Can Salvation Only Come Through Jesus?

May 7, 2023

     It is pertinent today to reflect on a theme that seems to run through two of the readings today. It builds on a theme I have reflected on earlier - the question of the relationship between Christianity and other religions.  Today the theme that emerges is the commonly held belief that, even if we grant that we may learn some things from other religions, ultimately salvation is only possible through Jesus.

In today’s second reading from the letter of Peter, there is a reference to Jesus being the ‘corner stone’. A corner stone is the ‘first’ stone placed at the corner between two intended walls of an intended structure/building, and which then serves as a marker or guide to those who build that structure around it. And the reading seems to be saying that those who reject this corner stone as a guide to their own lives, will stumble and fall on their path to salvation. Then in the Gospel, we have Jesus sharing an intimate conversation with his close disciples in which at one point Jesus makes this powerful statement: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, we seem to have a clear teaching in Scripture (supported by other similar passages) to this “exclusivistic” belief, that it is ONLY THROUGH JESUS that anyone can be saved.

However, many of us would find it difficult to believe that a deeply good person, who does not necessarily accept Jesus as his/her saviour, would NOT be saved - and many give the example of Mahatma Gandhi or the numerous people we meet in our everyday lives who live far more ‘caring for others’ lives than we ourselves do.  And the reason we find this damnation of good people difficult to believe, is because we ask ourselves: How could a good God condemn such people to eternal damnation, just because they did not believe in Jesus or accept Jesus as their saviour?   

But does the Bible really teach us that anybody who does not accept Jesus as saviour will be condemned? Not really!  Because in the New Testament itself, we have the parable of the Last Judgement (Mathew 25:31-46) in which Jesus himself teaches that the only criterion to judge who is saved is whether a person has cared for his/her neighbour - and there is absolutely no reference to the necessity of any belief in Jesus. Or again, we have Jesus’ conversation in Luke 10:27-28 in which Jesus asks the young man, which is the greatest commandment, and “he answers, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”  And Jesus said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” Clearly then Jesus did not ask for, nor expect the questioner to evidence a belief in himself, or that he should accept Jesus as his saviour, as a necessary criterion to salvation.  This is further confirmed by the fact that when the Church officially prays at the Good Friday service for those who reject God, the prayer is simply this: “that they may find God by sincerely following all that is right.”  The church’s prayer here has no reference to the necessity of belief in Jesus, for them to find God.

So we have two kinds of messages coming from the same New Testament, from the same Church and even from our own lived experiences.  How do we then interpret these contrasting messages that seem to challenge today’s readings?

 As I’ve said before, when confronted with contrasting messages in the Bible, it is useful to see the Bible as a journey of the Jews and Christians as they learnt more and more about God.  But what do we do when we have differences, and even contrary positions, within the New Testament itself or even between the Gospels themselves?   

In such cases, it is important to place each Biblical text in the context of other related texts in the Bible AND also in the context of the entire passage in which a statement is made. If, instead, we just pick and choose Scriptural texts out of context or just because it suits our own beliefs, then we will find that even the devil can quote Scripture. In fact that is exactly what the devil does, in the story of the Temptations of Jesus.

So, it would help us to place today’s Gospel reading, in which we find this apparently “exclusivistic”  statement of  Jesus, in the context of the entire passage.  The conversation/context as recounted in the Gospels goes like this.  Jesus has just told the disciples: And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” And it is in response to this, that Jesus tells them that he himself is the WAY.    

So if we understand the context in today’s Gospel reading, we have the case of a leader assuring his doubting disciples about whether they are on the right path, whether they were right in leaving everything and following him.  This assurance of Jesus, in context, could then be translated like this: Listen Thomas, don’t have doubts. Look at me. I have exemplified the way for you. I AM the way.  Look at my life, - it is a visible example to you of the kind of life you must lead when I told you to break yourselves for others, and to be a servant to all others, in memory of me.  And so, I have shown you in my life and teachings what a true relationship with God our Father must be like. So, I am the way and the truth and the life.

If we understand Jesus’ statement in this context, then we realise that that WAY is nothing else than the same WAY that Jesus teaches in his parable of the Last Judgement or when he responds to the young man who asked him which was the most important commandment.  And thus, we have two apparently contradictory types of teachings harmonised into one teaching.  Because if this is what Jesus meant, he is simply saying: if anybody follows this way, such a person will be saved. 

If that is the case, then the apparently exclusivistic statement from today’s Gospel, becomes a statement about an essential element in anybody’s salvation. So then what Jesus is teaching when he says  “No one comes to the Father except through me.” is that no one can come to the Father unless they hold as the highest truth, that love of neighbour and the love of God are just different sides of the same coin, and the only way we can be sure we love God is if we love our neighbour. This is the corner stone that should guide our lives, and those who do not accept this and live by the guidance offered by this corner stone, will stumble and fall.  In other words, if we realise this TRUTH, and walk this WAY, then we will be saved, we will have LIFE, irrespective of our beliefs in Jesus.  And so, the Church can pray at Good Friday that even those who reject God may find him by sincerely following what is right. 

First Reading: Acts 6: 1-7

¹Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. ²And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. ³Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, ⁴while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” ⁵What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. ⁶They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

⁷The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

 

Second Reading: First Peter 2: 4-9

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” ⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” ⁸ and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. ⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

 Gospel John 14:1-12

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 me 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.