparing a dwelling place for us in God's mansions, and he has promised we will arrive there.  

Jesus's words offer more than just personal comfort; they also issue a challenge to the disciples.  As Phillip Wingeirer-Rayo writes, Jesus is giving them  "an invitation to a deeper level of discipleship, one that may involve risk" (267).  The risks the disciples would face as they went on to build the early Church were real.  They would have to find ways for members to share resources and support one another.  They would have strong disagreements about the place of Gentiles or how the Church should be governed.  They would help solve disputes about everything from food to mission funding0.  Many of them would be executed for their commitment to spreading the Gospel. Through it all, Jesus's promise that he was preparing a place for them gave them the assurance and commitment they needed to keep doing what they were doing.  They knew that no matter what happened, they would get to the place they were going.

Like the disciples before us, we can use some comforting words right now.  I also believe that just as he did for the people gathered for the Last Supper, Jesus is inviting us to a deeper level of discipleship.  We are being called to move beyond what the church has been and live into what God is calling us to become.  These changes involve risks, but they are necessary if we are to keep preaching the Good News in an ever-changing world. 

When we commit to this kind of discipleship, it's natural to want some proof that we are headed in the right direction.  Thomas asked how the disciples could possibly meet Jesus at his Father's house, when they do not even know where they were going.  Can't they get some directions?  Jesus assures both Thomas and us that he has already given us a roadmap.  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  If we follow him and abide by his teachings, we will arrive at the Father's house.

We are traveling through some strange territory right now. Even when it is legal for us to gather again, the ways we interact with people will need to be different.  COVID-19 related changes will impact every part of our lives from worship to fellowship to service in our community for a long while.  At times, the way before us may seem so rough and steep that we find ourselves tempted to turn back the way we came.  

The Good News is that as long as we focus on Christ's teachings, we will have what we need to follow him through this time of sickness, toil, and danger.   This Church has spent two millennia adapting and responding to crises.  History shows us that every time the world faces new challenges, the Holy Spirit helps Jesus's followers find new or improved ways of healing the sick, aiding the poor, protecting the vulnerable, welcoming the stranger, and proclaiming the reign of God.  Now, its our turn to take up the mantle of those who came before us and commit to following Jesus's lead.

Beloved, we can take risks and try new ways of doing ministry, because we know that Jesus is guiding us to his Father's house. When we arrive at the beauteous fields that surround it, Jesus will be there waiting for us.  He will look down the difficult road we have traveled, and  he will say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant.  Welcome home."

 

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus for preparing a place for us in your Father's home.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, teach us how to follow you during this strange and troubled time.  We trust that you will will lead us to our eternal home.  Amen.

Works Cited:

Phillip Wingeier-Rayo. "John 14:1-14 Commentary 1: Connecting the Reading with Scripture" in Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship, edited by Joel B. Green et. al.  Year A, Volume 2, 267-269.  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2019.