Grace and Peace to you from God our creator, and from Jesus, the one who is the way. Amen.
Lori and I have been rewatching the TV series from the early 2000’s called “The West Wing.” It is the story of a fictional presidential administration, and all of the staff who work within the west wing of the White House. (I’m convinced it’s the best show ever made.) Every few years we rewatch it, as a kind of a social, emotional…and political palate cleanser.
In an episode we watched last week, Josh, one of the primary characters, is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety following a traumatic injury. He’s talking with Leo, his boss and his mentor. Leo, who himself is a recovering alcoholic, tells Josh a story. He says:
“This guy’s walking down a street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep, he can’t get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you, can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up ‘Father, I’m down in this hole, can you help me out? The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
Then a friend walks by. ‘Hey Joe, it’s me, can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.’”
“I’ve been down here before, and I know the way out.” I know the way.
Welcome to the fourth week in our Lenten sermon series called “Words that Changed the World.” For these 5 weeks, on Sundays and on Wednesdays, we are looking at the words of Jesus…the words that literally changed the world. His teachings and the wisdom that still affect our lives and our beliefs, even 2,000 years later.
And today, we are thinking about the “I am” statements of Jesus, which are scattered throughout the Gospels. In these statements, Jesus begins to describe himself to his disciples…who he really is…and what that means for those who follow him.
Jesus said things like:
- “I am the bread of life.”
- “I am the light of the world.”
- “I am the gate.”
- “I am the good shepherd.”
- “I am the true vine.”
- “I am the resurrection and the life.”
And the “I am” statement that we are focusing on today: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father, except through me.”
I am the way. Jesus said.
Have you ever found yourself in a place, a position, a situation, where you didn’t know the way? Have you ever found yourself…down in the hole? Where you were not sure what to do? Where you couldn’t decide what was the right choice, or the right call?
About six weeks ago, Lori and I went on a trip to Rome and Florence, Italy. We wanted to do something big to celebrate our 30th anniversary. We saw all the things…the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Basillica, the Academia museum, the Uffizi museum, about a thousand churches…and we even managed to squeeze in a wine tour in Tuscany. “Bello!” (That’s Italian for ‘awesome!’)
But do you know what these things had in all had in common, besides Italy? Guides. People who showed us around. We did a bunch of guided tours, because we knew we needed someone who could show us the way…and explain to us what we were seeing…and experiencing. And the places that didn’t have guided tours? We used these free, Rick Steves audio tours. Download his app…download his tour…so simple! And they were so helpful. I know, that if we didn’t have someone who could walk us through all these places…we would have missed out on so much.
We needed someone who could say to us: “I’ve been there before. I know the way.”
The pastor and author, Adam Hamilton, in his book “The Message of Jesus, tells us that in our Gospel text for today, Jesus is with his disciples at the last supper. He is trying to prepare them…to help them understand that he’s about to be arrested, convicted, and then crucified. Jesus tells them “Don’t be troubled…trust in God… trust also in me.” And then he goes on to speak of his “Father’s house,” that has “room enough to spare,” and how he is going there to prepare a place for them.
In verse 4, Jesus says to his disciples, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” Confused, the disciple Thomas said to him, “Lord we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus looks Thomas in the eye, and says: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The way. Not only does Jesus know the way. In this scripture, he is planting his flag and speaking his truth. I am the way.
“I am the way…the way, the truth and the life. These words of Jesus stuck. So much so, that later, in the book of Acts, the early Christians were not called Christians. That didn’t come until later. No, the very first Christians were called the “Followers of the Way.
“I am the way,” Jesus said. These are powerful words. But we cannot ignore what Jesus says next. Because what Jesus says next has caused some confusion…and even some controversy over the last 2,000 years.
Jesus goes on to say, “and no one comes to the Father except through me.” This is a provocative statement.
Some take this to mean that everyone who is not Christian will go to hell. Simple. Easy. Cut and dried. You’re in…or you’re out.
And to be fair, that is one possible interpretation of this piece of scripture. The problem is that this interpretation is so inconsistent with the rest of what Jesus says. There is this tension between the tone of this scripture, and verses like 1 John 4, which describe God as love, or Ephesians 2, where grace is described as something we receive, not something that we earn, or Romans 8, where it is clear that nothing can separate us from God’s love…nothing at all.
So, another possible understanding of Jesus’ words here is that the love, grace and salvation that comes to God’s people, is always a result of what Jesus does; not what we do. Again, Pastor Adam Hamilton writes that “anyone who receives salvation, grace, mercy and life from God, will have done so through Jesus whether they are conscious of this or not.”
When Jesus says, “no one comes through the Father except through me, he’s not saying “buy into me, or else.” (That just doesn’t sound like the Jesus we have come to know.) No, he is saying…you receive these gifts of love and grace…and guess what…they happen through me….because of me…because I am the way.
If we take seriously the idea that Jesus is God’s Word in human form, as John has written, and if Jesus and the Father are one, as Jesus has said,
- Then any who experience God’s blessings
- Any who know God’s love
- Any who find God’s peace
- Any who are granted eternal life
They will have received these things through Christ. Christ is always the source. He is always “the way,” even when we don’t recognize him.
My friends, here is the bottom line: More than fifty years before John put pen to paper and wrote this Gospel, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” The entirety of John’s Gospel, and in particular, these “I am” statements, seek to answer that question. John wants people to see and understand that Jesus is the bread of life, the light of the world, the gate that offers shelter and the good shepherd who cares for us. Most importantly, John wants us to know that Jesus is the way. He is the source of forgiveness and eternal life.
Friends, we are all surrounded by holes in the ground. And from time to time, we all slip and fall into one of these holes. We all have these times…days, months, years…where we feel like we are stuck, and we cannot find our way out.
It may be social. It may be emotional. It may be spiritual. It may be physical. It may be addiction. It may be mental health. It may be grief. It may be broken relationships. It may be any number of things. But we all experience this.
When Jesus was born, it was literally God climbing down into the hole with you. And as a man who walked the earth, Jesus experienced pain…he experienced sin…he even experienced death.
Jesus steps into your world…into the dark places where you sometimes find yourself stuck.
You may say “Jesus, what are you doing? You are God! You are the Messiah! Why are you down here with me?”
Jesus will look you in the eye and smile. “I’ve been here before. Not only do I know the way out…I am the way out.” This is, by the way, exactly what will happen here in just a few minutes…when we do the service of healing. This is exactly what we’re talking about. In this moment, Jesus comes alongside you…Jesus jumps into the hole with you…Jesus enters into your stuckness…and he reminds you that he is the way…the way to healing and wholeness.
And so, because of Jesus…we are the ones who know the way. We are the ones who follow the way. We are the ones who follow Jesus.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Test Driving Theology 