Jesus' departure is good for the disciples because of the gift of the Spirit. Difficult to imagine, the disciples’ ministry will equal, and exceed, that of Jesus once he departs.

This text tells the story of Jesus encountering many unhealthy people lying by the pool of Bethesda in hopes of getting healed. The "invalid" man has gotten so accustomed to his predicament that he had given up any hope of becoming whole.

The love of Jesus is independent of who the other is or our feelings about him or her. The command to love one another is both our preparation for and our participation in his resurrected life here and now.

The Good Shepherd challenges his Sheep to build relationships as they hear the Good News and respond in ways that motivated by trust rather than fear.

The disciples are still on a journey of discovery. They have to recover the habits of discipleship they practiced for three years. The disciples have to grasp who they now are in light of the resurrection.

Believing is not what fills the gap between our faith in Christ and our inability to explain, understand, make sense of and prove our belief in the risen Lord.

Jesus is risen, but what sort of risen Jesus is this? And why is it that those who love him most can see him without recognizing him?

It would be easy to oppose Mary and Judas. That tension reveals that Mary and Judas, the fragrance of life can be neither bought nor sold. Our task is to take the same kind of extravagant hospitality that Mary offered to Jesus.