Church Fathers Commentary John 14:1-4

"Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father`s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. And whither I go, ye know the way." — John 14:1-4 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: 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; you believe in God, believe also in Me. This would not follow unless Christ were God, for they must believe in Him if they believe in God. You are in fear for this form of a servant; let not your heart be troubled, for the form of God will raise it up.

St. John Chrysostom: Faith in Me and in the Father who begot Me is more powerful than anything that will come upon you, and it will prevail in spite of all difficulties. He also shows His divinity by discerning their inward feelings, saying, Let not your heart be troubled.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The disciples were afraid for themselves, especially after Peter, the boldest and most zealous of them, had been told, The rooster will not crow until you have denied Me three times. To reassure them in their trouble, Jesus adds, In My Father’s house are many mansions. This was an assurance that, after all their trials, they could confidently and certainly look forward to dwelling with Christ in the presence of God.

For although one person is bolder, wiser, more just, or holier than another, no one will be removed from that house of God. Instead, each will receive a mansion suited to their merits. The penny that the householder paid to the laborers in his vineyard was the same for all, because eternal life, which this penny signifies, is of the same duration for everyone. Yet, there can be many mansions—many degrees of dignity—in that one life, corresponding to each person's merits.

St. Gregory the Great: The many mansions are consistent with the one penny because, although one may rejoice more than another, all rejoice with the same joy that arises from the vision of their Maker.

St. Augustine of Hippo: And so God will be all in all. Since God is love, love will bring it about that what each person has will be common to all. For that which one loves in another becomes one's own, even if one does not possess it oneself. And then there will be no envy of superior grace, for the unity of love will reign in all hearts.

St. Gregory the Great: Nor is there any sense of deficiency because of this inequality, for each will feel that they have as much as is sufficient for them.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Christians, however, reject the teaching of those who infer from the "many mansions" that there is a happy place outside the kingdom of heaven for innocent souls who have departed this life without baptism and thus could not enter it. God forbid that, when every dwelling of every heir of the kingdom is in the kingdom, a part of the royal house itself should not be in the kingdom! Our Lord does not say, "In eternal bliss there are many mansions," but that they are in My Father’s house.

St. John Chrysostom: Alternatively, our Lord had said to Peter, Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow Me afterward. So that the other disciples would not think this promise was made only to Peter, He says, In My Father’s house are many mansions. This means, "You will be admitted into that place, as well as Peter, for it contains an abundance of mansions ready to receive you." He continues, If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He evidently means that there are already many mansions and that there is no need for Him to prepare one.

St. John Chrysostom: Having said, you cannot follow Me now, so that they would not think they were cut off forever, He adds, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. This was a recommendation for them to place the strongest trust in Him.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He says, If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. It is as if He said, "Either way, you should not be troubled, whether places are prepared for you or not. For if they are not prepared, I will very quickly prepare them."

St. Augustine of Hippo: But why does He go to prepare a place if there are already many mansions? Because these mansions are not yet prepared in the way they will be. The same mansions He has prepared by predestination, He now prepares by His work. They are already prepared in terms of predestination; if they were not, He would have said, "I will go and prepare"—that is, predestine—"a place for you." But since they are not yet prepared in terms of His work, He says, And if I go and prepare a place for you.

He is now preparing these mansions by preparing the occupants for them. Indeed, when He says, In My Father’s house are many mansions, what should we think the house of God is, if not the temple of God? As the Apostle says, The temple of God is holy, and you are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:17). This house of God, then, is now being built and prepared.

But why has He gone away to prepare it, if it is we ourselves whom He prepares? If He leaves us, how can He prepare us? The meaning is this: for those mansions to be prepared, the just must live by faith. But where there is sight, there is no faith. Let Him go away, then, so that He is not seen; let Him be hidden, so that He may be believed. A place is prepared if you live by faith. Let faith desire, so that desire may enjoy. If you understand Him correctly, He never leaves the place He came from or the place He goes to. He goes when He withdraws from sight; He comes when He appears. But unless He remains with us in power so that we may grow in goodness, no place of happiness will be prepared for us.

Alcuin of York: He says, then, "I go" by the absence of the flesh, and "I will come again" by the presence of the Godhead, or, "I will come again to judge the living and the dead." And since He knew they would ask where He went or by what way, He adds, And where I go you know, and the way you know—that is, you know I go to the Father, and you know the way is Myself.

St. John Chrysostom: He shows them that He is aware of their curiosity to know His meaning, and thus encourages them to press Him with questions.