The Way of Jesus
“This is the Way.” This is the tagline for an honor code of a displaced ethnic group, the Mandalorians, on a TV show that is an offshoot of George Lucas’ Star Wars. This is the Way. It is rarely the easy way, and often requires self-sacrifice, but it is always affirmed, “This is the Way.”
It is just a TV show, and yet, every time I hear it, I am reminded of Jesus’ promise to his disciples, “I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Jesus speaks these words to his disciples on the night that he is about to be betrayed. He knows, and with the benefit of hindsight, we know, that his path, his way, God’s way, is to the cross.
But his disciples do not know and, understandably, their anxiety meter is high – Jesus has just told them that he is going away and they can’t follow. They don’t know what is going to happen – but in their minds it doesn’t sound good. And yet, Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled - Or as one scholar translates it, “Do not let the heart – one heart - of you all -- all of you -- be troubled.” Jesus speaks to them and us not as individuals but as one with one heart. And then Jesus urges them and us to “Believe.” “Believe in God. Believe also in me.” Or as another translation reads: “Trust.” Trust in God. Trust also in me.” 1
When we are anxious, worried, afraid, it is hard to know who or what to believe, where to turn or whom to trust.
In her sermon on this text at the Synod Assembly, Bishop Ann reminded us of a song “You Can Do This Hard Thing” by Carrie Newcomer. The first stanza relates the frustration as a child of trying to add a column of numbers. “There at the table with my head in my hands. A column of numbers I just could not understand.” But then she relates what her understanding mother/father/ mentor gently said her: "Add these together, Carry the two, Now you… You can do this hard thing….It’s not easy I know, But I believe that it’s so. You can do this hard thing.”
The song continues through the challenges of life as we grow older. Challenges, hard things still happen. The first time away from home… standing at the bus station… again the encourager says, “I’ll carry your bag… it’s not easy I know… but I believe that it’s so… you can do this hard thing.”
And when the call that something awful has happened comes in the middle of the night – it’s always the middle of the night no matter what time it is – and she wonders how she can ever face the next day the encourager says, once again, “You can do this hard thing….It’s not easy I know, But I believe that it’s so. You can do this hard thing.” 2
I think she is right. You and I can face this hard thing – whatever it is -- because we are not doing this hard thing alone.
It’s easy to forget that. Embedded in our culture is an expectation that success comes from individual effort – be strong and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” But if you are standing in quicksand, the only way that you are going if you try to lift yourself out – is down even further. It’s actually a funny image if you think about it. No one can pull themselves out of a sinkhole by reaching down lifting on their own boots. We are not made to be independent. We are made, by God, to have one heart.
But, when challenges, troubles come, and they will and they do… and when, in our anxiety, we can’t see a way forward, we forget that we are not alone. Whether facing a hard math problem or the death of a loved one or loss of a future plan or hope or dream… you too have an encourager who says to you, “It’s not easy I know.. but I believe that it’s so… You can do this hard thing.”
And now, although it sounds strange to Minnesotan ears, for clarity, I’m going to have to talk like a southerner.
You all can do this hard thing called life because Jesus is not only an encourager but as Jesus tells the disciples, Jesus has prepared a place for you all, a place that Jesus describes as place with many rooms – enough for all of you and others too. There is plenty of room in God’s house. This is Jesus’ promise.
And yet… the disciples still don’t understand. Thomas asks, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’
Thomas is asking for GPS directions but Jesus gives him much more. Neither Thomas nor we cannot fully understand but Jesus gives us new windows to try to glimpse who He is and who God is through his “I AM” statements throughout the Gospel of John.
Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.’
This is the way – the way is Jesus. For Jesus is truth.
You may remember that when Jesus is being interrogated by Pilate, Pilate cynically asks him, “What is truth?” It’s a question that is often asked cynically today as people on social media and even news channels try to put their own “spin” on “truth.” Jesus doesn’t need to spin the truth. Jesus is the truth. No spin.
And Jesus is life. John begins this Gospel with a reference to Genesis and the very beginning of the world saying, “ In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1 Jesus is the life-giving presence of God made flesh.
It might have been easier if Jesus had stopped right there.
But Jesus continues saying, “No one comes to the Father except through me. Even though Jesus is still speaking to his disciples and to all of us people often hear exclusion when they hear Jesus proclaim “no one comes to the Father except through me.” But Jesus is not done. He continues, saying, “If you know me, you will know my Father also.”
We will know God the Father through Jesus. So let us look to Jesus, and when we do, we see a wide welcome. For Jesus calls you each by name – but has given you all one heart. So when we disagree, let us not take a scalpel to that heart and think we have the right to decide who is in and who is out. Instead, let us look to Jesus. This is the way. Jesus is the way. And through Jesus we will see the Father.
You can do this hard thing. The world around us is busy pointing out what are our differences, what are the ways that the other is doing something wrong, who or what should we cancel or avoid or despise. Overcoming our differences, seeing the “other” as brother and sister, may be one of our biggest challenges.
And yet, you ‘all can do this hard thing….It’s not easy I know, But I believe that it’s so. You all can do this hard thing.”
For when we look to Jesus as the Way and the Truth and the Life, we see the face of God. And that is the face of love. Thanks be to God. Amen.
1https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fifth-sunday-of-easter/commentary-on-john-141-14-6
2 https://www.carrienewcomer.com