Have you met Jesus? I mean the real Jesus.

Jesus is in your love and in your joy. Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

John 14:6 -- Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The other day I read this passage and saw Jesus’ words as ones of comfort and not a statement about Christians being the only ones who are granted eternal life. (Which, to be clear, while Jesus is the sole redeemer of humankind, the Catholic Church does not teach that only Christians receive salvation from Jesus. Read more below.)

The setting: Jesus is telling his closest friends that his time is running short and he will be with them for only a little while longer. He tells his friends not to worry and to have faith. He says that he is going to be with God the Father, and he will prepare a place for them there. His friends are confused, and Thomas asks, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus responds by saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Imagine that you have been following Jesus and participating in his ministry for years. He is your best friend, your mentor, your long-hoped-for Messiah -- the one who would save your people and make all things right in the world (justice, peace, healing, etc.). And Jesus says his time on earth is coming to an end, but he’ll see you again soon in heaven.

His friends are stuck. They do not want to Jesus to leave them. They ask the practical questions: Jesus, how will we know what to do and where to go?

Jesus tells his friends, “I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”

When Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” he is trying to comfort them. In effect, he is saying, “You do know the way because you know me! You know everything I have done and taught and shown you. Follow me, do what I did, have faith in God and in me. That is the way!” And Jesus tells them not to worry. He will be the one to take us to eternal life with God -- “I will come again and take you to myself.” The initiative is with him. Don’t worry.

When we know Jesus, we know God. There’s a nice note in the Catholic Faith & Family Bible: “Jesus is our guide and source of information about God the Father. By knowing Jesus, you will discover a God who is merciful, compassionate, just, forgiving, gracious, and loving toward all people, committed to the liberation of humankind, and so much more.” Take it to heart, page 1340

God, the God of the universe, loves ALL people and desires for us to love him. He wants to be in relationship with us so we can find our purpose, which is totally in him. He wants us to know truth and to be free. He wants us to be filled with everlasting joy.

All salvation comes from Jesus, but not only Christians receive the gift of Christ’s redemption: “The Catholic Church respects everything in other religions that is good and true. The Church knows that Jesus Christ is the sole redeemer of all humankind… The Church teaches that all people who by no fault of their own do not know Jesus and his Church but sincerely seek God and follow the voice of their conscience can attain eternal salvation. However, anyone who has recognized that Jesus is ‘the way, and the truth, and the life’ but is unwilling to follow him cannot find salvation by other paths.” Youth Catechism, paragraph 136

What does it mean to know Jesus but to choose not to follow him? This is more than “knowing” about Christianity but instead choosing another religion or being agnostic or being an atheist. If a person were to encounter the real Jesus, he or she couldn’t walk away from Jesus. We’re wired for God. An encounter with the real Jesus would transform our lives.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings of Jesus, due mostly to mistakes and things that Christians have done that are very un-Jesus-like. The Jesus I know, the divine person who lived and died for us all, would overwhelm you with love, joy, and hope. I bet you’ve met him but may not have known it -- the love you feel for your child, your family, your partner. That’s God. The joy you have in loving relationships, in nature, when playing or listening to music, when doing an activity you enjoy, when you see something funny. That’s God. And it’s God speaking directly to you. Next time, say hi back. See what happens.

Where have you encountered Jesus? Ask him to show you who he really is. He will. God is always trying to communicate with us, and he longs for you!

Our truth vs. the Truth

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

We all have our own thoughts, opinions, and experiences, and we tend to think that we’re right about things and the way we see the world. But it’s no surprise that many people think and feel differently than we do because of their own experiences – experiences that are true to them.

God’s love reminds us that we are to seek understanding in our differences. We must humble ourselves to listen to and respect other people’s truths, whether we see things differently. Let us not cling too strongly to our own thoughts, opinions, and experiences that we reject other people and lose sight of the overarching Truth that is God’s love for all.

In scripture Jesus performs miracles and heals people. Let’s look at two different stories of how Jesus healed blind men:

Mark 10: As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam." So the blind man went and washed, and came back able to see.

John 9: As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. …Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Now, imagine these two men meet and get to talking. One man might say, "I was blind, but Jesus healed me. Here’s how Jesus heals the blind: He makes mud out of his spit, puts it on the person’s eyes, and then the person washes it off." The other man might say, "No, that’s not true. I was blind, but Jesus healed me. Jesus heals the blind by telling them their faith has saved them."

It’s easy to imagine that both men would strongly argue their positions. Both are telling the truth. Both think they are right and are pulling from their direct experience. But if they fixate on their own positions and experiences without understanding and respecting the other person’s, they miss out on the greater overarching truth: Jesus' love and healing for both of them.

