Sunday October 23, John 12.12-19

John 12.12-19


12The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: 15“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 16His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. 17So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. 18It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. 19The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

Thoughts:  The suspense has been lifted and Jesus does indeed show up.  But he doesn't just mosey into town, low key and without fanfare...no he comes in as the Messiah!  We often miss this point, but the things that Jesus does on what we call Palm Sunday are a clear provocation to any who have thus far doubted who he claims to be--he rides in as the anointed and allows the palm branches (a national symbol) to be used in his approach.   I wonder if there is not also a prophetic moment in the statement:  "You see, you can do nothing.  Look, the world has gone after him!"   Indeed, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Questions:  Would you march in a parade for Jesus? 

Saturday October 22, John 12.1-11

John 12.1-11


12Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Thoughts:  Oh boy, did you catch it?  In verse 10 we see that Lazarus--who has just been brought back to life--is once again destined for the grave!  Tradition holds that Lazarus was indeed killed shortly after his being brought back to life.  Doesn't this seem unfair!  What was the point of bringing him back if he was only going to die again?   Many believe that John is reminding all of us that to put our lot with Jesus is to make enemies of many powerful people.  In fact, while Jesus is the resurrection and the life, we still live in a world where folks often try to solve their problems through dealing death.   I also have to laugh at the perfume and the smell of the perfume that most have overtaken the room where they were eating.  Remember, just yesterday we read that Lazarus had the stench of death....here again we have the 'stench' of death, but this time it is the fragrance of perfume that is used to mask the smell of decay.  Death is in the air in this section of John's gospel and I think we are reminded to remember Lazarus---there is always hope that death wont have the final word.
 
Questions:  What do you think of the woman's exuberant act of worship and devotion?  Have you every wanted to worship your Lord with such devotion?

Friday October 21, John 11.45-57

John 11.45-57
45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” 49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” 51He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, 52and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53So from that day on they planned to put him to death. 54Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples. 55Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” 57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

Thoughts: Surely he wont show up, will he? Everyone knew that the authorities were out to arrest Jesus, if not kill him. But the question remained would he show up or not? Here I think the story of Lazarus is supposed to help our anxiety, both for Jesus and for ourselves. The answer is of course, yes, he will show up. Jesus will walk quite literally into the very gates of hell before he is done claiming the world once and for all for the glory of God.

Questions: Have you ever wondered if God was really with you? Have you ever entered into a dangerous place or situation, knowing that you had to proceed?

Thursday October 20, John 11.1-44

John 11.1-44


11Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

17When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” 28When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Thoughts:  This is one of my favorite stories in scripture.  Many folks know this for it being the shortest verse in the King James version of the Bible:  "Jesus wept."  But there is much more here than just Bible trivia.  First and foremost is the honest questions of both Martha and Mary.  They are almost accusing when they say: "If you had been here."   It is a variant of the age old question:  why?  Here it is coached in an offense, 'why didn't you come sooner,' but it still speaks to our knowledge that God can prevent such things, but often does not.  That in and of itself is a mystery.   But I also love the fact that Jesus is angry.  Who is he angry at?  It is death!  It is death that has made him have rage like a stallion and allowed tears to fall down his face.  Why?  Jesus knows that death will be overcome, but he also sees and feels first hand the sting of death, the power of grief and the pain of losing someone--and Jesus got mad!   This is also the 7th and final sign in John's gospel and it deliberately points us toward his own death and resurrection. 
 
Questions:  Do you think Martha and especially Mary were mad at Jesus for not coming sooner?  Seeing here Jesus reaction to the death of his friend, does that help you in understanding your own times of grief and mourning?  

Wednesday October 19, John 10.31-42

John 10.31-4231The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” 33The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” 34Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ —and the scripture cannot be annulled— 36can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. 38But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”


39Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. 40He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. 41Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42And many believed in him there.

Thoughts:  Here we need to address an important theme in John's gospel.  In John sin is not really connected to actions; sin is connected to unbelief.   Here it is the scandal of unbelief, the inability of some to recognize Jesus for who he is that is the cause of tension, violence and the need for escape.   This is not so true to our modern experience, but would have resonated with those first folks to whom John wrote his gospel.  They were living in a time when tension with the synagogue was becoming more and more intense...and the issue was belief in Jesus.   So here in John's gospel we have that same issue reflected in Jesus' life.  So, Jesus leaves Jerusalem, but still many came to believe.  So it was in the first century that many left the synagogue and still many came to believe.
 
