Coffee With God

Reflection: John 14:23-29

Today’s Gospel is part of the farewell discourse of Jesus during the Last Supper. To understand his words, we must try to situate ourselves in the scene of the Upper Room. Judas had just left them, and is on his way to the darkness of the betrayal of the Master. The eleven who remained with Jesus were frightened and troubled. Jesus prepares them for when he will no longer be physically present with them. The farewell address presents four disciples raising their concerns and uncertainties to Jesus. The number four indicates a multitude, the whole of humanity. The questions they ask Jesus are those we ask ourselves today because we are like those confused disciples when Jesus is not physically present with us. Peter wanted to know ‘why could he not follow the Lord now’ while Thomas sounded confused: “We do not know where you are going, and how shall we know the way?” Philip’s concern was, “Show us the Father, and that is enough.” Judas wanted the Lord to ‘manifest himself to the whole world and not just to few of them.’ The moment of discouragement that these eleven live is the same that we often experience when tragedies strike and our dreams and hopes are shattered. We are easily tempted to resign ourselves to evil. This is the context of the Gospel of this Sunday. When our evangelisation efforts seem fruitless and very few people show interest in knowing God, we ask like Judas: Why is the Lord not revealing himself to the world so that the whole world would believe in him? Today’s Gospel is the answer to such questions. Jesus reveals himself through love. His manifestation to the world is not through some miraculous signs of power, dominion, glory and riches but through love, mercy and forgiveness. When we receive the word of the Gospel, we welcome the life of God, and we welcome the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises that he and the Father will come to us and dwell in us. Thus it becomes our turn to be liberators of people. Therefore, it is easy to recognise if and when Jesus and the Father are present and working in us. John also encourages his Community with the promise of the Holy Spirit. “The Comforter who will teach and remind” all that Jesus had said (v. 26). Today, the Church is confronted with complex questions that await a light from the Gospel – for example, issues on bioethics, interreligious dialogue, and difficult moral choices. The peace promised by Jesus is realised when the desire to compete, dominate, and be the first gives way to service and selfless love for the last.