Working through differences is challenging, but the the Lord is our strength. When we interact with others, who is in control: The Spirit of God (humility and grace) or our egos (desire for superiority)? Let's ask ourselves: Am I listening? Am I trying to understand? Do I really see the person in front of me? Am I seeking peace?

Let's seek understanding and respect other people’s thoughts, opinions and experiences – their truth. Let's not become obsessed with our own truth that we become blind to the greater Truth. Let's always be mindful of God’s love, mercy, and desire for humanity to be united in Christ.

"In the perspective of infinity, our differences are infinitesimal." Fred Rogers, Dartmouth College, 2002

God has a plan. Trust in His love.

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

In the Bible there is a story about a family that Jesus was friends with. There were two sisters and a brother, and the brother, Lazarus, got sick and died.

Here are some story highlights (the entire story can be found in John 11):

Jesus found out that Lazarus was sick, but he did not go to visit Lazarus right away, and instead he waited a few days. Jesus told his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 11

Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 14-15

Jesus arrives and meets with Martha, one of the sisters. They talk and Jesus says to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” 25-27

Jesus speaks with Mary, the other sister. Jesus weeps about Lazarus’ death. Jesus prays. Jesus glorifies God. Then Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. 32-44

 

Here is what we can see in this story:

• God knows everything.
• God has a plan.
• God is with us.

Jesus knew that Lazarus had died. Jesus had a plan to glorify God with the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus went to Martha and Mary to support, console, and suffer heartache with them.

Jesus already knew what he was going to do, but he allowed Martha the opportunity to proclaim her faith and receive a miracle.

 

God has a plan, and he promises that he is with us through everything.  He says to us, “Do you believe that I love you? Do you trust me?” Let us say to Jesus, no matter the circumstances, “Yes, I believe!”

 

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you says the Lord, plans for your welfare not for your woe. Plans to give you a future full of hope!” Jeremiah 29:11-12

TREE HUGGERS SUCK: Reject labels. Embrace the person.

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

TREE HUGGERS SUCK. The words were glaring at me in a nasty font across the back of a truck I was driving behind. Nice. This person who doesn't know me thinks that I suck.

How often do assign labels to people so we can categorize and judge them? We look to elevate ourselves above others. Christians and people of good will are called to embrace people and not judge them (Matthew 7:1-5). Humanity is called to be one in Christ (John 17:20-23).

We might be using labels more often than we realize. Liberal... Conservative... Christian... not Christian... etc. 

When we use labels to judge, what we think we know about a person, we don’t know.

And so I encourage us to reject the labels and embrace the person. Jesus did this. And Pope Francis has given us a few examples of how to do this, too. When a label has been given to provoke and disparage, he has discarded the label and gone straight to the heart of the matter:

Pope Francis recounted a story: "A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: When God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person."

When critics accused the Pope of being Marxist, Pope Francis responded, "Marxist ideology is wrong, but I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people…"

When the Pope was asked whether atheists go to heaven, he said, "The Lord has redeemed us all with the blood of Christ, all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone," he said. Some may ask, 'Father, even the atheists?' Them, too. Everyone."

So, before we slap labels on people to categorize and judge them, stop; and think of the person who is likely to be a decent and unique human being.

"I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. You can, you must try to seek God in every human life." –Pope Francis

How did Jesus rise from the dead?

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

What does it mean that Jesus "defeated death"?

When Jesus was preparing to begin his ministry, he went off by himself to pray.  During this time, the devil tried to tempt Jesus to worship him with offers of power and wealth in this world. Jesus rebuked the devil and turned to God the Father in prayer (Matthew 4).

Now, imagine Satan orchestrating the evil and hatred in people's hearts that resulted in Jesus' death -- manipulating truth and planting lies that people chose to follow in their desire to hold on to power, to gain more power, allay their fear of persecution, allay their fear of loss of status and prestige, and satisfying their demanding egos, to name a few.

The devil must have reveled in his ability to humiliate the Son of God and make him suffer and die the most painful death. The devil thought he won. He thought he had defeated God and crushed what was good and true in the world. Jesus seemed weak. Jesus did not fight. Jesus was brought to utter defeat. Satan thought he beat God and that he had the power.

Or so it seemed.

God had a plan from the beginning about how he would save his people and bring them back into right relationship with him, a plan where his children could live forever in his love (Genesis 3:15).

This is why Jesus' obedience and trust in God the Father was so important. While the world seemed to have turned against him and there was no reprieve from the suffering that was to come, Jesus walked the way before him and accepted death on the cross.

