—Gospel of John, chapter 14:6
The early Christians took to heart the words of Jesus proclaiming Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Is it any wonder that they grew from strength to strength in so short a time-span and attracted members from all around the known world?
These early Christians made the words of Jesus the basic test of their lives by imitating Him as the Way to follow; by appreciating the awesome Truth of His teaching; and by conforming their lives to the new Life of His gospel.
Jesus as the Way is Love Incarnate.
He shows us how to live our lives by modeling them on His example. He laid down His life for the forgiveness of our sins, even though He was without sin. This is how He made it possible for us to experience His Divine Love on earth. His whole life was an unbroken testimony to the power of God’s Love for humankind, a Love that embraced every man, woman and child; the lame, the blind, the deaf, the crippled, the back-sliders, the least among us, the good and the bad. His Divine Love was boundless. He makes the sun shine on the “just and the unjust.” This is the kind of Love that lights up our world.
Jesus as the Truth is Wisdom Incarnate.
His words of Wisdom emanated from the purest fount of truth which He possessed as the Son of God. He taught by means of parables and conveyed the mysteries of His kingdom in language and images that even a child could grasp. People marveled at His wisdom and wondered where and how He got it, but, if they did not have faith, they would not understand. This gift of Faith is not reserved for “the wise and the clever” but for those who have “the spirit of the child.”
Jesus as the Life is Hope Incarnate.
His message is always one of new life and He is the living embodiment of that new life. The Resurrection of Jesus made it possible for us to rise again, not just on the last day, but every day of our lives. Our lives take on new meaning because of the Resurrection. We are not condemned to live without hope. We have the power, through His grace, to live as children of the Light, fashioned in His image, to be bearers of new life, not death and not darkness.
Even though we are fallible and weak, we are privileged to embrace these theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love which enable us to follow Christ, “the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.”
It is through our commitment to follow Jesus, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and in our concern for one another, that God’s glory is revealed on earth.
The early Christians got that right.
—Fr. Hugh Duffy.
3 Comments
Kelly Weaver
Wow! What a beautiful story!
Boyd Purcell,
Father Duffy, I agree with all you have wisely written in this post. I wrote this in my book, “Christianity Without Insanity.” There is a deeper truth in John 14:6. I talked with a Jewish rabbi who sent me this prayer Jews always pray before reading the Torah: “Thank you, O Lord, for giving us the Torah of truth that sets before us the way of everlasting life.” Jesus: embodiment of the Torah.
Hugh Duffy
Many thanks, Boyd, for your comment.
The gifts of Faith, Hope, and Love are, I believe, the keys to opening one’s heart to letting Jesus (the way, and the Truth, and the Life ) into our lives. I’ve written about this in my devotional books on Faith, Hope, and Love.
I’m going to order your book, Christianity without insanity. No doubt, there has been much insanity associated with religion.