A Glimpse of the Mystery

The last couple of days, I’ve reflected on Jesus’ statement, “I am the gate…” Now, that can sound exclusive. And I know that statement has tripped people up over the years. But to me, Jesus is a great gift. Because without this gift, what do we really know about God?

I have a friend, who years ago was suffering from a pretty serious injury. And it affected almost every aspect of his life – including his job. He was in pain a good bit of the time. Physically and mentally, it was brutal. And I remember one day he said, you know Joe. I think God is punishing me for a mistake I made years ago… All I could say is that is not the God I know in Jesus.

There was a family in another church I served who lost a child. One of their neighbors, thankfully nobody from our church, but someone they knew, said to them, “I guess God needed another little angel for his choir.” The wife responded, “Well, why didn’t God take your little angel?” That’s a fair question because that’s not what God does. Again, that’s not the God we know in Jesus. 

Sometimes when people say to me, I don’t believe in God, I’ll ask them: tell me about this God you don’t believe in. And often, I hear about a punishing god, a tyrant god, a god who sits in the heavens – distant and removed – and who keeps score. Sometimes I hear about a god who only loves those who vote for one particular political party, or a god who hates Muslims or gays, or a prosperity god – like you often hear on tv. 

All I can say is I don’t believe in that god either. 

I believe in the God we know in Jesus: a God who so loves the world that he would step down into in flesh and blood; a God who would suffer as we suffer, to know heartbreak and betrayal as we know it. 

At the very center of our faith, we believe that Jesus shows us the heart of God. He shows us that God is forgiving. God is compassionate, God is like a loving father who runs to welcome the prodigal home.

If you want to know God, if you want to have even a glimpse of this Mystery that leads to green pasture and abundant life, Jesus says, I am the Gate. I am the opening. I am the way.

Let us pray: Again today, we thank you loving God, for the gift of Jesus. May we ever follow him and find we are drawing closer to you. Amen.