Questions:  Is blasphemy something that still irks us?   Do you think God needs us to protect Godself from blasphemers?   Why do you think this is often seen as such an offense? 

Tuesday October 18, John 10.22-30

John 10.22-30


22At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”

Thoughts:  We continue with the misunderstanding--or perhaps the inability to accept--of Jesus identity.  But we also have here one of the most gracious of Gospel proclamations:  "I give them them eternal life, and they will never perish.  No one will snatch them out my hand."   Think about that statement---nothing, absolutely nothing can snatch us away from the loving hand of our Lord.  That is good news indeed.

Questions:  Have you always heard this good news of Jesus, or have folks tried to convince you that there are things that could 'snatch you' away from Jesus?  Is it a bit scary to think that Jesus 'knows' you or is it comforting?

Monday October 17, John 10.11-21

John 10.11-21

¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
¹⁹Again the Jews were divided because of these words.²⁰Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?”²¹Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Thoughts:  Here Jesus makes it very clear that no one is taking his life...he is freely giving it for the sake of God's sheep.   And not just those sheep that we all know and presume are a part of God's plan...but even these other wandering sheep are the beneficiaries of Christ's unyielding love for humanity.  There is also a wonderful promise tucked into verse 16....There will be one flock and one Shepherd.  Our unity is already accomplished in Christ. He is our shepherd and we are his people.

Questions:  Have you every experienced unity in the Church?  Do agreements make unity, or is unity already  present in the form of a gift from Christ.   That is do we have to find common ground with each other OR is our common ground Jesus Christ.

Sunday October 16, John10.1-10

John 10.1-10

10“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.²The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.³The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.⁵They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”⁶Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.⁷So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.⁸All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.⁹I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Thoughts:  That they might have life and have it abundantly!   That's what I want, I want to have life and have it abundantly.  But then I realize that for Jesus to have life is to 'lose' one's life.  To have abundance means that one offers oneself for the other.   This shepherd whose voice sounds so dear and sweet in our ears is also the one who will bid us to take up our cross and follow him.  Yet this shepherd is also the gate...the very entrance point between earth and heave--may we all have that moment of glory to hear him call us by name!

Quesions:  Think a little and answer the question what does it really mean to have life and have it abundantly?   Would you have answered the same way 25 or 30 years ago?

Saturday October 15, John 9.1-41

John 9.1-41

9As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth.²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.⁴We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”⁶When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes,⁷saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.
⁸The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?”⁹Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”¹⁰But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”¹¹He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.”¹²They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
¹³They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.¹⁴Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.¹⁵Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.”¹⁶Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided.¹⁷So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”¹⁸The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight¹⁹and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”²⁰His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;²¹but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”²²His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.²³Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”²⁴So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”²⁵He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”²⁶They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”²⁷He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”²⁸Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.²⁹We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”³⁰The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.³²Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.³³If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”³⁴They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.
³⁵Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”³⁶He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.”³⁷Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.”³⁸He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him.
³⁹Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.”⁴⁰Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?”⁴¹Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Thoughts

Questions:  What do you make of the fact that the moment the man has his sight restored he is all but arrested and brought before the authorities.  What is the price for "seeing?"  Have you ever paid the price for "seeing" clearly?

Friday October 14, John 8.51-59

John 8.51-59

⁵¹Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”⁵²The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’⁵³Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?”⁵⁴Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’⁵⁵though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word.⁵⁶Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.”⁵⁷Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.”⁵⁹So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Thoughts:  Before Abraham was, I am.   Here is a bold statement by Jesus in the midst of a heated argument.  I am, Ego Eime in the Biblical Greek is the proper name for God (Yahweh in the Hebrew).  A name that no devout Jewish person would say.  Here Jesus not only says the name of God, but implication suggests that HE IS, the I AM!   Here we see the real difficulty of what Christians call the incarnation, the enfleshing of God.  How can the people believe this?  Jesus is not yet 50 years old and he is talking about Abraham?   But then of course Jesus utters what many still find unreasonable about Christianity--that Jesus is God!  

Questions:  Have you ever been so mad at someone for their blasphemy that you could have thrown stones at them?  Why is it that our religious believes can stir us to such anger when they are but to question?  

Thursday October 13, John 8.43-50

So sorry....I thought I had the blog set up in advance..and it wasn't this week.  Here are the posts

John 8.43-50

⁴³Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word.⁴⁴You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.⁴⁵But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.
⁴⁶Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?⁴⁷Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.”⁴⁸The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”⁴⁹Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.⁵⁰Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge.

