Jn 14:1-14

20 April 2008

5th Sunday of Easter

“How Can We Know the Way?”

            Contained in today’s gospel reading are some words which with, for a long time as a young Christian, I had a love-hate relationship.  (This was in college.  People have all kinds of relationships in college; mine was with words!)  We find them in verse 6, where Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

            I really loved, and still do love, the incredible power in that:  how Jesus expresses the joy and freedom he brings.  Or maybe I should say:  the joy and freedom that he is.  For the first time in my life, I was beginning to see deeply into those words, as well as other stuff in the Bible.  They were more than just letters on a page.

            However, as I’ve already suggested, not everything was a cause for celebration.  I hated how narrow and restrictive those words sounded.  I’ll explain what I mean.

For example, I never was attracted by Islam.  To me, it felt like taking a step backward into following rules and regulations.  I know there’s more to it than that, but that was how it appeared to me.

The only stream within Islam I’ve ever found interesting is the path of the Sufis.  For lack of a better term, they represent the mystical dimension of Islam.  They believe, like mystics in Christianity and other faiths, that we can have something approaching oneness with God in this life; they seek a direct knowledge of God.  Examples of Sufis are the whirling dervishes in Turkey.

            But in college, what I really found interesting was Zen Buddhism.  For a while, I even thought of myself as a “Zen Christian.”  According to D. T. Suzuki, a Japanese Zen master, “All those pious deeds considered to be meritorious or sanctifying by most so-called religiously minded people are artificialities in the eyes of Zen.”[1]  For someone who was turned off by a lot of rules and regulations, that sounded pretty good!

            My point is that Jesus’ words caused me to reevaluate my desire to simply mash all these things together.  And if I’m honest, it’s not like I’ve ever really understood much about Zen anyway.

            Jesus the man, aside from the obvious element of faith, is one of the most fascinating figures in all of history.  There are many accusations hurled at Christianity, Christians, the church, and in numerous cases, deservedly so.  (Still, I should add:  many of the accusers do so in an almost knee-jerk reaction.)  Nonetheless, rarely does anyone disapprove of Jesus himself.  In fact, aside from the Church of Satan, I think every faith tradition says that Jesus would agree with them—if they don’t actually claim him!

            Many people point to verse 2, in which Jesus says, “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”  It’s often said that Jesus is speaking about people of other faiths.  Of course, this leads to one of the trickiest questions that continue to emerge in every generation:  how do followers of Christ relate to those of other faiths?  This is the business of interfaith dialogue.

            I’m well aware that not everyone will agree with my current take on the matter.  And I want to emphasize the word “current,” because my understanding has continued to change and evolve.  I want you to think about this; try it out for yourself.  Actually, that’s what I encourage no matter what I’m preaching about!

            Here’s a quick look at how I see it.  It seems to me that all of us are somewhere on a continuum between two extremes.  At one end, there’s the position of ultimate exclusiveness.  This is where we say that everyone who doesn’t completely share our belief system, however we define it, is dead wrong.  Some would even say that they are evil itself.

            At the other extreme is the position of ultimate inclusiveness.  This is where we say that anything goes.  It doesn’t matter what you believe, because everything is equally valid.  I think both of these extremes display a real laziness and refusal to find out what the other person really believes.  I would say that, when we do enough digging, we find that we’re more alike than different.

            Let me use the description Jesus provides:  the way.  (And we see in the book of Acts that that’s how the early church thought of itself.  They were followers of “the Way.”)  So let’s think of life as a way, as a road.  I see Jesus as the very center of the road.  He’s the perfect example of how to live a human life because he, as the Son of God, is truly human! He is, as the apostle Paul says, “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).

            There are others who travel very close to the center of the road, others who veer closer to the edge, and there are some who go right off the road and into the ditch!  You’ll notice that I don’t say “Christianity” is in the center of the road; it’s Jesus who occupies that spot.  There’s all kinds of stuff that goes under the heading “Christian.”  And plenty of it is with those folks off in the ditch!

