The
Way, the Truth, and the Life “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) This is my staring point for understanding this question that we are dealing with about heaven. It was the final line of last week’s passage and as you probably remember that passage begins with the rich young man asking Jesus that question which is most pertinent to this series. “What must I do to inherit eternal life.” Now if you were listening closely last week you might wonder why I would pick out one passage as more pertinent than another. That sounds a bit like proof-texting you might say. And you all heard how suspicious I am of proof-texting. Actually I hope you are thinking all of that. But please know that I do not think that this one passage proves anything, in and of itself, but I do believe that it accurately reflects a bias that recurs all through the gospels. That bias is toward inclusion and grace. It is a bias that that moves away from judgment and condemnation. Now I admit that this is my beginning understanding that I bring to my reading of scripture. My interpretation will always look for God’s grace way before I will understand God’s condemnation. I do this because, again, I believe Jesus’ message is heavily weighted in that direction AND it is how I have always experienced my God. But just because I am looking for this interpretation does not mean that I am just making it up. My interpretations might sound a little foreign because in fact there is the opposite strong bias in much of Christianity. There is a great deal of condemnation that I hear within the larger Christian church, and this troubles me because I do not think it is what Jesus preached. But the bias toward judgment and exclusion is there and I think it colors so much of the way the Christian world approaches scripture. The passage read today is an excellent example of the way people seem to opt for exclusion and judgment above grace and acceptance. Regardless of what is written. “I am the way, the truth, and the life no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) It is the bottom line scripture that is quoted whenever I get into this particular argument. For many Christians these are the words that you just cannot get around no matter how inclusive you want to be. These are the words that tell the truth about our cosmic destination. And these words are always interpreted to mean that the Christian way is the only way for entrance into heaven. My question is “why?” because it does not say that here. The truth must be either we have been so conditioned for so many years of understanding it this way or there is something in the human emotional make up that needs to understand the world in an us-verses-them context. Or I don’t know. But the truth is that this passage has another more credible and responsible interpretation than “only Christians go to heaven.” “I am the way, the truth, and the life no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) Out of context it seems a lock. There seems to be no other choices. When someone repeats this one sentence out of context it sounds as though Jesus is saying that only those who believe in him go to heaven. But please be suspect of all “out of context” statements, no matter how convincing they might seem all by themselves. In context they may be far different than you suppose. And this one certainly is. Let’s take a look at the preceding verses to shed some light on what Jesus was truly talking about. John 14 verse one comes directly after Jesus has said something rather chilling to his disciples and in particular to Peter. “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times.” (John 13:38) The particular subject is Peter’s denial leading to Jesus’ death and the larger subject is death itself. Jesus is facing death, it must be weighing terribly upon him. The scene in the garden that will soon follow shows how disturbed he was about his fate. And Jesus has just said to Peter that Peter will not help him, in fact Peter will deny him and so Jesus will go to his death. This has got to be terrible news to the disciples. All they have worked and lived for is going down the drain. It is going to add up to nothing. Jesus is going to die, and if Jesus dies, guess what, so will the disciples. And it sounds like there is nothing that can be done, according to Jesus. This is a severe crisis. No one knows how this will come out. No one knows if there is any future left for this little movement. Jesus addresses this bad news in the first verse of John 14. “Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.” They will need faith in this time and it is probably the only thing that will get them through this very dark time. Believe Jesus says. I agree it is the most important activity. This is especially true if you are in crisis. That is the advice, believe in God and believe in Jesus. Even though the disciples will fall away. Even though they shall abandon and deny and even betray Jesus, faith is still open to them as a powerful comfortand hope for the future. Sometimes it is all we have and so Jesus offers it. This is a great message of hope. The next verse is also some comfort for those facing great trouble. “In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go and prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2) Lots of room in God’s realm. Don’t be worried. Even for those who fall away. No matter what happens. Isn’t that the concern that Jesus is addressing? Isn’t he speaking to disciples he knows are going to show themselves as less than faithful? And yet he says its ok there is room for everyone in God’s realm. Whatever dark days are ahead there is room in God’s realm. No threat. No exclusion. Not even judgment. Just grace and acceptance and comfort. The third verse is a wonderful promise. “And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:3) It is a promise of what Jesus is going to do for them regardless of what they do. Jesus will come and take them with him. Jesus is the one who is active in this sentence and I don’t believe that it says here that his coming and taking the disciples where he will be depends on their belief. He just says he will do it. Almost like that is his job to give people a place in the Father’s realm regardless of what they do or believe. There are no conditions here. Jesus just says he will do it. That is good news. It is very consistent with his over all message and it creates a context that pertains to John 14:6. In between these verses and “I am the way, the truth, and the life no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) There is a question by Tomas. He is confused. He does not know the way that Jesus is talking about. Jesus tells him, don’t worry I am that way that you don’t know. And to further these words of comfort he tells Thomas and the disciples that there isn’t anyone that he will ignore, they will all come to the Father through him. My question at this point is crucial. My question is why would we assume that at the end of this little discourse about comfort and promise would Jesus put limitations upon it. There is no indication here that there is comfort for some and not others. My question is, In this context why would we assume that Jesus is limiting grace to Christians rather than extending grace to all? “No one comes to the Father but by me.” Could just as easily be understood as a promise of God’s grace to all. No one is left out because Jesus am is in charge of taking care of all. And Jesus will see to it that they find there way into the realm of God. This interpretation gives Jesus the cosmic role of extending the hospitality of the Father’s house to all. “No one” does not mean there is a limited number of people who will experience “the way.” “No one” means that no one will be left out. It is the completion of the promise that goes back to the first verses that is addressing a very specific concern. What is the future if it is filled with crisis trouble and death? That is what the disciples are thinking and wondering about and so Jesus tells them plainly, don’t worry I am in charge of your future and as dark as it becomes you shall not be abandoned. It is what he will say only twelve verses later even more plainly. “I will not leave you desolate.” (John 14:18) Where did we get the idea that “No one comes to the father but by me,” was any kind of demand to take up any kind of belief. It does not say that the disciples had to do anything, or believe any which way. It says nothing about a status a person has to have to receive this? How could these words get so twisted as to mean that only Christians go to heaven, And how would that message fit into this context of comfort and promise? Jesus was not threatening anyone at this point he was trying to comfort his friends and he was doing so the best way he knew how. Express the unconditional love that he had always preached to them. They needed it. And so many today need the same message and it is a tragedy that the Christian church would hold up words of comfort as a prohibition against the eternal well being of people different than ourselves. That is doing exactly the opposite of what Jesus intended. So if you want to read this as
a prohibition against other faithful and non-faithful people who do not confess Christ,
then so be it. You are not alone. But please know that it is not your only
choice. You can believe that God extends God’s love to all regardless of what
they do or say, and that Jesus will not leave anyone desolate, and that this world in all
its diversity is blessed by God in its diversity, and the role of religion is to not bring
conformity but wisdom, love, and hope into the world. You can believe that not
just because it makes sense but also because it is contained in our holy book.
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