The Way
A small child is lost in the grocery store. He cannot see his mother. His pitiful cries cause other shoppers to stop and try to help. The child does not know his mother's name, except “Mommy”. He cannot find the way to his home, to familiar surroundings. He does not know the way home though it is just a few miles from the store. He is totally helpless.
When his mother finds him again, the child knows the way home. He still does not know the street names that lead to his house. He does not know how many turns he needs to take to get home. He does not know which stop lights to turn at, yet he knows the way. Technically he does not know the set of instructions that will guide him to his home yet he knows the way. How? The child does not know the precise GPS coordinates that locate his house yet he knows someone who does. His mother is The Way. He does not need to know technical data necessary to find his toys and bedroom. He knows a person, his mother, and that answers all the questions.
Pastor Adrian Rogers of Memphis tells about going to a large store to get a certain item. Being unable to find it, he saw an employee of the store and asked her. She said, “Follow me”. Pastor Rogers said to her that it was not necessary. “Just tell me the aisle number and I can find it.” The employee replied, “It is our policy”. He followed her to a certain place in the store. He did not notice whether it was aisle 3 or aisle 17. He followed her and he was led right to the item. She was The Way, not a set of directions. My wife worked for Wal*Mart for 19 years. This was their policy at least for a period of time. She had to lead a number of customers to some particular item many times.
Something as important as eternal life is much more essential than finding our house. Obtaining right standing with God is much more important than maneuvering through the downtown of a large city. How can we be rid of damning sins and how can we get a new nature? What is the procedure for setting the universe right again? It must be very complex. I am sure that it is complicated in its actual implementation. However, like the small lost child, our part if remarkably simple. We do not need to know the formula to eradicate evil. We just need to know Someone who does.
Jesus was talking to His disciples and told them that they already knew the way to get to the Father's house.
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” (John 14:5 NASB)
Jesus said to him, “I am the Way” (v 6). We do not need to know a list of directions, we just need to know Someone who knows how to get to the destination. A set of rules, a new philosophy, or a list of commandments and laws would do us no good anyway. We could not understand them or follow them with our human ability.
The Way to Life is a Person. That sounds so simplistic and it is, on our part. The work of Jesus in obtaining our eternal redemption was not easy for Him yet His love for us led Him through it. Our job is to look to The Person Who knows and is the Way.
July 4, 2024