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Gospel: John 14: 1-6
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him,
“Master, 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 except through me.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The verb “troubled” appears four times in John’s Gospel, each instance comes in reference to the power of death.
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We first hear this verb employed as Jesus approaches the tomb of his friend, Lazarus.
Lazarus’ sister, Mary, has waited four long days for Jesus to arrive. Standing outside of her brother’s tomb weeping, Mary looks at Jesus and says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Seeing her face, Jesus becomes, “perturbed and deeply troubled.” He’s not afraid of death, nor of its power over him. Rather, he’s deeply troubled by the power death has over Mary’s heart.
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The second time this verb appears comes as Jesus announces to his disciples that his “hour,” the time of his death, has come. Again, the Lord is not afraid; rather, he’s troubled by how deeply distraught his disciples will be by it.
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The third and fourth time this verb appears comes at the Last Supper.
The Lord becomes “troubled” after washing his disciples’ feet. Looking at each of them, he announces that one of them will betray him. The treachery of Judas troubles him.
Then, the final time this verb is used comes in the form of a command. Christ tells his disciples, “do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God, have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”
It’s a rallying cry for strength.
Knowing full well the awful violence he is about to experience – and the disciples’ fearful reaction to it – Jesus exhorts them to stand strong. Do not be overwhelmed.
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It’s the same command the Lord says to us who dread our own mortality. Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated Easter – the victory of Christ over the grave. During this holy season, we are meant to grow in our understanding of – and appreciation for – this truth.
In our Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. A place for Jesus. A place for Mary and Lazarus. A place for Peter. A place for you. A place for me.
In the words of Saint Paul, “Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?”
Christ is risen from the tomb. Alleluia!
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Image credits: (1) Winnie the Pooh, Reddit (2) freechristimages.org (3) National Catholic Register