"Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him." --- John 5:19-29
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Why do we have to believe in Christ in order to have a life with God? I really find this message challenging to deal with, at times. A corollary to today's scripture is Matthew 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." If taken literally, these can be daunting and potentially exclusionary concepts.
The thing I probably struggle with the most is that I don't want anyone to be excluded from a relationship with God. When I think about going through our lives without the hope of something better, no Father whom we can rely upon for help in times of trouble, it feels scary and empty. Without Christ, what is the fate of the Muslim, the Hindu, the Shinto, the Buddhist...or even the Atheist? What about those who have never even had the opportunity to learn about Jesus...some indigenous tribe deep in the Amazonian rain forest or other similarly-isolated peoples? Are they automatically damned to an eternity outside of Heaven? There are many in the Christian faith who believe this to be true and it can be a key reason some people make the decision against believing in God and his Son Jesus Christ. It does feel quite exclusionary. In my belief, everyone goes to Heaven...no exceptions (I'll leave that topic for another day.)
But, as with many things written in different languages, historical contexts and a lack of direct knowledge as to the specific intent of the author, maybe the words "does not honor" and "no one comes...except" can have a alternate meaning. Is it possible that these phrases were intended to serve as words of guidance and facilitation as opposed to exclusion and restriction? How would theses phrases take on a different meaning if they were stated with more detail? What if Jesus said, "The most efficient, enriching and satisfying way of having a relationship with and understanding the Father is by recognizing the power of the sacrifice My life represented. By thinking about and living the messages I gave to you while I was with you on earth, the path to heaven which you walk while on earth will be easier and more fulfilling as you set a course for an eternal life with God."; would that mean something different?
When these messages are taken in the context of Jesus as the Great Facilitator, the Perfect Catalyst, the Holy Enabler (sorry if these sound a bit heretical), the appearance of exclusion is transformed to a message of absolute inclusion.
So, honor the Son; come to the Father through Jesus. By making the choice to learn about and fall in love with Jesus Christ, we are allowing ourselves to realize the full potential, the maximum benefit of a life with God at the center.
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