Day 5

The way (again)

To Start

Be still for one minute. Let God quiet your mind.

Pray

Yahweh, empower us to pay close attention. Protect us from distractions. Open our eyes that we might see wonders in Your Word.

Meet us in the text today. Help us know You better and love You more.

Take as much time as you need with God in prayer.

Read

Re-read John 14:4-8.

I know we’ve already read this passage, but I can’t quite move on—especially after reading your excellent comments. Let’s go back and see what we might have missed.

• Read all three of the versions listed here.

• Read them aloud.

• Pause for thirty seconds between versions.

John 14:4-8 (CSB)

^{4 “}You know the way to where I am going.”

⁵ “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.”

John 14:4-8 (The Message)

^{4 “}And you already know the road I’m taking.”

⁵ Thomas said, “Master, we have no idea where you’re going. How do you expect us to know the road?”

^6-7 Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!”

⁸ Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”

John 14:4-8 (RSV)

^{4 “}And you know the way where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. ⁷ If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.”

From JL (and friends)

I’d planned to have us read John 14:12-14 today. It’s where Jesus tells the apostles they’ll do even greater works than He’s done. But I didn’t feel like I could walk through that door until I’d taken time to understand some things Jesus said earlier. Because it’s important to handle this kind of power with care, to know where it comes from and to know how and when and why to use it.

Jesus’ farewell address begins with a call for faith; there are no works without faith and Jesus intends for His apostles to do a lot of work when He leaves. Jesus says right at the top, “Believe in me,” because belief is the key that unlocks everything to come:

The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him” (John 7:38).

So, belief first. Then what?

Let’s reconsider the moment between Thomas and Jesus. Jesus says to the apostles, “You know the way to where I going.” Thomas responds, “We don’t know where you’re going.” Jesus says, “I am the way...”

I don’t know if Thomas realizes that he isn’t contradicting Jesus. He’s actually correct; He doesn’t know where Jesus is going. But that’s irrelevant. Jesus says, “You know the way,” because Thomas does know the way, because Thomas knows Jesus.

I loved this thought from Bethany Welborn in the comments yesterday:

The Apostle Thomas wants Jesus to give him a destination. He is me when old people are trying to give me directions.

I say, “What’s the name of the restaurant?” so I can plug it into Google Maps on my phone. But the older gentleman in front of me won’t give me that information. He says, “It’s the Italian place with the green sign by the Walmart on the east side.” He says things like, “Go north on 420 until you pass the big church on your right—not the little church, the big one.” He says, “Why don’t you just follow me?”

So, what can I do? I follow him. I keep my eyes glued to his rose gold Chevy Impala with the American flag bumper sticker. When he makes an illegal turn, I make an illegal turn. When he pulls into Walgreens to make a u-turn, I pull into Walgreens to make a u-turn. When he runs a red light, I run a red light. Because if I lose him, I’m lost.

That’s how it is with Jesus, too. He’s not big on GPS. He’s always saying, “Follow me.” Lose Him, and you’re lost.

It is harder to follow a person than it is to follow GPS. But GPS isn’t good company. GPS doesn’t teach you things along the way. GPS doesn’t consider you at all. It can’t help you change a tire. It can’t listen to your stories. It doesn’t hold your hand.

Later in this passage Phillip says, “Show us the father and that’s enough.” This is another kind of shortcut, another way of making Jesus irrelevant.

[It’s like if your mom wants to bake cookies with you, and you suggest buying them. It’s not about the cookies. It is—but it’s not.]

Phillip wants the short term gain of a glimpse of the Father. He wants a moment. A story to tell. Proof. Meanwhile Jesus is offering lifetime access to the glory, power, and love of God.

Jesus wants relationship. Jesus wants intimacy. Jesus wants partnership.

Show us the Father and that’s enough.

What if God wants to give us more than enough?

Pray

Today I’m praying with the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:14-21). Join us:

For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Process

• Do you ever prioritize results over relationship in your spiritual life? What does that look like?

• What would it look like practically to embrace “the way” without knowing the destination?

• The Apostles are hungry for answers, data, proof, clarity—maps, destinations, explanations. Why does Yahweh (God of the cloud, God of parables, God, one and simultaneously three) so often choose mystery instead?

• What’s good about not knowing? What value might God see in not revealing everything?

Meditate

Meditate on these words from 15th century Christian Thomas à Kempis:

“Without the way there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing; without the life there is no living. I am the way which thou must follow; the truth which thou must believe; the life for which thou must hope. I am the inviolable way; the infallible truth; the never-ending life. I am the straightest way; the sovereign truth; life true, life blessed, life uncreated. If thou remain in my way thou shalt know the truth, and the truth shall make thee free, and thou shalt lay hold on eternal life.”

In the Comments

Share whatever stuck out to you as you returned to the passage. I’m always interested in what we see upon second inspection.

Godspeed,

JL