John 13
The land has always been at the top of man’s quest list since the time immemorial. So much blood was shed for the possession of lands throughout human history. And it is not over yet. Even in places without wars, today’s people still struggle to secure their houses and properties. And all Canadians of today will ever more agree with it.
The Bible or the people of the Bible could not avoid this reality, either. And God was not also blind to it. Man’s sin caused him to be expelled from the land of paradise, the Garden of Eden. Then, the man had to cultivate the land to survive with much sweat and toil. The land did not offer freely what man needed for survival. All men had to fight against each other to secure their lands for survival.
God’s calling of Abraham was not so much religious at the beginning. It was a promise for new land, the land of promise. Much of the Old Testament develops around this land of promise. The Exodus was Israel’s quest story for the land of promise. And the whole of Israel’s history is about the defence and recovery of this land through the periods of kings, the Babylonian Exile, and the resettlement.
Throughout its history, Israel reflected and meditated on the meaning of this promised land. Slowly, Israel learned what God promised of in truth. As the first man was ousted from the land of paradise because of sin, God was calling man back to the land of promise, the land where man is liberated from sin and its result, death. Israel realized the land of promise did not exist on earth. But at the same time, Israel knew that man on earth could not liberate himself from sin and death. Thus, they were waiting for the Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour, who would defeat sin and death and lead man into the new land.
In today’s gospel, Jesus promises his disciples of their rooms in his Father’s house. He tells them there are many rooms in his Father’s house. Thus, there is no need to struggle for those who put their trust in the Son of God, Christ Jesus. Jesus presents the ultimate vision of the promised land. And he opens the door for us by becoming the gate himself in his resurrection. He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life!
