Rev. Nick Cheek
John 1:1-14 and John 14:1-12
Today, we continue our sermon series on what our Presbyterian tradition calls the Great Ends of the Church. These six statements help us understand what the Church is called to be and do in the world. They remind us why the Church exists in the first place. This morning, we turn to another of these Great Ends: the preservation of the truth. Now, when we talk about preserving the truth, I think most of us would agree that it’s important. But the challenge comes when we begin asking what that truth actually is. Because, as you probably know, folks who call themselves Christians don’t always agree. Allow me to tell you a story to explain.
Several years ago, a 12-year-old boy in Olathe, Kansas, caught the attention of a small religious group notorious for its hateful protests. The young man had spoken up at an Olathe City Council meeting. At the time, the city had been considering passing a nondiscrimination ordinance. As officials were discussing the ordinance during the meeting, the boy, who happened to have two mothers, walked up to the microphone and shared his thoughts and concerns. With courage and probably some fear, he said, “I just don’t understand why my parents can be denied access when all they want to do is eat at a restaurant.”
That’s… all he said. And with that little tidbit of information, the religious group went to work. They did some research to figure out where the boy attended middle school and announced that they would be ready at 7 a.m. the following morning to protest outside his school. The protesters carried their usual signs of hate, signs claiming to know the truth about God. On the signs were written phrases like “God hates you,” or messages declaring that people like his mothers were going to hell….. However, other people were there as well.
One of my best friends and fellow pastors, Brandon, lived near Olathe at the time. When word got out that the protesters were coming, he, along with around 200 other people, decided to show up and do something quite different. They wanted to send a clear message of love and acceptance to all the students at the middle school and their parents. And so, that morning, they lined up on the other side of the street, forming a line of love and support as students arrived for school. They held very different signs, each claiming a truth about God. Signs that read, “God loves you,” “We’ve got your back,” “Free hugs,” and “Love is love.”
Now, think about this scene for a moment. Picture it. On one side of the street were people claiming to speak for God. On the other side were people claiming to speak for God. Both groups had something to say about who God is, what God believes, and how God expects us to treat one another. And yet, their messages couldn’t have been more different.
The Preservation of the truth….
What is God’s truth? To answer this question, most of us have been brought up to point to this. The Holy Bible. This is the inspired Word of God. As Presbyterians, we believe this scripture to be living and breathing… alive. Its words beat within us – giving us strength and hope. Its message of a God who so loved the world captivates us. John Calvin, one of the fathers of our denomination, calls the Bible a Special Revelation. And what Calvin means by this is that this book is unique compared to all the other ways God reveals God’s self to us. The universe proclaims God’s glory – the mountains shout praises to our lord. God’s beauty is reflected through a sunset on a beach. God is revealed in nature…. BUT… this book, Calvin says… this is special. In here we find the story of God’s relationship with us and the world God created. Now…. if we really believe the Bible is the Word of God – Special revelation, then we should also take special care in how we encounter it… in how we read it… in how we study it… in how we proclaim it and live it out. Amen? Amen church?
Dr. Peter Enns is an American Biblical scholar and theologian who has written widely on the historicity of the Bible, and Old Testament interpretation. He also runs the popular podcast “The bible for Normal People.” In one of his books, The Bible tells me so, he argues that we must treat the Bible with the respect it deserves. Enns fears that Christians are in danger of minimizing the Bible into a simple handbook of right and wrong. He writes, “Many Christians have been taught that the Bible is Truth downloaded from heaven, God’s rulebook, a heavenly instructional manual—follow the directions and out pops a true believer; deviate from the script and God will come crashing down on you with full force. If anyone challenges this view, the faithful are taught to “defend the Bible” against these anti-God attacks. Problem solved. That is, until you actually read the Bible…The Bible… he says….is not a Christian owner’s manual but a story—a diverse story of God and how God’s people have journeyed with God over the centuries.”
