All In

Easter 5A; John 14:1-14; St. Paul’s, Smithfield, NC 5/14/2017

Jim Melnyk: “All In”

I’m willing to bet that no matter how comforting the words we hear in today’s Gospel lesson from John might be, we hear them more often than we would like.  Along with it coming up every three years on the Fifth Sunday of Easter, we hear the same passage fairly regularly as part of the burial office, which reminds us that we have just lost someone who was dear to us.  In fact, some of us heard this morning’s passage read just a few weeks ago when we celebrated the life of Bill Smart.

Aside from the passage reminding us so often of those who have passed from this life to the next; we may have also seen how verse six, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” and verse 14, “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it,” have been abused over the years.  Verse six being used by too many Christians to throw non-Christians under the bus – no one comes to the Father except through me – and verse 14 being used by too many to support some for or other of prosperity gospel – If in my name you ask me for anything.  In fact, I once worked at a Christian radio station with a guy who drove a big, red, Caddie with the bumper sticker: My God Goes First Class.  It made those of us with beat-up, old, cars scratch our heads and wonder if he thought we worshiped a different God.

But following Jesus is about more than giving assent to the claims of the Gospel or saying the right words.  Over the years a lot of folks have come to define “belief” as an intellectual nod toward acknowledging something to be true.  In other words, to believe in something is to give assent to its validity. But, as I’ve mentioned before, the ancient words we translate as “believe” in the scriptures and in our liturgies – We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ – actually means “to set one’s heart.”  Setting one’s heart is an act – an act of being and doing – which transcends simple acknowledgment.  Setting one’s heart is an act in which we join ourselves to God in Christ. 

Sister Joan Chittister writes, “The fact is that the only purpose of the spiritual life…is to begin to see the world as God sees the world.  It is about becoming the self that sees life through the eyes of Jesus and then, like Jesus, bends to become the miracle the world awaits” (Synthesis, 4/14/2017).

If we are indeed serious about coming to God through the way, and the truth, and the life, that is Jesus, it means opening ourselves to becoming Christ-like in how we live, and move, and have our being.  It means setting our hearts in sync with the heart of Jesus, who “shares bread and cup with the receptive, [and] the needy, [with those who are broken as well as those who are whole.  Who] risks standing up against injustice despite what is done to him. In Jesus’ words and deeds we see the truth that he is inviting us to live along with him day to day. Here is the way, he says, my blood, my body—my word, my love (Synthesis, 5/14/2017).

As one theologian puts it, “When we look at how Jesus lived, this is the way God acts.  Jesus is God deep in the flesh.  To know [Jesus] is to know not only the way, [but also] the One who draws us along this earthly path to our own ultimate experience of awe and reunion” with God (ibid).

Thomas asks Jesus, “How can we know the way?”  Philip says to Jesus, “Show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”  Jesus’ answer to Philip is probably behind his response to Thomas as well.  “Have I been with you all this time, and still you don’t know me?”  The answers to Thomas and Philip are rather simple: Look to Jesus.  His life – his ministry – his relationship with God – not only shows us the way, but shows us the Father – shows us God – as well.  Now, living out those answers from Jesus?  Well, that’s the hard part.  “Here is the way, Jesus says, my blood, my body – my word, my love.”  The way of Jesus is found in the total, unbridled, unconditional, self-offering of Jesus on our behalf – on behalf of the whole world.  The way of Jesus is first and foremost the way of the cross – the way of giving oneself wholly on behalf of all.  It is a challenging way indeed.

I know this might sound a bit crazy, but thinking about the sacrificial love of God in Christ brought to mind for me the game of poker.  Bear with me a moment!  Now, I’m not much of a poker player, but there is a move you may have heard of – it’s called “going all in.”  The person making the bet puts every single chip into the pot – often with a resounding flourish.  “I’m all in,” the person proclaims.   “I’m betting it all.”  The subtext of the move is an unspoken, “That’s how sure I am of my hand.

There are a couple of possible ways of considering such a move.  One possibility is that the person betting has a poor hand and is bluffing – hoping that everyone else will fold, and so win the pot – even with a bad hand. The second possibility is that the person betting has a great hand – and hopes the other players will think the bettor is bluffing, thereby throwing in even more chips and calling the bet.  In reality the ploy is most risky when the bettor is bluffing – especially if that person is terrible at bluffing.

To use this as a metaphor, Jesus went all in.  He called the ruling powers of this world on their hand – he went all in – and in the end he took not only the hand, but the whole game. “My blood, my body – my word, my love.”  He wasn't bluffing. He gave up everything. This is the way, and the truth, and the life that is Jesus.  This is the promise and the love upon which we are called to set our hearts.

Jesus calls us to go all in with him.  And each Sunday, as we come to this Holy Table to receive body and blood, word and love, we are asked to “present unto God ourselves, our souls and bodies, as a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice unto God” (BCP, Rite I). 

Stephen, whom we heard about in this morning’s lesson from the Book of Acts, was someone who knew what it meant to go all in as a follower of Jesus.  He believed the whole of his faith tradition’s history pointed to the promise of God in Jesus.  He was willing to proclaim God’s redeeming love in Christ even when it put his life at risk.  As we just finished singing, “he bore no shield before his face, no weapon in his hand.”  And even as he died, Stephen boldly proclaimed the forgiving love made real for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

In the end we must decide for ourselves what being “all in” for Jesus means for each of us.  How do we each choose to live out the way, the truth, and the life that is Jesus?  For many members of local Christian clergy and laity one expression of this commitment meant standing with our Muslim sisters and brothers in Smithfield yesterday for the opening of their Islamic Center and Mosque on Brightleaf Boulevard.  In today’s climate it probably felt quite risky for all of us.

But we must learn to recognize that as long as members of both religions claim sole possession of God’s truth, we will live at best in anxious tension; but that when we seek to see each other as children of God and bearers of a deeper truth of mercy and love, we can change our world – we can make it a place where the love of God flourishes.

Being “all in” will mean different things for different people. It might mean supporting and/or participating in the “Wheels of Hope” program in Selma, which brings food to those in need as well as books to help young people learn how to read – perhaps going into the neighborhoods we have spent lifetime trying to avoid.  It might mean giving up time or money to help meet emergency needs of teachers and students in our school system, driving nails home with Habitat for Humanity, speaking out on behalf of adequate, affordable health care for all people,

or standing side-by-side with folks like our migrant farmer neighbors who live hand-to-mouth – many in fear of ICE agents these days, or standing side-by-side with refugees seeking a safe home.

“My blood, my body – my word, my love,” is the way, the truth, and the life our Lord Jesus chose to live.  Jesus did not hold back – but gave of his whole self.  Being “all in” will always bring with it challenges – this is a truth we must be willing to acknowledge.  But being “all in” also has the power to call forth the best that is in each of us, and it has the power to bring us great joy as well, as we “become the miracle the world awaits.”