Fifth Sunday of Easter: Way, Truth and Life for Everyone

Today's Scripture Readings

Acts 7:55-60 (NRSV)

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.

Psalm 31 (BCP., p.622)


1 Peter 2:2-10 (NRSV)

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:

"See, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious;

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,

"The stone that the builders rejected

has become the very head of the corner,"

and

"A stone that makes them stumble,

and a rock that makes them fall."

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Once you were not a people,

but now you are God's people;

once you had not received mercy,

but now you have received mercy.

John 14:1-14 (NRSV)

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "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'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 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. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."

Blog Reflection

There was a time in my life when every time I read these amazing words from St. John's Gospel, I agreed with them without conflict.   Jesus' words "I am the way, the truth and the life" seem so absolute.  How could I or anyone else misunderstand Jesus?

While these same words carry with them a great affirmation of faith, they also contain a few problems.

John's Gospel beginning with the fourteenth chapter, starts what we call the Last Supper Discourse.   In this discourse are many proclamations that Jesus makes about Himself as well as the coming of the Holy Spirit.   It appears from the beginning, that the Disciples still have many unanswered questions about who Jesus is and what He is doing.  It is highly believed that the Apostle John himself is not the author of this Gospel, but a disciple of the Apostle was.    It is also very possible that the Gospel was put together by not only one, but a few different Johannine communities linked to the work of the Apostle and Evangelist.  Those communities were in great conflict with the authorities of the Jewish Faith of the time. The Oxford Annotated Bible suggests that we not interpret Jesus' arguments as being with the Jews, but with those who did not believe in Him.  The subject of using the Jews as Jesus' adversaries is responsible for unspeakable acts of antisemitism.  This text within John's Gospel is not a license to discriminate against Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Pagans, Wiccans or Atheists.   It is also not a Gospel reading granting us the green light to say that lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender people must go through so called "ex-gay" or "reparative therapy" because sexual "preference" is not morally neutral.

Of all Gospel texts that gets used without restraint to suggest that Christianity is a religion of supersessionism, this reading is the worst.   If there was a text that has the greatest power to unite Christians with compassion and acceptance of diversity, this is the text.  However, there is also no text in all of Christendom that gives our Christian Faith as bad of a name as this one does.

The words of this Gospel reading suggest that Jesus is responding to a lack of faith that does not perceive a reality beyond appearances and mere logic.  The Apostles Thomas and Philip want answers to the questions they ask.  Their questions are very much like our own.  Full of a quest for a certainty that is not temporary.  Or they suggest a certainty based on what is on the surface.   Jesus answers their questions that opens their eyes of faith to see past who Jesus is to what His life is about.

The "way" of Jesus is to seek out the marginalized and to set free those oppressed by bias, violence and being swept to the sides by the cracks in the system.   The "truth" of Jesus is that God's love in unconditional and all-inclusive.  The "life" that comes from Jesus is one that embraces all people and loves them without distinction or exception.   Jesus' way, truth and life that draws people to His Father by God's initiative, because every person is created in the image and likeness of God, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Not even a religion that does not believe in Jesus as Christians do, can keep God from loving every person.   Not even our disobedience to God to love God, our neighbor and ourselves keeps Christ from redeeming us through His death and resurrection.   The Jesus' way, truth and life no one who comes to God will be rejected because of who they are, what they believe, what color her/his skin is, or immigration status, or sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression.  

The Easter Mystery is about how Jesus Christ by God's power broke through the chains of death, despair and doubt and found victory over those things that separate us from God and one another.   Our celebration of the Easter event challenges all of us to seek union with God in prayer to find healing and reconciliation among all God's people.  

By the grace of God, let us all love one another as Jesus Christ loves each one of us.

Amen.


Prayers

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant
us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way,
the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his
steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ
your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p.225).

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p.815).

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, p.816).