How can we know the way? - A sermon by Jane Stranz on John 14

Sermon on John 14 1-14
preached by Jane Stranz in the Ecumenical Centre chapel on 21 April

How can we know the way?

"How can we know the way"
in the gospel reading we've just listened to the question comes from Thomas,
who will later be called doubting Thomas
I can quite understand why he asks Jesus this question -
John's gospel is never very straightforward! -
And Jesus' farewell discourses and conversations with his disciples are both very long and particularly complex, with many depths and layers of meaning
Thomas' question: “How can we know the way?” Seems to be a cri de coeur
- please I don't understand?
- I'm frightened, are you going to die?
- you seem to be saying goodbye and telling us to go somewhere?
- but how can we know that way?

Jesus replies in two ways
Firstly he says
I am the way

Part of me really wishes that we had a digital recording of those words to try and get behind the tone and meaning – even if not many of us here this morning would be able to understand Aramaic

So did Jesus say:

I am the way, or
I am the way
I am the way
I am the way ?

(several sermons could be preached on each of those ways of emphasizing the phrase)

His second response to Thomas' question actually precedes or prefigures the question
We find it in the previous chapter to our reading this morning
At the Passover meal at which this long last conversation takes place
Jesus washes his disciples feet
He prepares their feet for the way ahead
It's a gentle and humble preparation
It nourishes their way ahead – in the same way that the Eucharistic bread and wine in the other gospels is also nourishment.

This physical caring for their feet at their last meal together
Is a powerful way of caring spiritually for the path they will have to tread.
Without him …
It gives them something real to remember
As they also remember his words
I am the WAY

And the path that lies before the disciples is a labyrinthine way
of grief, betrayal, death,
of a crown of thorns and denial and cocks crowing in the dawn and a cross...

And after the cross an even stranger path begins
bringing news of an empty tomb and a risen Rabouni who speaks to Mary
The most complex path to tread will be the path from the empty tomb to bear witness to the transforming extraordinary good news of resurrection

The good news of death overcome,
of fatalism transformed,
of joy restored

We know how hard that way of resurrection is when we hear words like
Iraq, Zimbabwe, Tibet...
Or words like sex abuse, weapons of mass destruction, murder, domestic violence

And yet although our lists of words which speak of death are long and even seemingly endless
the resurrection calls us to tread the path
of belief in hope
in transformation
in overcoming evil and violence

In this paradox we can sense something of what Julia Esquivel calls the menace or threat of resurrection

This week Christians following the Julian calendar are starting Holy Week
While those of us following the Gregorian calendar are already beginning the fifth week of Easter time
This week because of the way the church calendars fall – with a very early Easter for one and a later one in the other – passion and resurrection are one
Today’s text from John’s gospel which takes us back to before the cross and passion, yet clearly offers hope for the resurrection, shows us that the resurrection way is a way backwards and forwards, an iterative path between suffering and hope.
Perhaps resurrection can only be borne witness to in the midst of a suffering world.

And that speaks to us of our own labyrinthine Ecumenical journey – backwards and forwards
Resurrection calls us out of the tombs of resignation and despair
To bear witness to truth, life and unity
Christ is our path
He continually offers words of encouragement for the way
“Let your hearts not be troubled …
In my Father’s house there are many mansions, many dwelling places …
I am the way.”