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WHAT ABOUT UNCLE CHARLIE? 

John 14:1-14 
Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A 
Analysis by Steven Albertin  

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 
8Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believe because of the works themselves. 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.  

“In exchange for sufferings that are unexplained, hurts that are undeserved, and questions that are unanswered, God surprisingly gives us the peace that we never deserve. God loves us no matter what.”

Author’s Note:  In this complex and dense passage from Jesus’ Upper Room Discourse, one phrase caught my attention and will be the focus of this analysis: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (vs. 6). It sounds so narrow and exclusive in this age of inclusivism and tolerance. However, it is not what it appears to be.

DIAGNOSIS: God’s Troubling Fairness 

Step 1: Initial Diagnosis (External Problem) – “God, It’s Not Fair!” 
All of us know an Uncle Charlie: the Uncle Charlie who never went to church, didn’t believe that Jesus stuff and was not even sure there was a god. But Uncle Charlie was a good man, compassionate and gentle. Now that he is gone, we wonder about his fate. Would he go to heaven or would he be condemned to spend eternity in hell because he never believed in Jesus? Surely, his goodness must count for something. Surely, God would not be so unfair and consign such a good person to eternal damnation. To do so would be utterly unfair. God would seem more like a monster than a beloved Father. 

Step 2: Advanced Diagnosis (Internal Problem) – “Do We Really Want God To Be Fair?” 
All of us deep down harbor the hope that God will be fair. Of course, God’s idea of fairness must agree with our idea of fairness. We often complain that if God and life were only fair, then all would be well. Of course, it is only fair that God count all the good things we do. If they count for us, then they surely must count for the Uncle Charlies of this world, so that in the end, . . . they too will be saved.  

However, do we in the end really want God to be fair with us? The problem is that if God were to be fair with us, we would be in big trouble. We cut corners. We rationalize. We conveniently ignore all those times we have dropped the ball. We pretend to be better than we are. We desperately try to keep prying eyes away from the secrets hidden in our closets. We, like all the Uncle Charlies of this world, cling to our goodness and get nervous when someone starts poking around in our garbage. In short, we want to be in charge, call the shots, decide what is fair and what is not . . . and play God. 

Step 3: Final Diagnosis (Eternal Problem) – “I Don’t Need Jesus That Much!” 
The problem is that sooner or later reality sets in. We get exposed. We are not God. We are not in charge. We don’t get to call the shots. We don’t get to decide what is fair and what is not. 

Frankly, we disagree with Jesus when he says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is too narrow, too intolerant and too restrictive. Was not Uncle Charlie good enough? Did he, do we . . . really need Jesus that much? 

Before we even know it, look what we have done. We have put ourselves on the throne and told Jesus to move over. Jesus may have said “I am the way, the truth and the life,” but we know better. We will try our hand at being God. We will decide what is fair. 

Talk about playing with fire and inviting disaster. Talk about waiting to be knocked off our pedestal and reminded who is in charge. God will not be mocked. God is in charge. God does not ask for our opinion. We are not in charge. The fact that no one escapes the cemetery reminds us of the fate that folks like us deserve. 

PROGNOSIS: God’s Blessed Unfairness 

Step 4: Initial Prognosis (Eternal Solution) – “Cross Shaped Fairness” 
We arrogantly presume to be able to write a job description for God and define what it takes for God to be worthy of being God. We complain about God’s definition of fairness. We deserve to be expelled from the Garden just like Adam and Eve. That is what we deserve, BUT instead, Jesus continues to love us relentlessly all the way to the cross and beyond. God will not give up on us. God is not interested in only being fair. God sends Jesus to bear our arrogance and stupidity all the way to the cross. In exchange for sufferings that are unexplained, hurts that are undeserved, and questions that are unanswered, God surprisingly gives us the peace that we never deserve. God loves us no matter what. There at the cross and empty tomb we come to at last know and embrace the Father and his love for us stubborn God pretenders. 

Step 5: Advanced Prognosis (Internal Solution) – “Letting Go And Letting God” 
That changes everything for us, . . . and for all who foolishly think they can play God. We at last can LET GO . . . and LET GOD. We can trust God and live with the unsolved mysteries, unexplained sufferings and unanswered questions. We no longer need to try to be God better than God can be God. 

What to do with the Uncle Charlies of this world is God’s problem . . . not ours. We turn their fate over to God . . . and fervently pray in the name of Jesus that God have mercy on them just like he had for us. 

God’s love for the world is absolutely clear and certain. It is only by telling the story of Jesus that we can be sure that God is our father and we are His children. Therefore, Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life.” When Jesus says, “no one comes to the Father except through me,” He is reminding us that there is no other place in the world, no other god, no other philosophy or self-help system, no other way of life that can offer us a gift like this. 

Step 6: Final Prognosis (External Solution) – “Commending Uncle Charlie” 
There is much in life that remains messy, confusing and chaotic. What about Uncle Charlie? We don’t know what God ultimately will do with the Uncle Charlies of this world. That is God’s problem, not ours. That is the difference between being God and not being God. Since we are not God, there will always be questions unanswered and mysteries unsolved.

However, we do know this. It is clear and certain: Because of Jesus Christ, God loves us no matter what. Because of Christ, we do have a God we can trust and future we can embrace. We can assure the world unequivocally and unambiguously: God IN CHRIST loves all . . . even the Uncle Charlies who never got it. Yet, we hope and pray in eternity they will. In the meantime, we commend them and the whole world to the mercy of God..