Jn.14:1-12
Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Today’s gospel passage presents to us a deep dialogue between Jesus and his disciples. The Old Testament theology emphasized belief in one and only God. The greatest revelation God revealed about himself was through the person of Jesus, who is His only begotten Son. There is only one God but it is a communion of three persons united in love. This perfect communion is the characteristic feature of the Holy Trinity. Jesus did not speak anything about his identity without relating himself to the Father.
Anyhow, the disciples struggled to understand this Trinitarian relationship that exists among the Holy Trinity due to the strict Judean monotheistic theology. They wanted to have instantaneous answers to understand this mystery. Thomas tells him: “Lord we don’t know where you are going, how we know the way?” Philip asks him: “Lord, show us the Father that is enough.” They could not have a holistic understanding of this triadic relationship and they struggled with the complexity of this relationship.
However, Jesus knew the finality of the human mind and he tries to make them understand with lots of patience. Jesus tells them: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” These three factors, the way, the truth, and the life are not end in itself but means to the Father. There is an inseparable communion between Jesus and the Father. Whoever follows Jesus, the ultimate destination of this journey is His Abba Father Himself; therefore, Jesus is the Way to the Father. The truth is something eternal, cannot undergo any change and our heavenly Father is this perfect truth. Jesus incarnated in our midst to reveal this Truth to us. He manifested this truth through his own life. “He is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.” Listen to the truth that He teaches. Our heavenly Father is the source of life. In the gospel of John we read: ‘beginning there was the Word and the Word was with God.’ Jesus the eternal logos, the co-creator, shares the fullness of life with His Father.
Therefore, whoever sees Jesus also sees the Father; they come to know the nature of God because Jesus is the manifestation of God in human flesh. Why did Jesus share all these matters that are beyond their comprehension with them? Because they are invited to enter into the relationship with the Father and share the same communion that Jesus shares with His Father. At times it can happen to us that we may forget the ultimate purpose of being a follower of Jesus. All that we do should have this communion dimension as its end. However, at times we are lost in ritualism and fail to enter and share this communion, with our heavenly Father; it is not a reality that is supposed to happen after our death but here and now. The beatific vision is this communion in its perfection. Nevertheless, the communion that we enjoy during our earthly sojourn makes us worthy of eternal communion. Jesus says: “In my father’s house there are many rooms. Otherwise, I would not have told you that I go to prepare a place for you.” May Jesus the way, the truth, and the life lead us to this communion with our Abba Father.