Today’s Gospel takes place at the last supper, immediately after Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him three times by morning on Good Friday. Jesus is trying to reassure his Disciples that everything will be well in the end, so there is no reason to worry. He says that He’s going to prepare a place for them, and that He will return to take them there. Then Jesus says that they know the way, but the Disciples still don’t understand even after three years with Him. Thomas questions Jesus, who responds by saying He is the way, the truth, and the life…no one comes to the Father except through Him…knowing Jesus is knowing the Father.
Still, they don’t understand. Philip says to Jesus, “show us the Father and we’ll be satisfied.” You can sense Jesus’ frustration in His answer, and can imagine Him thinking “how many times do I need to explain this…will they ever get it?” Jesus explains it again, and then tells them that if they don’t believe His words then they should at least believe His works…and he predicts that they (and others) will do even greater works. And, despite the Disciples’ apparent inability to grasp things even at this late hour, eventually they DO get it, as we’ve been reading in Acts.
We have an advantage that the Disciples didn’t have at the last supper; we have the empty tomb, the words of the angels to the women on Easter morning, and the words of Jesus Himself after the resurrection. Yet, how often do we still not “get it”? Easter is not over; may we all take the time to celebrate and grasp as best we can the wonderful mystery that God has given us…may we come a step or two closer to really “getting it.”