            So, as I said, there’s a quick look at how I see it presently.  It’s important to keep learning and to be open to the Spirit.

            Now, if there’s a mood that ties all this together with the goings-on in our scripture reading, it would seem to be puzzlement, misunderstanding.  And who’s the one getting things started?  It’s the disciple—besides Judas, of course—who seems to have the worst reputation:  Thomas.  Doubting Thomas.  But I like Thomas.  I can identify with the guy.

            Right after Jesus tells them about the many dwelling places in his Father’s house, he promises to prepare things for them and to come back and get them.  Jesus adds, “And you know the way to the place where I am going” (v. 4).  Lord, you might want to rethink that position!

            Thomas’ response is basically, “What are you talking about?  We don’t know where you’re going!  How can we know the way?”  Thomas is asking an honest question; I admire him for that.  He’s not just going along to get along.  This is an important moment, and he doesn’t want to let it slip by.

            So after Jesus gives him the “I am the way” answer, Philip decides to display his keen grasp of the situation.  Maybe Thomas is confused (poor guy!), but he knows how Jesus can make it clear to all of them.  And verse 8 tells us his plan.  “Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’”  That should take care of that!

            You know, in these situations, we’re not privy to details like facial expressions.  I can only imagine Jesus pausing, somewhat dumbfounded, smacking himself on the forehead, and doing his best Homer Simpson imitation:  “D’oh!”  But I suppose he wouldn’t go that route.  That would only manage to make Philip feel foolish!

            Still, he does seem to be somewhat at a loss.  “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (v. 9).  Jesus wonders how there can still be a question, among any of them, that everything he is…everything he says…everything he does…is a perfect reflection of his heavenly Father.

            And if that’s not enough, he gives them something else to chew on.  Look at verse 12:  “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”  It’s been said that “the disciples will outdo Jesus.”[2]

            On the face of it, that probably seems like an outrageous promise.  We should keep in mind that in the rest of the chapter, Jesus speaks of the gift of the Spirit.  We’re told, “The focus is not bigger miracles, but bigger mission, because he will send them equipped with the Spirit to speak of God’s reality to people far beyond Galilee and Judea.  [Even to Jamestown and Lakewood!]  Jesus sees his departure as making this explosion possible.”[3]

            I’ve sometimes heard Christians say, “You know, if we had lived when Jesus walked the earth, and been right there with him, we would’ve had it made!  It would have been so much easier!”  Somehow, I think Jesus knows what he’s talking about.  We can do so much more than a single individual—even if it is him.

            Everyone who believes in Jesus has been given this mission.  It can’t be about simply showing up at church at Sunday.  It happens during the week, bringing Christ wherever we go.  Or maybe I should rephrase that:  it’s about recognizing Christ wherever we go and in everyone we meet.  We behave differently when we come to our senses and know that we’re in the presence of Christ.  It’s not about selling something!

            I’m reminded of a conversation I had with one of the managers at McDonald’s, back in Tennessee.  I worked there during my breaks from college.  It seems to me that we were talking about advertising, and she compared it to me.  She said that, as a Christian, I also am trying to persuade or convince people to, so to speak, buy something.  I think she also knew that my pastor had asked me to preach a couple of times.

            But I thank God for her.  After graduating from college, I went back to McDonald’s.  I worked there for many months.  One day, as I was clocking out, she asked me, “James, when are you going to get a real job?”  I was waiting for God to give me a sign!  I wanted God to strike me with lightning!  “Oh Lord, how can I know the way?”

            But that’s it, friends.  God has already shown us the way.  We just need to do it!  Look at all the opportunities coming up where you can be present and show the way to those who are in the ditch.  We can be a community faithful to the way, the truth, and the life.  That is, if we’re not too selfish in thinking we can keep it for ourselves.

            It may sound cliché, but it’s true:  we can’t keep this awesome reality, this powerful love, unless we give it away.

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