In My Father's House

 For all of us, I imagine, even the very young, Thanksgiving and Christmas bring back a flood of memories. Mine are pleasant, as I pray yours are.

Family, for the most part. Staying up one rainy, cold Christmas Eve, in a leaky tractor shed, using the tools there to assemble a dinette set for my three girls. 

Side note: I understand that some assembly may be involved, but you would think that there would be pre-drilled holes in the table legs.

Traipsing across a snow-covered field with a .410 shotgun, hoping to kick up a rabbit.

My mom, sitting in front of the Christmas tree, passing out Christmas presents to her gathered grandchildren.

My dad, sitting to the side, soaking it all in, pocket knife at the ready, to assist in opening stubborn Christmas wrappings. These holiday gatherings were his great joy, his grown children and their spouses, their babies, his grandbabies, gathered in his home, our home, to celebrate family.

Like Tiny Tim, I think the strangest things when sitting alone, these memories triggered by a memory of John 14:2 (In my Father's house....), prompted by today's Tabletalk article on the joy and blessing of Christian family.

And the vagaries of the human mind (or mine at least) are shown forth in my recalling that the phrase, "many mansions (KJV;NKJV)" is rendered differently in the various Bible translations that we use.

Which prompts the question: Why the several interpretations of a four letter(so I found it to be) Greek word?

Well, come to find out, the word (MONE), used only twice in the NT, means "mansions" or "abode". Nothing at all about "rooms" or "dwelling places".

I get it. A house has rooms. Right?

Ah, but the "house" of Jesus' father, the Sovereign Ruler of the universe must in reality be a palace.

Never been in one of those. Maybe you have. Or like me seen them depicted in photos or in movies. 

Imagine, a vast edifice stretching out endlessly, and each room you enter a virtual mansion in itself, full of the richest decorations; gilded furniture, beautiful paintings, lavish floor coverings, and through the numerous windows, unimaginable vistas to delight the eye.

Mansions, it says.

This is the house wherein you and I will dwell forever, surrounded by our Father's goodness and mercy.

In my parent's house (a 3 bedroom, bath and a half ranch style home) there were none of these glorious appointments. 

Their home was instead a familiar place to us all, the beauty displayed there was seen in loving hearts and, especially during the holiday season, the joy of celebration of the gathered family.

A foretaste, then, of our eternal destiny in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mansions indeed.