THE MATTER OF CHOICE

THE MATTER OF CHOICE

Sunday, October 16, 2016

John 14:6-15 Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. And from now on you know Him and have seen Him.  Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.  Jesus said to him, Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. And how do you say, Show us the Father?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The Words that I speak to you I do not speak of Myself, but the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the very works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father.  And whatever you may ask in My name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, keep My commandments.

  Not long ago in response to a TV interviewer’s question, the Rev. Jesse Jackson stated that it really didn’t matter what we call God . . . Jehovah, Allah, whatever.

  Our local newspaper, the Omaha World-Herald, has a FROM THE PULPIT section featuring sermons and essays on religion from various local pastors and church leaders. This past Saturday Rev. Susan Ellis, pastor at Omaha North Side Christian Church, was one of three presenters. I noted that the other 2 pastors referenced the Bible, whereas Ellis did not.

  She began her column speaking of the responsibility of pastors to care for people, including visiting them when they need support because of illness. Absolutely true.

  Then Ellis segued to comparing multiple choices for doing household chores as like the many options to connect to God. She went on to illustrate that as in traveling thru a hospital there is more than one corridor that will take you to your destination, with implication that there is no right or wrong way there . . .  or in connecting to God.

  With question What if we believed? she used several quotes to undergird her assertion:

  “In the world there are many different roads but the destination is the same? There are a hundred deliberations but the result is one.” Confucius

  “There are as many ways to God as souls; as many as the breaths of Adam’s sons [and daughters]”? (Question mark hers.) Taken from Islamic writings.

  “they who worship others gods with faith, they adore but Me behind those forms; Many are the paths of men, But they all in the end come to Me.” A Hindu belief.

  “all religions are but stepping-stones back to God.” Pawnee Native American belief.

  Ellis then pointed out the many similarities of the multitude of religions.

  Then Rev. Susan Ellis concluded with “Jesus taught us inclusion, not exclusion. What if we lived our faith in the same way? Not right --- not wrong, just different.”

  In personally responding to her question: The first thing I would have to do reject Lord Jesus Christ’s exceptional absolutist statement that He alone is the way, truth, and life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus; resulting in questioning, doubting, everything Jesus said (Jn.14:6-9); finally resulting in thinking Jesus the greatest impostor that ever lived.

  Oh yes, indeed it is a matter of choice among the hodge-podge of options. For myself, I trust the Lord Jesus Christ, Word above words. 

EBB4 (October 01, 2012)