Word to the Wise
Friday, April 30, 2010 - St. Pius V [Pope and Dominican Friar]
[Acts 13:26-33 and John 14:1-6]I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John begins the long "Farewell Discourse" of Jesus at the Last Supper. The purpose of this "discourse" is to enable the disciples to understand the events that are about to take place - the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. It follows on the action of Jesus in washing the feet of the disciples. This context is important for an understanding of the line quoted above. That line is not intended, as some fundamentalist interpreters claim, to exclude from salvation all non-Christians. At the same time, we cannot go to the opposite extreme and claim that Jesus is just one way among many, as some "relativizers" do. The line is spoken in reply to Thomas' question: "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Faith in Jesus is a wonderful gift. But that gift does not entitle the recipient to determine how Jesus provides the gift to others. We know how he provides it to us, his disciples. I am reminded of the lines at the end of the Gospel of John where Peter questions Jesus about the Beloved Disciple and that disciple's future: "Lord, what about him? Jesus said to him, 'What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.'" I think that pretty much resolves the issue for me. AMEN
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