Table Talk - The Way, the Truth, & the Life

The Good News of Jesus Christ according to the Evangelist, John (14:1-14):


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."

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The Questions for Discussion over Dinner Were:

In your personal life, in this community, or in another community - 

where have you experienced Jesus as the Way?

Where have you experienced Jesus as the Truth?

Where have you experienced Jesus as Life?

One person answered that they experience Jesus as Life in the gathering of family. 

Another said that they hear Jesus as Truth in music. 

A few of our youngest members said that they experience Jesus as the Way in Church – which got an “amen” from some of the adults.

Concluding Reflection:

People these days often come across this verse in which Jesus says that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and they tend to interpret it in one of two ways.  People who tend to hold more “conservative” views, on the one hand, will say that this verse means that Christianity is the only true religion – this verse means that Christianity is the only Way; Christianity is the only Truth; Christianity alone offers real Life.  And “liberals” on the other hand react to that saying, “No, no, you’ve got it wrong; that can’t be right.”  They say that this verse means that Christianity is a Way – a way to the Truth, a way to abundant Life.

A plague on both your houses! 

Both interpretations overlook one simple point.  In this verse, Jesus doesn’t say that Christianity is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Rather, Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  This verse isn’t talking about your “religion.”  It’s not talking about your personal beliefs.  It’s not talking about your opinions on spirituality. 

In this verse, Jesus is saying that when you encounter the Truth, you encounter him.  When you really encounter Truth – the kind of truth that draws you to it, that transforms the way you see, that convicts you of the life you’ve been living, and sets you free – you encounter Jesus.  And where Jesus is, there the Father is also.

Jesus is saying that when you participate in Life in all its abundance, you participate in him.  When you realize that your own life is not your property but a gracious gift from God freely given in Christ, then you realize that Jesus is as close to you as the air your breathe and the thoughts you think.  And when you live more fully into the gift of abundant Life, then you find that you’re participating in the very life of Jesus.  And where Jesus is, there the Father is also.

Jesus is not saying that Christianity is the Way.  Jesus is telling us that he is the Way.  He is the Way because he and the Father are one.  He is the Way because he is the love of God made manifest in a person.  He is the Way because we participate in his life when we live into the gift of abundant life God has graciously given to us.  He is the Way because we encounter him whenever we encounter the Truth.  He is the Way because he is the Father’s way of showing us how much he loves and cares for us.  

 

Table Talk - Surprised by God

The Good News of Jesus Christ according to the evangelist John, chapter 1, verses 29 to 42.

John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

The discussion over dinner reflected on these questions:

1.  How has God surprised you?

2.  How is God surprising you now?

Sunday Supper, Prayer, Theology-on-Tube

Bob wrapped up the conversation with these thoughts:

The overarching theme that I got from what I heard [in the discussions around the table] is God’s ability to surprise.  So many of us are locked into – or feel that we’re locked into – this schedule of ‘this is what I have to do today’ and ‘I have to get this next thing done because of this other thing.’  My eyes were really open to this at Thanksgiving.  [Lisa and I] had eleven guys from Sudan sharing Thanksgiving with us, and one of them said to me, “You Americans, all you do is work, eat, and sleep.”  Work, eat, sleep.  

Work.  

         Eat. 

              Sleep . . . .  

                               And I thought, wait - what else is there?  

I was surprised that he saw that so clearly . . . and reflected that back to me.  We can get locked into that, can’t we?  Work, eat, sleep.  But there’s really so much more to this life.  

And if we just have the eyes to see it, God has the capacity and the ability [to surprise us], and he’s surprising us all the time – 

all of the time.

Even if we have an expectation and things don’t go well or the way we expected, God has the ability to surprise us.  And God often surprises us in way that our expectations are blown away.  We had a great gathering last Sunday evening for our first Sunday supper, prayer, and theology-on-tube dry run.  And I had expected that we’d have a few folks and it would go well, but we had whole lot of folks and it went incredibly well.  The discussion was really deep and wonderful.  What a surprise!  Even though we were expecting good, it was great. 

So the question I think I’ll leave you with to ponder as we leave this place is, where might you be surprised?  If you’re feeling sort of locked into that schedule of work-eat-sleep, work-eat-sleep, where are some places for to pick your head up, open your eyes, and be open to those surprises – to God’s surprises?  This is the season of Epiphany, so where might you have an epiphany – or, as the Greeks say, a theophany?  Where is God opening your eyes in this season of Epiphany?