The Way of Jesus
John’s theological handbook offers an apologists perspective of the way, truth, and life of Jesus of Nazareth in support of a substitutionary atonement Christology. This has become the orthodox theology and approved popular interpretation of this bit of scripture from which all kinds of awful Christian action, and meant to be graceful Christian action, has come to pass. My own interpretation, that appears in sermons and writings from time to time, reads: The way of Jesus leads to truth about God, and that way can lead to meaningful life. It can even restore life. It can be life saving. That interpretation doesn’t have a salvation certainty that many yearn for, but the authentic teaching stories of Jesus are not meant for certainty. They are meant for learning, over and over again, incarnate lessons.
A colleague has some words for Christian orthodoxy, on Mother’s day no less, from the pulpit talking about the way of Jesus. The Way, by Rev. Jarrett Banks, includes this paragraph.
Jesus didn’t say the Bible-Belt-culture evangelicalism manufactured for the self-interest of the privileged was the way. He didn’t say some alternative gospel created to ignore God’s will for social justice was the truth. And he didn’t say that the fake good news made up to cheapen the grace of the irrefutable good news was the life. He said that he was.