Thoughts:  Wow, maybe this is why I didn't post this day--it's a hard little passage.  Truth.  The funny thing about truth is that most of us believe what we want to believe and then convince ourselves that it is truth.  It's obvious that Jesus has come to convict us of those things that we hold on to as truth...but in reality are the makings of our own agenda.   What I find so troubling about this passage is its honest reflection of us.  If we don't agree with someone we automatically demonize them---"Are we not right in saying you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  

Questions:  When have you unfairly demonized someone or something because it failed to meet your criteria of truth?

Wednesday October 12; John 8.31-42

John 8. 31-42


31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” 34Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word.

38I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.” 39They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, 40but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41You are indeed doing what your father does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.” 42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.

Thoughts:  And the truth will make you free.  Truth is not always easy for us on this side of heaven.  The truth often times makes me feel more inadequate and lonely...I much more like the lies that make me feel good.   But a part of the spiritual path is to encounter the truth, not only about God, but about ourselves.  
 
Questions:  Have you ever gotten caught in a lie?  How did your get out of it?  What is it about the truth that is often so horrendous to us that we work ourselves to death Mon - Friday only for the chance to avoid it for two days a week. 

Tuesday October 11, John 8.21-30

John 8.21-30


21Again he said to them, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22Then the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” 25They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? 26I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. 29And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Thoughts:  As he said these things many believed.  I quite frankly find that hard to believe!   Jesus seems to be intentionally speaking on a whole other plane of existence.  Perhaps this is one of the ways that John helps us to understand just who Jesus is--he is the means by which we are able bridge the gap between dark and light, death and life.  He calls to us in a sense from the world to come, while compelling us to be fully planted in the world beneath us.

Questions:  Do you remember the first time you really began to struggle with who Jesus is?   Is the fact that Christians understand Jesus to be God still troublesome for the world? 

Monday October 10, John 8.12-20

John 8.12-20


12Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 13Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” 14Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge by human standards; I judge no one. 16Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. 18I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” 19Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Thoughts:  I am the light of the world.  In one of his little books the author Robert Fulghum reminds us that the meaning of life is to light our light shine in the darkest of places.   Jesus is the light of the world, but as today, some cannot bear it.
 
Questions:  When has Jesus been a light for you?

Sunday October 9, John 8.1-11

John 8.1-11

1while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. 3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ 6They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ 8And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ 11She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’


Thoughts:  One of my all time favorite stories in the Gospels!  Why?  I love it that it is the older ones who drop their stones first and walk away.  Lastly it is the young hot heads who also realize their own sin and walk away.  As we get older I think we begin to realize the various shades of gray.  The compromises we have made, the less than noble settling that has won day as discretion has gotten the better part of valor.   Some ancient records of this story have Jesus writing on the ground the particular sins of everyone who was there gathered.  Wouldn't that be something to see Jesus write on the ground about that particular transgression that I thought nobody knew about--but here's this Jesus writing it on the ground for all to see.  How quickly would you drop your rock?   And here is something quite extraordinary.  Did you realize that Jesus never makes the woman confess her sin or even say that she was sorry.  He simply proclaims that he as well will not condemn her.  Go and sin no more he tells her.   I often thought that would make a good dismissal from worship! 

Questions:  If Jesus were about to write your sins on the dirt which would you be most horrified to see?  Can you hear Jesus telling you; "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more!"  To leave those sins behind is to know forgiveness.

Saturday October 8, John 7.40-53

John 7.40-53


Division among the People 40 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ 41Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? 42Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’ 43So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 44Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

The Unbelief of Those in Authority 45 Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not arrest him?’ 46The police answered, ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ 47Then the Pharisees replied, ‘Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? 48Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.’ 50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, 51‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ 52They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.’

Thoughts:  Here again we have Nicodemus.  He is not one "which does not know the law (vs 49)" but is actually one of the leaders, a Pharisee and it appears that he is beginning to see the light!  Of course he immediately feels the pressure from the others to take no stock in this Jesus of Nazareth.  What I find interesting is that there is no Bethlehem story in John's Gospel, so we are kept in the dark so to speak as to whether or not Jesus really is from the Galilee.  But I think perhaps John wants us like Nicodemus to begin to be able to think in new ways about God.  Jettisoning some of our preconceived notions so that we might find in Jesus the salvation of the whole world.

