John 14:1-12
“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions.”
In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; 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 say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does his 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.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father.
What do the Fathers say?
St AUGUSTINE. Our Lord consoles His disciples, who, as men, would be naturally alarmed and troubled at the idea of His death, by assuring them of His divinity: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me; as if they must believe in Him, if they believed in God; which would not follow, unless Christ were God.
St John CHRYSOSTOM. Faith in Me, and in the Father that begot Me, is more powerful than any thing that shall come upon you; and will prevail in spite of all difficulties.
St AUGUSTINE. In My Father’s house are many mansions, by way of an assurance to them in their trouble, that they might with confidence and certainty look forward, after all their trials, to dwelling together with Christ in the presence of God.
For though one man is bolder, wiser, juster, holier than another, yet no one shall be removed from that house of God, but each receive a mansion suited to his deserts. The penny indeed which the householder paid to the labourers who worked in his vineyard, was the same to all; for life eternal, which this penny signifies, is of the same duration to all.
But there may be many mansions, many degrees of dignity, in that life, corresponding to people’s deserts.
Pope St GREGORY the Great. The many mansions agree with the one penny, because, though one may rejoice more than another, yet all rejoice with one and the same joy, arising from the vision of their Maker.
St AUGUSTINE. And thus God will be all in all; that is, since God is love, love will bring it to pass, that what each has, will be common to all. That which one loves in another is one’s own, though one have it not one’s self. And then there will be no envy at superior grace, for in all hearts will reign the unity of love.
Pope St GREGORY the Great. Nor is there any sense of deficiency in consequence of such inequality; for each will feel as much as suffices for himself.
St AUGUSTINE. And now He is preparing mansions, by preparing occupants for them. Indeed, when He says, In My Father’s house are many mansions, what do we think the house of God to be but the temple of God, of which the Apostle said, The temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Cor. 3:17)
This house of God then is now being built, now being prepared. But why has He gone away to prepare it, if it is ourselves that He prepares: if He leaves us, how can He prepare us?
The meaning is, that, in order that those mansions may be prepared, the just must live by faith: and if you see that there is no faith. Let Him go away then, so that He may not be seen; let Him be hid, so that He may be believed. Then a place is prepared, if you live by faith: let faith desire, that desire may enjoy.
If you understand Him correctly, He never leaves either the place He came from, or that place He goes to. He goes, when He withdraws from sight, He comes, when He appears. But unless He remains in control, so that we may grow in goodness, no place of happiness will be prepared for us.