Commentary on John 14
by fish Monday, Oct 17 2005, 6:11am
international /
theology /
commentary
(I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life)
An appropriate sub-heading to probably the most important chapter in the Gospel of John (if not the whole New Testament). The Christian saviour declares himself to be the absolute God and also the means by which we come to the realisation and presence of that God. The above claim was/is as bold a claim as was ever made by a sane man, notwithstanding some of Jesus’ immediate family members thought him to be of questionable mental stability (at that time). Nevertheless, this commentary will be based on the text and the simple 2+2 logic that is accessible to a child but evades the apprehension of linear, biased, fanatic and frightened thinkers. 1"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my
Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I
go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And
you know the way to where I am going." 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not
know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6Jesus said to him, "I am
the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you
do know him and have seen him."
Jesus assures, comforts and instructs his disciples (and the reader) to Trust
and believe in Him. He promises that he will prepare a ‘place’ for you/us and
will return to take you/us to Himself. The ‘location’ is inferred by the phrase,
"where I am you may be also"; the "Way" is to be made known to those who
undertake the ‘journey’.
We have previously been made aware that He is the "Way" and the final
destination. Therefore, the destination and the means of arriving are identical
– they could not be otherwise! The absolute God is infinite; infinity, due to
its all-pervading nature, saturates existence (fills time and space). As such,
its quality is moving/kinetic – ‘Way’/process. Simple logic dictates that
endlessness is a kinetic process. The absolute process of Being is indicated by
the classic statement, "I AM THAT I AM", which is usually interpreted as a
static name; however, it should now be clear that the above declaration of Being
is actually a constant dynamic. Therefore, the "Way" and ‘destination’ are
simultaneously absorbed and expressed in the infinite character of God as One
continuous process of Being!
Building on the foundation of the above information we should now be able to
tackle the most misunderstood statement in the New Testament, "No one comes to
the Father except through/by me."
The Son of Man (Jesus) is ‘Word’ made flesh; a human being teaching human
beings; flesh redeeming flesh. His incarnation (Deity incarnated if you like) is
limited as we are limited and is limitless as we are (potentially) limitless. It
is our potential that Jesus addresses; he has taken on our form to lead us (by
the hand) to the limitless glory of which He speaks and promises. He shares with
us our common humanity while at the same time realising His (our) full potential
as Gods, on one occasion He emphasised the point to the Pharisees by referring
to a popular Psalm (82), "Ye are Gods; and all of you are children of the most
High."
Apprehending the infinite God ‘through’ Him becomes an opportunity made
available to all by His universal at-one-ment! Jesus is man not a Martian or
extraterrestrial, His/our story is an exceedingly human story. The Son of Man as
‘experience’, does not lie outside the human experience or capability; there is
nothing that He represents or accomplishes that is not immediately accessible to
everyone (as is clearly stated in verse 12).
"Through/by me" is now understood as the experiential totality of a fully
realised human being, one who has, by surrender to the greater Creative
power/will of the nameless Godhead, become ONE (as is stated in Verse 20 and
Chapter 17).
Exclusivity, racism, elitism and divisionism are Jewish theological concepts.
Any interpretation based on Old Testament theology clearly indicates a failure
to understand or accept the new reformed religion; furthermore, reverting to the
Old theology becomes an act of rejecting the new gospel message of Jesus Christ,
which is problematic for anyone who claims to be a Christian.
It is hoped that the "where" and "how" of Thomas’ question has also been
answered. It should not be forgotten that a text is written for a reader and You
are the reader; the experience of Truth is immediate and relates to you in a
hyper-personal way. If a message is to be received (and understood) from a text,
the ‘knowledge’ must necessarily occur as process in the Living present. If the
subject/object relates directly to Deity, the transmitted knowledge would and
should encompass the totality of Being. If an interpretation in a theological
context does not encompass the totality of Being a failure to understand the
message has occurred. The Living Christ (Way) becomes the kinesis of knowledge,
which transports us from darkness to Light or from ignorance to enlightenment.
It should now be clear that the Living Christ (Way) is the source of knowledge,
not a textual aid or other indicators. A clear distinction is drawn between the
Living God and the dead ideologies of mainstream religion.
The 2+2 logic referred to earlier is exercised in understanding a
characteristic of infinity ie, the totality of its inclusiveness. It is the
height of ignorance or folly to entertain any notion that something could exist
outside the totality of infinite existence. To exclude anything in any way would
betray a discontinuous (or finite) condition and if God is not infinite then
that ‘God’ is a fraud.
8Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."
9Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me,
Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the
Father'? 10Do 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 authority, but the Father
who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
The text is written for the reader; Philip, on behalf of our ignorance,
demands to be shown the ultimate reality (God the Father). Jesus (as man)
astounds by declaring that He is the Father, however, certain conditions are
introduced regarding recognition of Deity – familiarity and re-collection. Who
is our eternal (immediate) companion, who was with us "before the foundation of
the world" and will be with us "till the end of the age"? "And you still do not
know me, ‘Philip’?"
Jesus also indicates his complete surrender to Divine Will, his speech and
actions are no longer his own. Jesus is ‘dead’ to his personal identity/will but
Lives as a conduit of God. The message of dying (while we ‘live’) in order to
gain "eternal life" is a principal theme of the New
Testament.
12"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works
that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the
Father. 13Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. 14If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
It would seem imperative that we recognise Jesus as a Living reality rather
than a concept or an imaginary ideal. The above verse promises everything for
those who understand the nature of Christ and the glory that is His (and
potentially ours). The promise of "greater works" refers to the continuous
expansion of Creation in which we may participate (as co-creators). His name is
the name of the Son of Man/woman directly connected to the Source (and
knowledge) of All. The Glory of the ‘Father’ through the ‘Son’ is our
realisation and expression of infinite consciousness (God) and everything else
that issues from that experience/knowledge. In a very real sense we become
co-creators in His eternal process of renewal – there is no higher
achievement.
The "Son of Man" (Jesus) is the product/progeny of God’s creation on earth.
Humanity is the interface between creation and the Creator; the God-men of
various cultures have all shown us the way, Jesus is the principal
representative for Western culture.
15"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the
Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17even the
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor
knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
All Scripture resolves itself in the two commandments of Jesus, that we love
God and humanity totally. If these two commandments were incorporated into our
personal lives and the societies in which we live, they would solve all the
social and political problems on the planet. Remember this the next time someone
claims to be a Christian and then engages in pre-emptive warfare. However, for those who would accept and express these commandments in
thought, word and deed, the promise of a divine companion/comforter is made; one
who would assist and guide us in every situation. There is no better counsellor
than "the Spirit of Truth".
The reader will note that this counsellor has no relationship with the
worldly-minded. Be aware of this the next time some person or organisation would
attempt to degrade or exclude what God would exalt and include in his Creation.
Who dares speak for God? Against the measure of perfection liars are always left
wanting. Trust only the Living God and His counsel and let the others engage
themselves.
18"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Yet a little while
and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also
will live. 20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me,
and I in you. 21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves
me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and
manifest myself to him." 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it
that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23Jesus answered
him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and
we will come to him and make our home with him. 24Whoever does not love me does
not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who
sent me.
Jesus makes many promises and declarations in this chapter, none more
reassuring than, "I will not leave you as orphans (comfortless); I will come to
you." Where do we seek solace, in many unfortunate 'places' (substances etc.)?
Trust Him if you believe Him, hold Him to His promise and He will never let you
down; He will, as promised, come to you and saturate your Being with His Light
and Love. From the ‘mountain top’ of that experience His entire Creation
scintillates Being, Bliss and Limitless Light. From this ‘vantage’ (only) we
witness His Perfection. We are One – All is One!
He declares His triumph over death and clearly states that He (continues)
Lives! His Life is Our Life; dying to the world reveals a greater Unity as
expressed in the verse, "on that day you will know that I am in my Father, and
you in me, and I in you." That statement is the heart of His doctrine and Love
is the medium of His message. We are One – All is One.
We are qualified as His by adhering to His commandments (Way); we are
identified by our Love for Him and each other (Truth); and we are sustained by
His eternal presence (Life).
25"These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26But the
Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you
all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28You heard me say
to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would
have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than
I. 29And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take
place you may believe. 30I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of
this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31but I do as the Father has
commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go
from here.
These are the teachings of the Master in the flesh/text, however, it is time
to abandon our 'crutches' and apprehend the infinite aspect of Life/Existence
directly. We have all issued from One Source and to that Source we all return.
The "Helper,.Holy Spirit", is the infinite aspect in us which we have
awakened/revealed through embracing the Way, Truth and Life, or Jesus in his
aspect as Christ. It will guide, sustain and most importantly, bring us to the
"remembrance" of our essential nature; our quintessential Self that was with Him
in the ‘beginning’ and remains till the ‘end’.
Jesus contrasts His teaching with the values of the world; in His sublime
Peace the ‘world’ and ‘death’ are of the substance of a mirage. Perfection knows
only Perfection; Infinite existence continues in that Perfection.
Let us never forget as Philip forgot, "and you still do not know me,
‘Philip’?"
Peace to you all.
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