Recently, I heard something in church that bothered me. A friend was offering the congregational prayer. With great devotion and reverence he prayed, “... and Father, we have with us our entrance ticket to heaven -- purchased by the blood of your own dear Son... Thus Oh Lord, we have the right to be with You -- the right won for us at Calvary!”

   I winced. The implications of what this man had inferred about God troubled me. Why would God even demand anything like a “ticket?” Might that mean Jesus, and perhaps the Holy Spirit, didn’t require one from us? From whence the depiction of God as heavenly ticket taker? Was Jesus’ role really that of making arrangements for us to somehow get past the pearly gates? -- gates which are closely guarded by God? Is God really the divine ticket collector and Jesus the benevolent ticket giver?

   Surely this was just a harmless metaphor. But metaphors attempt to reflect on a reality -- and this particular analogy placed God and Jesus in real tension with each other. Unavoidable is the impression that Jesus appears to want us in heaven more than does God. Worse yet, such imagery makes God look like the enforcer of some sort of heavenly entrance requirements while Jesus fits nicely into the role of our supporter and ally. Does Jesus really want us in heaven more than God does? Does God need to be convinced of our worthiness for acceptance into heaven by something from Jesus?

   It’s not hard to imagine that it was this very dissonance between the warmth, compassion, and acceptance by Christ and the apparent demanding, stern, unapproachability of God the Father which prompted Philip to ask Christ, “Lord, show us the Father!” (John 14:8) Christ, he knew -- and was drawn by His kindness, empathy, eagerness to help and teach and serve. Christ he was very comfortable with; He seemed not only safe, but was nurturing as well.

   God the Father, on the other hand, was more mysterious, distant, and unknown. While said to be loving, the predominant image of God remained one of an aloof and exacting judge, prone to harsh treatment of those who offended Him, and a real stickler for rules and correct behavior. That God had risked being misconstrued as such, just to reach and maintain contact with a hardhearted, stubborn, and constantly backsliding people, was generally missed by humanity -- including Philip. And so, Israel had fallen into an uneasy sort of relationship with this apparently severe and exacting God. He was to be obeyed, and His rules and ceremonies were to be followed -- if one wanted to avoid trouble and condemnation. His outbursts of retribution could be managed by simply not getting out of line. Fear of peril and punishment thus motivated conformity and compliance.

   These misunderstandings of the true character of God have been likened to darkness. Thus the mission of Christ was dispel the darkness of misinformation about God by bringing the light which is the Great News About God. The stunning implications of Christ’s answer to Philip’s request, “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father” (v. 9) should revolutionize ones perceptions about God. God and Christ are in total harmony in their efforts to save (bring healing to) His fallen children. The friendship and acceptance seen in Christ reside equally in the Father!

   Next time I see my friend, I might suggest he replace the image portrayed in his prayer with a better one -- one more true to the witness of Christ. For the Biblical reality of God’s real nature and attitude toward us is that of the compassionate Father as portrayed in Christ’s parable of the prodigal son: God -- our Father -- eagerly waiting to welcome us home to spent eternity with Him! His acceptance and love for us is no different than is Christ’s. No need for “tickets” or “payment” or “explanations.” Just a joyous reunion with a loving Father whose purpose it always was to win us back to trusting Him!


(“What then of the sin problem?”, you ask. Enjoy reading the essays on this site to find some compelling answers!)