My wife was frantic and frustrated. She couldn’t find the remote to the large screen TV in our bedroom. She was going on-line to order a replacement for the remote.

She asked if I knew where the remote was. I went upstairs. As I entered the bedroom, there was the TV remote!

I picked it up. I confirmed that it was the remote for the TV in our bedroom.

I told my wife I’d found it! She refused to believe me. She explained that she’d looked everywhere for the remote. It simply wasn’t in our bedroom!!!

I explained that the reason she hadn’t seen it was because it had been on her sewing table, tucked behind her sewing machine. The sewing machine completely blocked her view as she sat on our bed and walked around the bedroom, bathroom and closet.

In contrast, when I entered our bedroom from the doorway, I was looking at the sewing machine and its table from the side. The sewing machine didn’t block my view of the remote.

There’s a familiar saying: “You can’t get there from here.”

It’s usually associated with a tight-lipped, plain-speaking New England Yankee. It means there’s no road to where you’re going through the steep hills and mountains of New England.

In contrast, when I entered through the doorway, I could get there from here!

Similarly, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by him. (John 14:6). Because if we really know Jesus, we know his Father as well, and have seen him—God himself! (John 14:7).

For purposes of this illustration, no one can see the “remote” except by following the Way of Jesus.

As Jesus put it:

“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. . . . . I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. . . . I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:7-11).

If we try to see the “remote” without Jesus to show us the Way to see it, our view is blocked for many reasons. These reasons vary from person to person and from time to time.

At some times, our hearts will be like a hard-packed path. The seeds of God’s words will be snatched away by intellectual, scientific and philosophical doubts that block our view of the “remote” Matthew 13:19). We do not see, hear or understand God’s words. God’s words do not heal us. (Matthew 13:14-15.)

At other times, our hearts will be like rocky ground. We hear the words. At once we receive them with joy. The seeds of God’s words begin to take root. But troubles and persecutions block our view of the “remote” (Matthew 13:20-21). We do not see, hear or understand God’s words. God’s words do not heal us. (Matthew 13:14-15.)

At other times, our hearts will be like ground that is full of thorns. We hear the words  of God. They begin to grow. But the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth block our view of the “remote” (Matthew 13:22). We no longer see, hear or understand God’s words. God’s words do not heal us. (Matthew 13:14-15.)

At other times, our hearts will be like good soil. We hear the words  of God. They take root in our hearts. They grow. We see the “remote” that controls God’s “big screen TV”. Now we can see, hear and understand God’s words. Now God’s words heal us and our world.

Why?

Because the seeds of God’s words grow into fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

As I thought about examples of things that can block our view of the “remote”, my list grew and grew. It became clearer and clearer that it is only through the Amazing Grace of God that I can see the “remote”.

As the famous hymn “Amazing Grace” says:

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I’m found

Was blind but now I see.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promised:

Blessed are the pure in heart,

     for they will see God.

(Matthew 5:8).

What does it mean to meet this high standard of being “pure in heart”—of being able to see the “remote” that enables us to see and hear God on our “large screen TV”?

The Sermon on the Mount describes a number of impurities that we must remove from our hearts.

How?

By scrubbing them with the liquid detergent of Amazing Grace that is offered to us as a gift through the blood of the Suffering Servant, Jesus, that he shed on the Cross to cleanse and heal us. (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Isaiah 55:1-13; Psalm 22:1-31).

In his Sermon on the Mount, what impurities did Jesus condemn?

—anger (Matthew 5:21-22);

—grudges (Matthew 5:23-26);

—wanting people and things that don’t belong to us (Matthew 5:27-32);

—flim-flamming and conning people (Matthew 5:33-37);

—hate and revenge (Matthew 5:38-48);

—hypocrisy (Matthew 6:1-18; 7:1-5,15-23);

—loving money (Matthew 6:19-24); and

—worrying (Matthew 6:25-34).

Fortunately, the Truth about Jesus purifies our hearts and enables us to see the “remote”—the Way to an abundant life that we can fully enjoy (John 10:10).

How?

By hearing the words of Jesus and by putting them into practice, we build our lives and our civilization with the Truth about Life in the Way of Jesus that keeps us safe amidst heavy rains, surging floods, and high winds. (Matthew 7:24-25).

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What makes it hard for you to see God?

In what ways is your heart not pure?

How does Jesus make our hearts pure?

How is Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life?

READ MORE

Please read my blogs about the Way of Jesus (and the blogs referenced by them): “The Way of Jesus: The Nones”, “The Way of Jesus: Following the Way of the Wisdom That Follows the Way of the LORD”, “The Way of Jesus: St. Francis of Assisi”, “The Way of Jesus: The Truth of Christmas”, “The Way of Jesus: The Truth of Easter”, “The Way of Jesus: The Truth Overcomes Oceans of Hopeless Confusion”, “The Way of Jesus: The Truth Overcomes Oceans of Doubts”, “The Way of Jesus: The Life”, and “The Way of Jesus: Every Knee Should Bow”.