John 14:1-14 The Way the truth and the life

Something we would often do when I was in Africa in February was to find a motorcycle or boda-boda driver, pay them a couple of quid and follow them to where we need to get to like a hotel or a restaurant. We were unable to do this in Kisumu, Kenya because we arrived late and after a certain time the drivers all go home, so we had to rely on Google maps to find where we were staying but in Uganda that never happens because shops rarely shut and drivers rarely sleep.

Then, when we found the right road by now in the small hours of the morning, we had to find the right gate to get us into the private road then find the right gate to get into the right house. What would it be like? It looked OK when we booked but was it and would there be enough room? Both gates opened for us and a young man; the askari came out of his own house in the grounds to let us into our house. It was huge as he kindly took our bags in and showed us round. Each of us had our own huge bedroom with our own bathroom and bed nicely made. We slumped on the huge sofas as the last bags were brought in. “You won’t see me in the morning said the young askari but there will be someone coming in later - but welcome.” We apologised for being so late but he was all fine. Before long we were all asleep in our rooms eventually awoken later that morning by vervet monkeys scrambling over the roofs and tapping the windows! We did meet our young askari again and invited him to join us for dinner and discovered he was a graduate and a local church worship leader.

The picture my Kenyan experience portrays illustrates much of what Jesus is conveying to us in our Gospel reading. Some of this passage is frequently chosen when someone dies – in my Father’s house are many mansions and I am going to prepare a place for you provides a lot of reassurance to many mourners which Jesus prefixes with the words that start this passage “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” This is a promise from God who loves us. And, Jesus continues, you know the way to the place where I am going” to which Thomas who is always good for saying what everyone else is thinking, says “no, Jesus we’ve got no idea where you are going – how can we know the way?” And Jesus responds a little like my boda-boda driver by saying I am the way. You don’t need a map or a satnav – just follow me. Not only that but I am also the truth. You do not want to stray away from the course Christ has set before us and I am the life. Only through me, says Jesus will you have life and life everlasting.

Many Christians wish Jesus never said this and regard it as the height of arrogance. How dare John or anyone put these words in Jesus’ mouth. How dare Jesus suggest he is the only way. Others and I would include myself in this, take the opposite view. This is one of the most powerful passages in the Bible and Jesus says this not out of arrogance but simply because it is true. But more than that, you cannot dethrone Jesus out of some misguided notion of political correctness without enthroning someone or something else, be it Buddha or Mohammed or Krishna or Mamon. As Bob Dylan once sang – you’ve gotta serve somebody and it may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you’ve gotta serve somebody. And it is not just this passage. Jesus made this claim at various times in different ways. I am the gate, the good shepherd, the true vine. The whole new testament affirms this as did the early church and as do we over 2000 years on. I had to get through several gates and doors to get into our house in Kisumu including 2 international border crossings. But Jesus is our means of access to the Father. For us Christians there is no room for replacement with vague general truths. As baptised believers we claim union with the Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. That is what baptism signifies being baptised in the name of Jesus, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, being redeemed, bought back by the love of God through what Jesus did for us on the cross. What Jesus says in this passage is not the claim of an arrogant mad man. It is the truth of a God who loved us so much he came to live among us, die for us to buy us sinful people back to him. To rise again for us and promise us eternal life with him. That does not sound like arrogance to me but simply amazing love. Amen