God will make a way

from my sermon on 5/22/11 from John 14:1-14

God will make a way. Say it to yourself deep inside your soul. Say it out loud with me. No matter what else you do in this worship service, keep breathing this in and out, God will make a way.

This passage from John 14 may sound familiar to you. It is often read at funerals. How appropriate for today when we recognize our graduating seniors! It does feel kind of like a funeral, doesn't it? In the midst of all the joy and anticipation and hope, there is also sadness and grief and loss. People we love are moving on, moving out. We as humans can feel conflicting emotions at the same time. Remember, God will make a way, and help us through this time of transition.

I have been here 4 years so I have gotten to know some of these seniors. Roger, I asked to be a designated pray-er one of my first services here. I always try to have someone planted in the congregation lifting us in prayer. Michelle was the first youth who asked me to be here Facebook friend. William has earned his Eagle award in Boy Scouts. Lauren has helped by singing in the Foundation band, and teaching children's Sunday School. She also has a role in tonight's baccalaureate service. Sheryl was the first person I hired in 1988 when I was senior pastor at St. John's and she came on as our music director. Now she has earned her 2nd master's degree. Melanie is now engaged to Adam. Ben has lent his musical ability to us by playing the trumpet for us many times. Becca went on a youth/adult mission team to Guatemala last summer when they build stoves for the highland families. Katherine has been here both services, even though she has a part in only one, simply to show support for her friends.

We can get close to our children, and it can cause grief to see them leave. I remember dropping our 2 sons at college and not being able to see as I tried to drive away. I was crying my eyes out. It should be illegal to drive in that condition. I am here to affirm that even today, God will make a way. We remember that our children don't belong to just us but to God.

This text may be appropriate for today as Jesus is giving his farewell speech. It is long, starting in chapter 13 and going through chapter 17. It is modelled after the Old Testament patriarchs giving their final instructions and blessings. Jesus is about to depart, to die. He is trying to reassure his closest friends that God will make a way.

Jesus says that his Father has a house for us. It is not just a physical place, like heaven. It is more of a relationship. House could be translated as "household." We are a part of God's family. In this household are many dwelling places. This is a better translations than the old mansions or rooms. We dwell in God, abide in God, remain with God. It too is a relational term. Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. The way is not a road, but a relationship. Jesus is the way to the Father.

Some have made a very narrow translation of this way, as in the "only" way. You know how we can make very narrow understandings of the Bible....like the world is going to end...oops, yesterday! I once was part of a men's Bible study where one of the guys was taking a turn towards narrowness, saying Jesus was the only way to know God. I argued, Look at John's Gospel as a whole....who does Jesus go to? Nicodemus, a righteous Pharisee, and in the next chapter the polar opposite, a Samaritan woman. He says to both that he is the way to know God's presence and love. He goes to a blind man, a lame man, a dead man. He welcomes Jews and Greeks. He forgives a woman caught in adultery. His way seems to be to welcome as many people as possible, to present them with God's love. God will make a way.

This follows my understanding of the whole Bible. God says, I will provide a wonderful creation for humankind to enjoy. When we blow it, and go after what we cannot have, God still makes for us clothes. When we grow depraved, and God destroys creation with a flood, God makes a way for salvation through an ark. When we build a tower of Babel to glorify ourselves, God calls forth a covenant people through Abram and Sarai, who are blessed to be a blessing. When God's people are captive in Egypt, God makes a way through the Red Sea. God sends judges, prophets, priests, and kings, all so the people can be saved. God is saying, "I have more options. I am not through yet. I will make a way for you to know me and my love."

At the right time, God comes in the flesh, in Jesus the Messiah. We Christians have a particular revelation. This passage is not about comparative religions, about being better than other faiths. We are however, distinct. In the early church, Christians could claim that through Jesus they had the way to know who God is. Today too, if we want to know what God is like, we look to Jesus, who is our way of knowing the Father. God will make a way.

God will make a way for you graduates. When you blow a test, God will make a way. When I was a student at Edinburgh University in Scotland, I remember getting back my first exam in church history. I made a "62." My heart nearly stopped. I had never made less than a "B" in my life. My biblical studies teacher was Mr. Stalker, who was older than Moses. I asked him how tests were graded at Edinburgh. He said, "I would probably give God a 100. I would give myself a 90. I would give my best student an 80." Suddenly I didn't feel so bad. I had made a B.

God will make a way when you rebel, test your limits, experiment, and fall on your glutius maximus. I think people leaving home still do this occasionally....do crazy things outside of their parents' knowledge. Just as in the Garden of Eden when we overreached, God will make a way for us when we sin, and go our own way and forget God.

For all of us God will make a way. I just love God's sense of humor. I got here early this morning, only to find that the back parking lot was closed off for restriping. Not only that, there were 8 cars on our parking lot. No one in our building, but 8 cars. Through a series of calls, I found that some neighbor had a graduation party, and was using our lot for overflow parking. I was not happy as I tried to get those cars removed. All along I was gritting my teeth and saying, God will make a way. I got help moving our church van and bus, getting the golf cart going to shuttle people around, and getting people to park on the street. I got to thinking, this is not as big a problem as parting the Red Sea. God will make a way.

So today when you read about Libya or Palestine and Israel or Haiti or floods or tornadoes....God will make a way. When you go through a divorce or depression or death....God will make a way. God is always generating options, finding possiblities, offering hope. The God we know revealed in Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Our lives are caught up in his life, death, and resurrection.

I sing it for you:
God will make a way where there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, hold me closely to his side.
With love and strength for each new day, He will make a way. He will make a way.

That's the good news I have to share.