Questions:  The guards seem to defy the authority of the council.  As a Christian have you ever found yourself in opposition to the 'authorities' around you?  What did you do?

Friday October 7, John 7.31-39

John 7.31-39

31Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?’


Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. 33Jesus then said, ‘I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34You will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.’ 35The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36What does he mean by saying, “You will search for me and you will not find me” and, “Where I am, you cannot come”?’

Rivers of Living Water

37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” ’ 39Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Thoughts: The festival of booths or Sukkot was a harvest festival.  It lasts 9 days and at one time it may have been one of the most important holidays in ancient Israel.  It start 15 days after Yom Kippur.  Jesus is spending a good deal of time in Jerusalem at it is at this last moment of the festival that apparently Jesus feels the need to proclaim himself to be the life giving water.  Similar to his proclamation about being the bread, here again what happened in ancient Israel---the giving of manna and the giving of water--are precursors to what is now happening in Jesus.  One thing I find quite strange is the remark about there 'as yet there was no Spirit."   What can this mean?  We hear about the Spirit of the Lord in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament prior to the death of Jesus--so what does John mean?   I can only imagine that he means the Spirit of the Living Christ, that is the one specifically known as Jesus who destroys the power of death.   John doean' always make it easy, does he!

Questions:  Did you notice that the leaders send the Temple police to arrest him---but that they don't!   No story is given, I think it was simply, "not his time!"  People have said that either Jesus is who he says he is, or the greatest deranged lunatic of all time.  What about today's reading would make you resonate with that saying?

Thursday October 6, John 7.1-30

From the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul)

John 7. 1 - 30


The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. 2Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near. 3So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; 4for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.’ 5(For not even his brothers believed in him.) 6Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil. 8Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.’ 9After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

Jesus at the Festival of Booths10 But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret. 11The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, ‘Where is he?’ 12And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, ‘He is a good man’, others were saying, ‘No, he is deceiving the crowd.’ 13Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews.

14 About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. 15The Jews were astonished at it, saying, ‘How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?’ 16Then Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. 17Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. 18Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him.

19 ‘Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?’ 20The crowd answered, ‘You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?’ 21Jesus answered them, ‘I performed one work, and all of you are astonished. 22Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses, but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. 23If a man receives circumcision on the sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the sabbath? 24Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement.’

Is This the Christ?25 Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? 26And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? 27Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’ 28Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. 29I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’ 30Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.

Thoughts:  Interesting how his 'hour' had not yet come.  In the beginning of this reading it is his brothers who seem to be getting a bit frustrated with Jesus.  "Hey, if you are who you think you are, then go out there and prove it!"  But it is funny that Jesus seems to have nothing to prove, while he doesn't shy away from the limelight he will not let others dictate his moves (with the exception of his mother, who seems to get him to turn the water to wine even though it 'is not his time!"  John wants us to know that Jesus is in control.  His life is not some kind of tragedy, but a well orchestrated coming of God into the world.   Yet, we are reminded here as it was said in the first chapter of John: "The light has come into the world, but the world has not recognized it."  There are murmurings that he might be the Messiah, but whether his brothers at home or the leaders of the day--they don't see it.

Questions:  Do you think you would have followed Jesus if you would have been there?  The question of faith is always such an interesting one.  We confess in the Lutheran church that the Holy Spirit blows when and where it wills but why is it that some seem to have the gift of faith and others don't?

Wednesday October 5, John 6.60-69

John 6.60-69


60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” 66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Thoughts:  Lord to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life--Alleluia!  This passage has always fascinated me because John clearly tells us that many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.  The words of Christ can be offensive, confusing and downright terrifying.   Why is this?   I think because we have the eternal breaking into the mortal, the sacred into the profane, the holy into the secular--and these worlds operate under different assumptions, core values and rules of engagement and because of this there is always a bit of angst when contemplating the things of God.  Lutherans deal with this tension by talking about the 'two kingdoms' and that as Christians we learn to life in both the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world.  We don't try to make this kingdom the same as God's kingdom, but we do pay particular attention to that in which our loyalties reside---Christ.   The 12 here are the epitome of faith and Peter leads the way!  They too I'm sure had their concerns, but they have come to see Jesus as the way, the truth and the life...and so they confess, even perhaps in their discomfort, "where else shall we go?"
 
Quetions:  Do you think you would have left Jesus at this point?  Do you ever find it a struggle to be both a person of faith and a citizen of the world? 

