Pilgrim Ponderings

The Pilgrim Express

By John Boda

There is something beautiful and special about trains! I am not even a "train buff", but yet, the thought of a train plowing forward on the tracks carries with it wonderful imagery! Here, in context of my pilgrim pondering series, I also believe that the imagery is very helpful and powerful for us as pilgrims on our journey.

Trains only go where the tracks lead them! (I know this sounds silly, but stay with me, it does get deeper) If any train veers off the tracks, it doesn't advance very far, in fact, the results will usually be disastrous. The tracks are absolutely imperative for the advancement of any train, and furthermore, there has to be two tracks! Only one will not do, and also be equally disastrous!

In order for the tracks to be in place, there has to be a designer, builder and planner. The tracks are the means and medium by which the train moves from point A to point B, they carry and lead the train to a specific destination.

Of course, when I say that the tracks lead the train, I do not mean that they empower it and drive it, but rather lead and guide it. The driving force and power is in the engine, which propels it forward.

OK, please keep all these ideas in mind as I will now attempt to link this beautiful train idea to a pilgrim’s journey. (Without going into the obvious - the conductor is the Holy Spirit - the train possibly is the Church.....I want to focus on an aspect which is not as well known.)

All Aboard!

1. The Tracks:

"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."  John 1:17 (NKJ)

This verse in John is one of the most amazing verses in the Bible that can easily be overlooked. Other translations say, "Jesus came full of grace and truth", but the meaning is the same. Moses was the person that God used to convey his law, or truth. Jesus was the person that God used to convey the much bigger and complete picture of grace and truth! (Here on this web site is another grace note I urge you to read also on this subject entitled: "Mercy and Truth".)

The old Moses train moved forward, but mostly in circles because it was largely on one track - truth! (Maybe that's one of the reasons for the aimless wandering of Israel in the wilderness) But when Jesus came, he came full of grace and truth, this can be likened to two railroad tracks! We cannot move very far forward on only one track, it doesn't matter if that one track is truth, or grace, we need both grace and truth!

" I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the father but by me". Jesus in John 14:6

Jesus stated that he is the way, and the only way, by which we can journey towards God. This way to God is not just based on truth, and it is not just based on grace, but must be both tracks to guide our train of grace and truth.

If you had a moment to read my "Mercy & Truth" writing, you saw that there are over a dozen verses in the Old Testament which specifically speak of God's mercy and truth. Moses most certainly went forward by mercy and truth, as did Abraham, David and all the saints of old. But when Jesus finally comes on the scene, he reveals a newer and much deeper dimension of grace and truth!

It seems that in God's mathematics that mercy + truth = grace.

" Mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed." Psalm 85:10 (NKJ)

This verse can be interpreted as speaking of Jesus, as so many of the Psalms do! When Jesus came, and specifically when he went to the cross, mercy met truth, righteousness and peace also met, and God's holiness and justice was satisfied. The result was something wonderful, mysterious and as the old hymn says, amazing -GRACE!

But when grace appeared, and it did just appear, (Titus 2:11), it was not at the expense of truth!

God's truth always seems to be the common denominator all throughout scripture. So now, instead of mercy and truth....because of Jesus, we have a much deeper and fuller dimension of grace and truth!

These are the two tracks by which we are to follow in our pilgrim journey! Many pilgrims, and churches, focus on one or the other. Some specialize in truth, and then become cold, unloving, and ultimately Pharisee legalists.

Others focus and major on grace alone. These pilgrims and churches are very loving, merciful and kind, but have the "anything goes" mindset. In other words,” It’s all good", “This is just as bad as the opposite legalistic side, and will cause no forward progress but only aimless wanderings. It is not an option, we need the two tracks of grace and truth to move forward and even get anywhere!

OK, all well and good, but I sense the frustration and question; "But how do I apply this to my life? How do I get moving on those two tracks?" I realize that much of what I have spoken of so far has been abstract, and in metaphor, even though I am speaking of spiritual realities, they can be hard to apply in the practical day to day, here and now.

The practical handle on this idea comes down to some key words:

Faith - Promise - Trust.  This also could be a good summary of Romans chapter four; here is a short passage from it, in The Message Bible, when Paul is speaking of the way to keep God's promises in the New Covenant:

"......this is why the fulfillment of God's promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does."

That says it very clearly, and should hit you right between the eyes, if it doesn't, you probably didn't get it! By God's own brilliant design, the only way to walk forward in this pilgrim way, on the pilgrim express of grace and truth, is by a personal, living, daily, trust and faith in God, and by literally asking him to place us smack dab in the middle of those tracks! There is no other way! If we neglect our communion with God through Jesus, we will drift to the left to license, or to the right to legalism. This is part of our fallen human nature, and an iron clad outcome more surely than any law of physics.

In summary, daily ask God to cause you to exist, and move forward, in the center of grace and truth. It is here where we won't find license or legalism, but love, and the only way to get there, stay there, and move within there, is by asking God, trusting God, and that requires faith. Which, once again, we come full circle back to our pilgrim proto-type Abraham who is "our faith father" and "Abraham is the father of us all". (Romans Four - The Message Bible)

Abraham started this pilgrim walk, or to be more precise, God stated it and Abraham was the first to walk into it. Now we are all called the same way, and to do the same thing, walk into it by faith, trusting in God's grace. Then every day, remembering to acknowledge and seek him for all our needs, including specific guidance to the center of grace and truth.

Jesus’ Example of Grace & Truth in One Chapter

Take a moment to read John Chapter Two. There are twenty five verses in this chapter, and they are divided almost exactly into two different events: The first half deals with Jesus first miracle, changing water into wine. The second half deals with Jesus coming to the Temple in Jerusalem, being angry; he makes a whip and drives the greedy money changers from working there.

The first half is a beautiful demonstration of grace. Jesus simply made wine from water for the guests at a wedding! He was at a party, and by a sheer act of grace, gave them wine! I know that many have tried to say it was just grape juice, but it was wine! Also, many have tried to read something deep into the meaning of it, and no doubt, you can find many possible lessons. But let’s not forget the simple act of grace of just making wine for a wedding party! But all those who major in grace-only, love to stop reading at verse twelve! But this was not JUST what Jesus was all about, he also both displayed the truth, and was the truth of God personified.

The next half we see Jesus in righteous anger whipping all the evil doers from the Temple. This was not at all the way to behave to appear politically correct! In fact, by all accounts, he appears to be a wild, right wing, radical conservative!

Which was the real Jesus? BOTH! He came full of grace and truth, remember?

Of course, you can go through the entire Gospel account and see many examples of Jesus displaying these qualities, sometimes it appears just truth, other times it appears to be just grace. But the Bible is very clear that he was full of both, and is an awesome example for all pilgrims!

But just like Jesus, anyone who attempts to live and display both grace and truth, will encounter much opposition. You will always have much more support by being one way or the other. You can always find crowds who embrace grace-only and cheer you on! Just like you can always find crowds who embrace truth-only and cheer just as loud. But for anyone who lives in the center of both, like Jesus, you will be greatly criticized and miss-understood as very odd indeed!

But so be it! Let’s continue to walk and live the pilgrim way, the result and destination far exceeds any suffering along the way!

Thanks for reading along with me in this series, there are still yet more to come. JB