Since Jesus was 100% God and 100% man, he was total divine love. Upon Jesus' death, the power of love and the Spirit of God within himself was used to restore life. This is something that no human could possibly do. This is why God was the one who had to save us, and he chose to save us by becoming human and dying in our place. But after he died, he rose from the dead. And by rising from the dead, God conquered death. Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Jesus promises that those who participate in his life and believe in him will have the Spirit of life. His Spirit lives in us and God will use this Spirit to give us eternal life in him.

Death had been defeated. It held no power over Jesus, and it holds no power over us.

"O my people! I will put my spirit in you that you may live... thus you shall know that I am the Lord. I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord." Ezekiel 37: 13-14

"If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you." Romans 8:11

Why did Jesus die?

Photo by Maureen Kennedy Macel

Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. God the Son became human and was born for us. He had a normal and faith-filled (Jewish faith) life working as a carpenter and hanging out with his friends. From the ages of 30-33 he lived his ministry. His ministry challenged society to change and showed the people in power and those who upheld the status quo that they had it all wrong. He came to show us a better way -- the way God calls us to live and love one another.

• Prayer: Jesus prayed directly to God the Father and called him Abba, which means "father." This blew people's minds and offended many. (Mark 14:26)
• Authority: When he was teaching people about the way to make God #1 in their lives and the demand of placing love at the center of every action and word, people were surprised because he taught by his own authority and not as a representative of other teachers. (Matthew 7:29)
• Ministry: Society at the time excluded anyone who was disabled, sick, and/or living a life of outward sin (we all are sinners!) because society wrongly assumed their problems were punishments from God. Society judged, condemned, and abandoned these people in need. Jesus went directly to the people on the margins and brought them into his love and healing. Jesus taught that God loves all people.
• People: Jesus treated women as equals. Jesus also believed that people were more important than strictly following the law, just for the law's sake. (John 5)
• Neighbor: Jesus taught people to love their neighbor as themselves. So they asked, "Jesus, who is my neighbor?" Jesus said whoever we see in need is our neighbor. (Luke 10:25-37)
• Brother:  Jesus broke down the walls of loving only those who are in our families by putting human beings into one family: "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Mathew 12:50)
• When did we see you in need?: Jesus told a story of people who saw him in need but did not offer any help, and the people asked, "Lord, when did we see you in need and not help you?" Jesus said that when we serve and care for the least in society and those in need, we are in fact serving him. (Matthew 25:31-46)

So, Jesus was pretty radical. We can see why he made enemies in powerful places.

Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world as a human being to be the living Word of God. Do we hear all that he taught us about the way to live? Jesus showed us how God created us to live -- with love in our hearts and with freedom from the selfishness, lies, and fear of this world.

Jesus did not say it was going to be easy to follow him. He was killed. Many of the first believers were killed. To this day, there is injustice and evil. But Jesus shows us that a life of love is powerful.

Jesus gave his life out of obedience to God's plan of salvation. He did not fight back or exert his power as God to stop his own suffering and death. He prayed for deliverance from suffering, but when none came, he walked the way before him. He forgave his killers and those who participated in his torture and death. He felt alone but still he trusted God the Father.

And God brought life and light and goodness out of death and darkness and evil. By the Resurrection, death was defeated by Jesus, the only one who could overcome death, and life was won for all.

God's way is not the easy way. In this world we have suffering, but we can trust in God's love for us and know that he will bring light out out of the darkness in our own lives, too. Jesus is with us as our strength to endure: "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20

Accept the Challenge of Faith!

One day Jesus was teaching that he is the Bread of Life. He wanted us to know that when we believe and follow him, we will never want or need anything else. He is our strength and fulfillment.

Jesus talked a lot about this in John Chapter 6. He said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." And, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh."

Some of his friends and followers took issue with this idea. They said, "This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?"

Jesus said, "Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?"

In other words, Jesus says, "What if, right now, you saw me return to heaven and join God the Father? Then, I know you would believe what I'm telling you. So, if you know that God sent me and if you desire to do God's will, you are called to believe -- even the things that are hard for you to accept."

Some of Jesus' teachings are hard for us to understand and even harder to follow because they always call us to put Jesus first, and to let go of our ego and to love others, even when we have been wronged or offended, and even when we disagree.

We have the freedom to question and to go to God in prayer. Our lives are a spiritual journey, and we wrestle with some big things as we seek the Lord.

But let us ask ourselves: Do I just believe what I want, and therefore create a false idea of God that makes me comfortable and justifies my thoughts and actions? Or do I allow God's Word to challenge me and call me to a better way of life?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9.

Do we desire to be holy as God is holy? (1 Peter 1:16)