Easter 5 Year A

“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me”

And so, at this point in the Eastertide Season, when the full joy of the very Day of Easter, is, even already four weeks ago!  In the transience of our human existence, it seems already, starting to fade. Do we not also begin to ruminate about what we hope, in what we believe? Two thousand years on, the world is still a mess, and many would argue even more of a mess than it was then. Two thousand years on, and yet we also still mourn those known to us, dear to us that have died as though even a bit of us has died with them. And so, it has, a bit of us is lost.  In the words of John Donne “and therefore, never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee”

Yet we are full of hope,

or even still just try to hope,

or even that we hope, that we still hope.

It was ever thus. Today’s Gospel reading comes from John’s account of the Last Supper.  Our Lord reveals to His disciples that one of them is a traitor and bad things are going to happen.  He tries to reassure them with a promise of better things to come and yet they only speak of hopelessness and doubt.  

Thomas ever branded with the name “Doubting Thomas” Is that fair? Surely was he not just Thomas, the pragmatist. “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”

Philip in turn makes a very bold demand, “Lord show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.”

Our Lord’s reply: “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me; or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.”

St John’s Gospel is used particularly at this time, because it has a very worked out theology. It is said to be the last of the four Gospels written, but was it? Or was it always just more insightful?

John always uses the term ‘signs’ instead of miracles.  Miracles are things that happen that are remarkable and defy rational explanation.  But John calls our Lord’s ‘miracles’, signs; because a sign points to something.

Yet in this passage Our Lord does not use the term signs, but works.  He wouldn’t because the signs point others towards whom He really is.  We don’t talk about God’s miracles of creation, we talk about God’s works of creation. Christ is identified AS God

Christianity makes the most exorbitant claims of any religion.  The true nature of Christ fully man and fully God.  But in revealing the most perfect loving human being that ever existed, reveals also to us the immense love of God.  And the Apostles themselves chosen by Christ, thereby also the Father from the human race, are shown in all their human failings as real people.  People like us with all their imperfection and doubt.  You couldn’t make it up.  This is real.  God came to Earth in the person of His human son to show us, His Father, His way, His works and our hope.