Jesus the middle way - Fraser Leach
A number of years ago I spoke about Jesus being the middle way and I would like to continue that here.
Last time I argued that far from being a mish mash of weak compromise, the middle way was the powerful way that Jesus was calling us to.
Any way that we follow in (eg a footpath on a walk), we must be fully committed to it, we can’t be continually turning back or diverting, or we get nowhere.
Is 30v21 says “this is the way, walk in it”
The difference between Jesus’ way and other ways is not to be found in weak compromise but in the fact that alternative ways often tend to follow extremes that must be arrived at, at all costs, whereas the Jesus way is a way of love, peace and faith.
In Jn 14v6 Jesus says “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by me”
Similarly in Matt 7v13,14 he speaks about the wide gate and the wide road that leads to destruction and the narrow gate and the narrow path that leads to life, but that few find.
The implication being that Jesus represents the narrow gate/path, especially when elsewhere he says “I am the gate for the sheep” and “I have come that they might have life”
When Jesus says these things we automatically tend to compare him with other ways - like other religions, philosophies or political systems and we say ‘Jesus is right, the other ways are wrong’
The problem with this is 2 fold :-
Jesus becomes just another way or system (albeit the correct one as far as Christians are concerned), that is then in competition with and clamouring for attention with all the other ways and systems, instead of Jesus being the way.
If Jesus is seen as the way, then all the other ways become rejected totally out of hand, having nothing good in them whatsoever.
The truth is, it transcends all other ways. Jesus is above, in and running through all other ways. You can find elements of Jesus in any other way or philosophy, which is a good thing because Jesus is the way of love.
In reality, love is the only way. All others are not actually ways at all, they are systems on how we should run society, religious systems, ideological systems, political systems.
As such they run on rules and regulations and not love, although they can (and often do) have love running through them.
Also, because they are systems, they have large elements of right and wrong and often come into conflict with each other.
Eg communism v capitalism
one religion v another
nationisation v privatisation
family v state
law and order v freedom of expression
nationalism v globalisation
Christianity (even though that is what I follow) is in many ways just another religious system, especially the way a lot of people see it/practise it.
God is not looking for a system but he is looking for a way within that system and that way is love, whatever the system.
Jesus is not working to try and change/do away with the system, instead he wants to bring his love to bear, in whatever system.
For example, the ideals of capitalism might be expressed as giving the individual the right to make money, to build a better life for yourself and others; whereas the ideals of communism are more about sharing your lives,values, possessions etc for the benefit of all in the community.
Neither are inherently wrong but often capitalism can lead to exploitation of the poor and vulnerable through poor working conditions etc. Communism on the other hand can lead to dictatorship with a lack of freedom and everyone having to do the same thing.
These systems need the love way of Jesus to handle them right and were in fact both used by Jesus and his disciples. In Acts the believers came together and shared their possessions and money but also many had jobs or were property owners. In the gospels the disciples had a shared money bag.
Jesus isn’t either for or against other so called ways. He doesn’t align himself to any other way but neither does he reject them out of hand. His middle way includes all but is also separate from and above all.
His way is a way of
love and grace that leads to life
peace and joy that settles the soul
truth that leads to freedom
faith that speaks out good things
1 Jn 4v8 tells us that “God is love”
Col 1v15 says that Jesus is “the exact image of the invisible God”
Therefore, because he is exactly like God, Jesus is love too, it’s his nature. Because “Jesus is the Way”, this way must be love too. There is no other way. It’s not Jesus bragging, it is the way it is. The only way is love and Jesus is that way.
Richard Rohr, in more than one of his books talks about getting rid of the binary/dualistic mind that leads to conflict (right vs wrong, us vs them etc) and finding a third way, based on the three persons of the trinity, in which rather than the opposition of two on different sides we have a third becoming the medium in which love can flow between the two (think of the renewed closeness and love of a couple who have just had a baby). Thus in God we truly have a third or middle way which is the only way, the way of love.
All this means that the middle way is also a way of change. When love sees that things need to be better, it acts to produce the necessary change.
For the dualistic/binary mind however, at either extreme, it can become a case of resisting change and entrenching yourself in your already established position, using the circumstances themselves to justify that position.
The Jesus way is an adaptable way, it does not rely on any particular set of rules, but works to bring about the best outcomes for all. In the Jesus way you walk with him, rather than doing anything in particular.
The change is in
Belief - growing in truth
Action - involving guidance as to what to do
Outcome - as you partner with God
In many ways being entrenched in your own ideas seems a safer, easier option! This could be why Jesus says in Matt 14, when talking about the narrow gate or road, that few find it. He is not talking about the difference between being a christian or not, instead he is saying we can miss his way of love by being too caught up in the right or wrong of our own stance (whether christian or not) and therefore miss out on fully experiencing the “life” that Jesus is talking about both here an in Jn 10 v 10. And that life is not something to wait for until after we die, but it is here to be experienced right now, through Jesus the way of love, whatever our background, philosophy, religion etc.