In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3I've lived in 20 different homes/places/rooms/apartments/houses in my 57 years. That averages out to less than 3 years in each place. The longest was 7 years - three times. The shortest: 2 months.
Some of those houses were really great. The house I lived in for a year in Memphis, Missouri, was a great place with huge rooms and a large yard. Perfect for a 12 year old.
Other places were not as great. That two month stay was in a tiny mobile home in Fayette, Missouri, where we waited for our real house to be ready.
The best part of all my houses was that they were homes, filled with people I loved.
The best part of my heavenly home will be living with Jesus.
We get excited about the old gospel song I’ve Got a Mansion, or Audio Adrenaline's Big House, singing about a heavenly home where all our earthly desires will be fulfilled in heaven. But I'm not sure the heaven of the Bible is a place that fulfills all our earthly desires (there's no promise of 72 virgins).
Heaven is about soaking up the love of God.
The language Jesus uses in John 14:2-3 is a proposal of marriage.
In Israel at the time of Jesus, the father, the head of the household, would build another room onto the house for the married children. If he was rich, he'd build another residence on the family property.
Jesus is echoing a typical marriage proposal: In my father’s house are many dwelling places. I’m going to leave you for awhile, but while I'm gone I’m going to go build on a new portion of the house for you and me. And then I’m coming back to get you, to join me – that where I am, you may also be.
The bride didn't know how long her promised one would be gone. Any number of things could happen to delay his return, especially in an age before rapid transit or long distance communications.
But she knew she was betrothed to him alone, and he would be actively preparing for her to come live with him. When he returned, the neighbors, his friends, her family and friends would gather along the road, and as he came toward her, they would blow their horns and shout out,
THE BRIDE GROOM IS COMING!
What do you suppose she did while she waited?
She kept herself pure. She prepared to live in the new home being built for her.
She got all packed, probably a little too early. Her eyes were constantly turning to look down that road. Her ears were constantly straining for the first sounds of the horns.
I knew of a young woman who married the man of her dreams while they were in college. When school was over, she took a job and he headed off to Iraq with the Army Reserve.
She blew up a full body picture of her husband in his uniform and made it into a life-sized cardboard cutout. She would put that cutout husband into her car each morning and take him to work, placing him in a seat by her desk. She took him to church with her, even took him with her out to eat a few times. It was a little odd and garnered several wide-eyed looks, but it was also a lot precious and garnered several teary-eyed responses from the people who bothered to ask the details.
Jesus is telling his disciples he's leaving. But he comforts this group of men by telling them You are my bride. I can picture some of those rugged guys giving Jesus a sideways look, wondering what he could mean by such a statement.
From our perspective we can see that he's talking to them as representatives of the Church, his Bride. And even an old guy like me might shed a tear as I ponder what he was promising.
And I might just do my best to turn myself into a cardboard cutout of my husband, so everyone can know how wonderful he is.
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