Honor Mother and Father

10 May 2020

John 14:1-15

Wasting Time

Once upon a time I had to paint my house. It was a big job, and my neighbors looked at me like I was crazy. “That is why there are painters that you hire,” is what their facial expressions seemed to say to me. “Seems like a lot of work,” others would remark as they walked by. To make matters worse when I started to work on the house I was dive bombed. Seriously it was in the back yard, and as I walked around the corner of the patio a little bird swooped down so close to my face I nearly fell over in surprise and fear…it slowed me down.

It feels like time is wasting away for many people today. Like prisoners locked up for something we didn’t do. The stay at home orders and the global pandemic have got many people feeling like life is wasting away.

Lack Faith

The reason why you are scared about the lack of time, is because you lack faith. Jesus told the disciples that he would be leaving them. He said that he would be going to be with the father. Knowing that their time with Jesus was short, the disciples were anxious. Thomas was worried about not knowing the way to get to God. Philip was worried about not knowing what God looked like. They all were afraid and lacking faith, trust, and belief in God.

Jesus Gives Faith

Jesus told the disciples that if they wanted to see God all they had to do was to look at him. I am in the Father, and the Father is in me. Jesus helps the disciples have faith by bringing God down from heaven into their everyday existence. God is not far away in heaven, looking down, and judging us. Nor is God a puppet master sitting above the earth and pulling the strings to make everything happen. God is in the people we see all around us, and God is in yourself. 

Jesus also helps the disciples to understand what is the path that leads to God. Again, he does not want them to worry about every choice they make and whether it is God’s path or not. Jesus says, “I am the way.” In other words, the path to God is all around you. It is in how you care for your neighbor. 1 Peter, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people” The path to God is the path that leads you to care for the people in your life. Do not fear or worry if you are on a path to God or not. Wherever you are, God is there too. God is inside you right now.

God Gives More Time

One of the blessings of faith, that is, in believing that God is in you and in those around you, is that time opens up. Faith has the power to transcend time. An example of this is Saint Stephen. Stephen was a deacon in the early church. At that time there were members of the church who were suffering physically. It was senior members, and widows, who had to stay at home, and did not have money for food. The apostles initiated a feeding ministry and put Stephen in charge of it. Unfortunately Stephen was persecuted because of his faith, he was hunted down for being different from the powerful and dominant society in which he lived.

When he was on trial and asked to testify to his defense, he took the opportunity to preach! He told the story of God. This enraged the people at the trial and they immediately began to kill him by stoning. Yet while Stephen was in the very last seconds of his life. His eyes were opened to a deeper transcendent reality. He saw heaven unfold before him, and the Lord of life, Jesus Christ welcoming him with open arms, love and forgiveness. He saw Jesus even as people violently took his life unjustly. Stephen was so full of God’s Spirit that he cried out for God to forgive the people who were overcome by hate and fear. With just seconds to live, and already enduring physical torture Stephen experienced a prolonging of time and entered into life eternal. Faith, a gift from God, has the power to lengthen and enrich our days beyond the boundaries of physical space and time.

Honor Mother and Father

So what can you do to experience a lengthening of days and the richness of faith? Honor your mother and father. The fourth commandment of the ten commandments tells us that when we honor father and mother, God will lengthen our days. Stephen is living proof of this as he cared for widows. You can do this too. Right now think of all of the mothers, fathers, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles, widows, and widowers who are experiencing loneliness and isolation. You can care for them!

I respected the mother bird. I saw the baby grow up. The day before I had to paint that spot. I finally saw the baby bird wobbling. Next day it was gone. It had flown away. Mother was gone too. Nest was a mess to clean up! When we see God in those around us, especially in mothers and fathers, God will give us all the time in the world. Happy Mother’s Day!