Mathew.

“I am the way the truth and the life, none shall come to the father except through me”

This is a verse most cited in evangelical Christian thought. It is the verse that is usually used to sum up Christian ideology- when a newcomer is curious about the faith, or within a theological debate, or even to ‘prove’ other ‘religions’ wrong by it. It is the verse that was cited when I brought my Muslim friend to church on Sunday.- And I think that he was quite confounded, as there was no context given with it! It is the verse that is seen to be foundational to our faith. But I think that the way the Evangelical Church has framed it, has often caused it to be devoid of all its power.

When Jesus said this, he was not making a religious argument. He was not proving one God against another, he was not creating a religious divide. How could He? The truth had not been made known about Him yet- The world just heard His teachings, they did not yet know Him for who He is. Neither was it a statement of religious conditionality “you cannot be my disciple unless you repeat after me” No- like most things Jesus said, this was not a command, but a promise. It was not to condemn, but to love, restore, redeem. The object of Jesus’ teachings is always the same-to evoke in us a whole hearted faith, to make us love God and our neighbours with all our heart and soul.

I don’t think this verse was either meant to condemn the unbeliever. It is a promise that in Him we will find the Truth, in Him is Life, and life eternal, and when we get to heavens gates at the end of our days, when we stand before the judgement on that great day, that we will find him there, waiting patiently, as The Way to the Father. I think that we struggle in this life, too much. We struggle to please eachother, we struggle against our selves, we struggle to MAKE something of ourselves, to be better. We battle with sin- in our own hearts, and in the world. We wonder why we are not good enough, over and over and over.

Sometimes we try to find another way to God- to that serenity, that peace. But God is more that peace- He is a fiery love. He is forgiveness, He is grace. And the promise of Christ is this: that as He is the way, we needn’t beat through the bush and bristles to find another. That as He is the truth; we can trust Him and know that what He offers us is good. That as He is the life, that when we ‘drink from His cup’ we receive life eternal, life that is true and pure, life that makes us to truly live. We needn’t fight to make our own way to the Father- through Him we find Grace. Our struggle in this world to ‘be better’ will land us tangled even deeper in the ailments of this world- but the same One who spoke these words also said:

“Come to me, all you who are wary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”