Breaking the Word

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me. Get up, let us go. (Jn 14:27-31)

Jesus is speaking to his disciples and contrasts them with the world. Could we say that all that is not with Jesus, belong to this idea called ‘world’? The world does not love Jesus and does not know Jesus and does not keep his word.

He promises peace to his disciples. By disciple we mean all those who hold fast to Jesus and do not compromise with the world. The peace that he gives is a gift given to the disciples and this peace will assure them of his presence, support and knowledge of the Father. 

The ruler of this world is the dark power. This ruler has no power over Jesus. Jesus’ death and resurrection will inflict a huge wound on this rule. Jesus could win over the dark power because of his love for the Father. Disciples are shown this as a model. Love for the Father is the strength which makes Jesus to fight against the dark powers. With this example Jesus asks his disciples go to meet the dark powers.(Get up. Let us go) 

… Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. (Jn 14:6-14)

Whatever Jesus speaks or does is in accordance with the Father. Their mind and will are so synchronized that their speech and actions are identical. Not only that they are identical but there is indwelling of one in the other. That is why Jesus says that the father who dwells in me is doing all these things.

Furthermore the one who believes in Jesus does similar things. So believing is equal to the indwelling of the other. That is to say that if one believes in God, then God is dwelling in him. So whatever he says and does are done by the indwelling God. So belief is as great as being the son of God.

Faith is so great that God whom we believe in comes to dwell in us. So a believer’s actions and speech are controlled by the faith he has. It is almost like saying I believe so I do or so I speak. Faith is revealed in the actions. Not only the faith is revealed but the God whom we believe in, is revealed in actions.