Friends, every time we open this Word of God… we must read it and interpret it with care… Because that will determine what kind of Christian we are and seek to become. When the bible is not handled with care… it can easily be twisted… or misused. Stories and passages of Scripture can be pulled out of context, interpreted and reinterpreted to suit the reader’s own opinions… the reader’s own needs… their values, personal beliefs, political agendas… or even their prejudices. Throughout the history of Christianity, this very book has been used as both a weapon to wound and a balm to heal. This book has been used to justify the enslavement of human beings… and this same book has been used to demand their freedom. This book has been used to condemn entire faith communities… and this same book has been used to build bridges of understanding, compassion, and respect. This book has been used to send people into war… and this same book has inspired people to lay down their weapons and work for peace. This book has been used to condemn people to hell… and this same book has been used to proclaim the boundless grace and mercy of God. This book has been used to defend segregation, discrimination, and exclusion… and this same book has inspired movements for justice, equality, and human dignity. This book has been used to give people permission to judge, reject, and even hate their neighbors… and this same book has inspired people to love their enemies, welcome the stranger, and embrace those whom the world has cast aside.
If these sacred words can be twisted, taken out of context, or cherry-picked to support just about any human agenda… then what are we to do? How are we to read and understand Scripture faithfully? And perhaps most importantly, how do we distinguish between what God is actually saying and what human beings want God to say?
Well, I can’t promise you a simple answer. But I can offer you what I believe is the most important starting point for understanding and interpreting the Scripture faithfully. And it begins with Jesus. Now, follow me closely through this next part of the sermon… it will make sense in a minute.
[Pause] In our passage this morning, Jesus is trying to comfort the disciples as he is nearing his death. He tells them… where I’m going, there is room for you… and you know the way. And then Thomas, and I love Thomas, he questions Jesus… “Lord, how could we know the way? I mean… give us some directions… please. What’s the right way?” And then Jesus gives us one of his most famous “I am statements” from the Gospel of John. He looks at his followers and says, “I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. Thomas, if you know and follow me… you know God… and you know truth.”
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Now, hold on to that for just a moment. Earlier in our service, ???? beautifully read our first passage, also from the Gospel of John, which speaks to who Jesus is. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 Jesus was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Jesus, and without Jesus not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in Jesus was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 14 And the Word (And the word… and the Word point to the bible) became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen Jesus’ glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Church, don’t miss what John is telling us.
The Word of God is not simply words printed on a page. The Word of God became flesh. The Word of God lived and walked among us. The Word of God has a name… and it is Jesus Christ. And Jesus himself… is the embodiment of the truth the Church has been called to preserve. His life, his ministry, his love, his mercy, his care and concern for those in need… his forgiveness. His justice, his passion… his reckless acceptance…. HE is how we preserve the truth…. Because he embodies it.
Peter Enns shares another enlightening quote in his book… he writes, “for Christians, the gospel has always been the lens through which Israel’s stories are read—which means, for Christians, Jesus…has the final word. For Christians, the question is not “Who gets the Bible right?” The question is and has always been, “Who gets Jesus right?” The Gospel writers and Paul couldn’t have made that any clearer.”
Whenever we crack open this book… no matter where we land, from Genesis to Revelation, we are called to prayerfully, carefully, and humbly read these sacred words through the lens of Jesus Christ. It’s like we should put on “Jesus goggles” every time. Theologians have long called this the Rule of Love. It’s a principle that dates back to the early Church. Saint Augustine taught that if our interpretation of Scripture doesn’t lead us toward a deeper love of God and neighbor, then perhaps we haven’t fully understood what Scripture is trying to teach us.
So, whenever we read this book… whenever we encounter a difficult passage or a controversial situation… we ought to ask ourselves: Does my preservation of the truth reflect… the life and teachings of Jesus Christ? Does it lead me toward love, grace, mercy, and justice? And if it doesn’t… we need to pause…. Put those glasses back on and prayerfully try again.
Trinity… let us never turn this sacred book into an idol… or use its words as a weapon against one another. Let us be a people who read it faithfully, interpret it humbly, and seek to live its truth… the best we can, broken as we are… through the lens of the One who is the way, the truth, and the life. Let us be a people who preserve the truth by following after the Word made flesh.