Jesus says trust in God and trust in me

Today’s Gospel passage – John 14: 1-6 – is one of the most popular pieces of scripture chosen by families when preparing for the funeral of a loved one.

This discourse of Jesus begins after the Last Supper and is very much the speech of a departing leader preparing his followers to carry on the mission the Leader has begun. It starts with a demand for faith in Jesus – trust in God still and trust in me.

In this beautiful passage of scripture, Jesus promises his presence to us no matter what might happen in our lives. At times, Fr Paul says, we may feel close to Christ and, at other times, we might feel abandoned.

We also see the doubt of his disciples. We see their humanness. Thomas, for example, fails to get the point that Jesus is making. He complains and tries to evade the challenge to continue the mission that Jesus has set them on.  Fr Paul says this is something we all do from time to time.

Jesus reassures Thomas and the rest of the disciples with the great statement – ‘I am the way the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father except through me’.

For our prayer today, Fr Paul asks that we put our feet into the shoes of Thomas to reflect on these questions: How do I avoid the challenges Christ gives me? How do I avoid being a follower of Christ? Then pray for the strength and courage to continue the mission Jesus has given us.