Contemplative Bible Reading

John 1:51 (New Living Translation)

51 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”

Jesus is talking to Nathanael. Jesus describes Himself as the stairway between heaven and earth. Other parts of scripture describe heaven and other as separated by an impassable gulf. Yet, there are nice, clear, orderly stairs that cross that gulf. Jesus is what allows lowly folks like me to cross that gulf.

I cannot swim across the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida. That is impossible for me. I believe it is impossible for every human who ever lived. It is just too far. I need a bridge across the Gulf of Mexico to travel from Texas to Florida. In a major respect, Jesus is that bridge. Jesus enables me to do what I cannot do.

Okay, heaven and earth. What else? In what other sense does Jesus enable me to do something that I cannot do? Oh gosh, what a long list. Let’s begin with something simple: Jesus is that stairway between what I think of my next door neighbor and actually loving my next door neighbor. And if my next door neighbor isn’t enough, let’s start listing the people I know and don’t really love as I should.

Gosh, these lists inside lists are pretty long. That shows where I am and what I cannot do. And it shows the grace of the great stairway that is Jesus the Christ and what Jesus did and continues to do for me. Thank you God for your gift.