Intolerance

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

There has been much said in the blogosphere about a recent post by Marilyn Sewell in the Huffington Post.  The author is a Unitarian Universalist, and the article is titled “Saying Goodbye to Tolerance.” In it, she rails rather intolerantly about Evangelical Christians. She admits that this is what she is doing.  And.... she is speaking about me.

Among the things she complains about is those who warn of “eternal punishment for those who don't believe in the one true path to salvation….” She means those who believe Jesus as the only source of Salvation.  Through my time as a Christian, eventually as a student at a liberal seminary, and now through 12 years of vocational ministry, I have had that complaint brought up against me more than a few times.  You know, me being one of those evangelicals. It’s OK, I really don’t take it personally.  I don’t.  Most of those who have brought that accusation against me are really fine people that I like.

Their argument is not with me.  It’s not.  It is with Jesus.

John 14:6 is the verse that woke me up out of my universalistic leanings back in 1990.  I was challenged to make a decision.  Is Jesus telling the truth or is he a liar?

Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me….”  I have studied the phrase in English and with my limited Greek knowledge.  As far as I can tell, there is no way to dance around the sentence.  Then there are those other inconvenient verses.  Such as, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” –Jesus again. (visit Matthew 7:13). Or “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." – Peter (visit Acts 4:12).

Here is the challenge for you this morning: Do you believe what Jesus says? This I can tell you, I do.  And yes I know what that makes me.  Intolerant.  I can live with that.  Will you?