Day 34: Fallen down a rabbit hole
DEFINITION: “Falling down the rabbit hole” – Stumbling into a bizarre, disorienting alternate reality. It also can refer to a person who becomes interested in something to the point of obsession or distraction — fully immersed to a degree that the subject in question might not seem to merit.
Perhaps you think I have fallen down the Rabbit Hole of John 14:12-14.
Picture a family: a wife and two young boys around the dinner table with dad. One of the boys asks dad a question. 45 minutes later, dad is still talking, the table has been cleared, one of the boys has wandered away, and finally mom says, “The answer is 6.” The young lad says thank you, both look at a flabbergasted dad who, in another 15 minutes would have gotten to that answer.
This happened more than once around our dinner table.
You may feel like that is exactly where you have found yourself. Around the dinner table with me on these three verses. Hang in there. I am wrapping them up today.
I have put us in this Rabbit Hole because I believe finding our way through these verses just might unlock your understanding of Jesus’ hope for you.
These verses, intersecting with our disappointments, have driven many away from God.
My hope is that we are seeing that Jesus is talking about union with God, more than our ability to alter the reality of this physical world.
Jesus started with the idea of us living at home with Him, and “Putting on His Name”.
He now adds to this situation the word “Believe”. Jesus said, “If you believe in me…”
He is not talking about intellectually believing that he exists – many people philosophically see him; nor is he talking about mere intellectual ascent or admiration.
He is talking about having faith – faith that he is God come to earth and that he has made a way for you to be one with him.
Consider the following example.
A group of translators were with people who did not yet have the Bible in their language. Trying to find a word in their language that meant “believe” was going nowhere.
Then, one of the translators saw someone leaning on the back two legs of a chair (which my mom always yelled at me for doing). Excitedly, the translator pointed at the situation, asking for their word.
He got it—he got his word! What was the word? To “put your FULL weight” onto something.
Jesus is asking us to put our FULL weight on him, that through him we can have one-ness with God.
Perhaps you feel as if you have stumbled into a bizarre, disorienting alternate reality. Perhaps. But this is what believing in the God of the Bible is about. Having this sort of view is what Jesus has been working to help his disciples “see their connection with God and God’s world”.
Let me ask you a question. Read those three verses again.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
Do you think they mean that you have the power to alter the reality of this physical world? Don’t misunderstand me; God does answer prayer. I just think Jesus is driving at something deeper. What do you think?