Eric Clapton, arguably the greatest living rock guitarist, wrote a heart wrenching song about the death of his four-year-old son (March 20, 1991). He fell from a 53rd-story window. Clapton took nine months off and when he returned his music had changed. The hardship had made his music softer, more powerful, and more reflective. You have perhaps heard the song he wrote about his son's death. It is a poignant song of hope:
Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on,
'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven.
Would you hold my hand if I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand if I saw you in heaven?
I'll find my way through night and day,
'Cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven.
Time can bring you down; time can bend your knees.
Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please.
Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure,
And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven.
Jesus has just had the Passover meal with his disciples. He has washed their feet in an act of servanthood. He has foretold his betrayal which Judas will soon perform. He has predicted Peter's denial. He has told them he is leaving. But he adds this word of hope: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you and will come again and take you to myself. So that where I am, you may be also.
Hardship has a way of getting our attention. Pain slows us down. It can even soften us. Very few of us, after facing a trial, come out the same way we entered in. Jesus understood this and attempted to prepare his disciples for the road ahead. He wanted them to know first of all:
If you have faith in me you will overcome your worry. It seems almost impossible doesn’t it? Getting rid of worry. But let me tell you it is absolutely essential that we be free of worry. Worry distorts reality. And, worry often times leads us to false conclusions.
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Anyone dealing with those 2 really "hard" sayings in John 14: 1-14 --
"No one comes to the Father but thru me..."
and
"Whatever you ask in my Name I will do for you?
They both make me quite uncomfortable - I could easily ignore them...but, I think that would be irresponsible.
If you have thoughts, lemme' know! Thanks!
Posted by: cam | April 22, 2005 at 09:48 AM
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Posted by: dfhsb zsvik | February 26, 2009 at 06:42 AM
thanks for the Clapton song--I didn't know it was about his young son.
Will use it on an overhead Sun.
As for "No one comes to the Father but thru me," yes it can be a hard teaching in this pluralistic world we live in. I know this won't work for everyone, but I go at it sort of backwards: everyone who finds or knows God, no matter how they got there, also knows Jesus, though they may not know his name or his history. I truly believe in something like the Trinity--Jesus is God Incarnate, and thus if you get any one of the God-persons, you get them all. This may be insulting to people of other religions, but since I respect their right to believe as they do, I just say I don't mean to be insulting, but the Jesus I know is God, or it is what I call God sometimes.
As for everything being done when prayed for, first we must ask in faith in Jesus. Then I guess I do an eternal time thing versus physical time. the thing is done in the spiritual realm, and the physical realm has just not caught up yet. I think that is how resurrection happened: physical time sped up to show what Jesus's physical body would become in eternity--the spiritual realm. Since this is too out there for many people, I tell them that stuff is happening in the spiritual realm even if the physical realm is pretty stuck and nothing seems to be happening. When we pray we add our voices to the angels and the universe shifts in favor of the Good. Even if the person we are praying for dies, they join the forces of the Good and we will truly see them again and join with them in the greatest Love.
Posted by: Marj Creech | May 18, 2011 at 12:56 AM
Life is short and Jesus wants us to focus in on eternity, which is way longer than this sin filled life. What we ask in His name will be done in his timing if it has to do with His agenda. He IS God and therefore his agenda IS the only one that counts. We must line up our desires with His. If we pray with a selfish motive, or a prayer against His will, He will not answer it the wy we want Him to, It could be answered :no. Jesus didn't have to be politically correct, that is our invention. Jesus just told the Truth. He said to Nicodemus in John 3 "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" Read the entire chapter to get correct context. Jesus said He is "the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me" (John 14:6) Pray and ask Him to explain Himself, that IS a prayer that He will answer, and that is a prayer that will bring abundant life to you.
Posted by: Mary | July 22, 2011 at 10:39 AM