.
In preparation for these posts as in my preaching I am pretty careful about making sure that I am communicating what Jesus intends to communicate.
Scripture commentaries are invaluable in providing me with context: how would the teaching of Jesus be heard two thousand years ago.
However a person of prayer will also let Jesus speak directly and powerfully and every now and then just one word is enough.
In today’s gospel a court official comes to Jesus asking: ‘come and cure my son who is at the point of death.‘
Jesus responds to him: “Go home, your son will live.”
It was just two of these words that spoke to me: “Go home.”
I do spend a bit of time on the road both around my home diocese of Christchurch and further afield. This week I’m in Kaiapoi for a reflection hour (7.00pm St Patrick’s – all welcome), Dunedin later in the week then Auckland and after these little journeys it is always good return home.
But when I hear “Go home” I’m not thinking so much of a physical place.
Instead it’s got something to do with the well-known proverb: “home is where the heart is.”
So where is my heart?
Unfortunately the honest answer is that most days my heart is a bit divided, scattered, and all over the place,
But every human heart has a default setting and (in the well-known words of Augustine) our hearts are restless until they rest in God.
Our default setting is God.
So when I hear Jesus say to the court official “Go home”, I know what Jesus is saying: your home is where your heart is, and your heart is rightly with your son. If you go home to where he is you will witness the miracle for which you have asked.
It’s significant too that while the official left home seeking the miracle, his home was the place where the miracle happened.
Perhaps this is because home is the place where we are most ourselves, honest, unpretentious, grounded?
And Jesus has made his home with us.
When we are at home with Jesus we will experience his miracles.
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Cafe Gatherings
Take an initiative – send me your first name with a cafe location, date and time, turn up and with whoever else turns up chat about your experience of Christ in your life. Write FFF on a serviette and place in the centre of the table so others can find you. Send your initiative to john@fff.org.nz
TODAY Monday 16 March 2026 10.00am Moko Cafe, Bush Inn Centre, Waimairi Road Upper Riccarton Christchurch Trish
Thursday 19 March 2026 10.00am, Stumble Inn, 200 Mangorei Road, New Plymouth Joan .
So beautifully expressed, funnelling the truth of being at home with Jesus, as St Augustine said Our Hearts are restless until we find our home in God.
Great reflection – sometimes I forget the beauty of always having a home with Jesus.
People may like to check tune ‘Going Home’
(Sometimes used for a funeral)
(One set of words below..)
Going home, going home,
I’m just going home.
Quiet-like, slip away –
I’ll be going home.
It’s not far, just close by;
Jesus is the Door;
Work all done, laid aside,
Fear and grief no more.
Friends are there, waiting now.
He is waiting, too.
See His smile! See His hand!
He will lead me through.
Morning Star lights the way;
Restless dream all done;
Shadows gone, break of day,
Life has just begun.
Every tear wiped away,
Pain and sickness gone;
Wide awake there with Him!
Peace goes on and on!
Going home, going home,
I’ll be going home.
See the Light! See the Sun!
I’m just going home.
Words by William Arms Fisher and Ken Bible
Music by Antonin Dvorak; arr. by Ken Bible
© 2002 and arr. © 2000 by LNWhymns.com. CCLI Song #3636552
Beautiful words for that song Phil. The song “Goin’ Home” is based on Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony no. 9—specifically the Largo movement. The song was written by Fisher, who was one of Dvorak’s student’s. Fisher arranged and adapted Dvorak’s Largo theme and wrote his own lyrics. You can be inspired beyond John’s text today by listening online to the Tabernacle choir featuring black singer Alex Boye or else a classic version featuring VOCES8.
Thankyou for all the beautiful sharing Fr John and all the people who submitted such wonderful comments. LOVE the words in. The song. Truly beautiful. Thank you.