Armodoxy for Today: Holy Monday – Hearing with your heart

A post on social media asks, “Jesus crucified 1.5 million Armenians with him. He never saved anyone. Why praise him!?!” The large number is in reference to the martyrs of the  Armenian Genocide of 1915. Social media is only a new medium for an age-old question. This question is asked because the bigger question pertaining to this Week is even more puzzling. Indeed, the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ does not make sense on human terms for even more reasons. How do we explain a person who gives love, who is sacrificial in every aspect of his giving, who heals the sick, raises the dead, and in return, receives a death sentence. At this point, many will dismiss the Christian experience by identifying it as nonsense, literally, that is, that which does not make sense.

In a final farewell discourse, Jesus shares words of comfort with his disciples, to make sense out of the seemingly nonsensical. He speaks of God’s love.

The Disciples had been in the presence of Christ for three years when he spoke to their heart. You have been through the Lenten journey, 40 days of preparation for this week. I ask you to sit with the Disciples today. With the teachings and exercises of the last several weeks, listen with your hearts to these words coming from your teacher, your brother and your friend. And believe.

A reading from John chapter 14:

Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

 Thomas [one of the Disciples] said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

 Philip [another of His Disciples] said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.