Tuesday October 4, John 6.52-59

John 6.52-59

⁵²The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.⁵⁴Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;⁵⁵for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.⁵⁶Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”⁵⁹He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

Thoughts:  Again we have Jesus speaking this high theology about the Sacrament of the Table (Holy Communion) and his using the manna in the wilderness as a kind of prefiguring what God was now doing in Jesus.  The manna came done, but it was a temporary solution and good only for physical hunger.  The Son has now come down and he is a permanent solution for spiritual hunger.   The word "abide" is very important in John's gospel.  In the beginning it is interpreted as "where are you staying" when the disciples respond to Jesus' question of "What are you looking for?"   It is more than a location, but suggests to what are you connected.  Where do you draw your source of life?  To this Jesus said, "Come and see."  Now he is using this word to suggest that not only does he 'abide' in the Father, but all those who 'abide'  (are connected) to him will have eternal life.   So early on in John's Gospel the first question is:  "What are you looking for?"  "Where do you abide Jesus," ask the new disciples.  "Come and see," he says.  Now they are called to abide in him!

Questions:  This language of eating flesh and drinking blood is very graphic.  Why do you think Jesus used such graphic language to talk about communion?   Lutherans hold to the fact that Jesus is 'really present' in the Holy Communion.  How do you think this passage informs that theological understanding?  

Monday October 3, John 6.41-51

John 6.41-51

⁴¹Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”⁴²They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”⁴³Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves.⁴⁴No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.⁴⁵It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.⁴⁶Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.⁴⁷Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life.⁴⁸I am the bread of life.⁴⁹Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.⁵⁰This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.⁵¹I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Thoughts:  Is it any wonder that the Romans thought we Christians were cannibals!   John has given us here in chapter 6 a very serious theological discourse on the Sacrament of the table.   God has provided bread for the people before.  This bread (manna) kept them alive through their wanderings in the desert.  Now, God is doing something new.  Once again God is providing bread, but this is the bread of the Eucharist, the Holy Communion.   Jesus promises to be really present in this bread, which connected to the promise of God's word becomes one of the means by which salvation is proclaimed and in fact given.   Those Christians who have a low theology when it comes to the sacraments stumble on the fact that God could use such simply things as baptism and communion to deliver the gift of salvation.   The truth is God could have used any means that God wanted to to proclaim salvation.  We are like the leper Naaman who comes to Elisha to be healed.  He is instructed to simply wash in the Jordan and be healed!   He finds this insulting, too easy, hardly worth his effort!  Then his slave asks him "If the prophet would have asked you to do some strenuous deed, would you not have done it?  Why do you balk at such an easy request?" (Paraphrase).    But here it is, the body of Christ, given in Holy Communion is connected to Jesus' promise of eternal life.

Question:  What is your view of the sacrament of the altar?   Do you believe that Christ is truly present when you come to communion?   What might you do with the phrase "You are what you eat!"  

Sunday October 2, John 6.35-40

John 6.35-40

35 Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.³⁶But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.³⁷Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away;³⁸for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.³⁹And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.⁴⁰This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’

Thoughts:  "Anyone who comes to me I will never drive away."   This is quite a wonderful piece of Gospel!   God in Jesus Christ has not hidden the Gospel only to be found by the wise nor has God made salvation the accomplishment of a few; but has opened salvation to everyone, anyone, you!   Friends might drive us away, but Christ will never abandon us.  NEVER.  Not even into the fires of hell will Jesus be detered for it is the will of God that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

Questions:  Do you think God has given all things to Christ?  If so what does verse 39 have to say about the salvation of the whole world?   While Christ will never drive us away, are we still free to walk away from Him?

Saturday October 1, John 6.30-35

John 6.30-35

³⁰So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”³²Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.³³For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”³⁴They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Thoughts: After the exile in Babylon the Torah became known as the Bread of Life.   In the Torah we read:  "One does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Deuteronomy 8.3).   Here Jesus is showing himself as the fulfillment of that statement/prophetic word.   But alas, we have miscommunication as the crowd cannot see Jesus as the "Word" but only as the "feedbag" that has filled their bellies.  Jesus here is proclaiming himself as the source of all life.

Question: They ask:  "what sign will you perform?"  What a crazy question, for Jesus has just performed the feeding of the 5,000.  But you see we are never satisfied with yesterdays sign...we want one today.   Have you ever experienced a miracle?  Do you think God still works "signs" and "wonders" today? 

Friday September 30th, John 6.22-29

John 6.22-29

²²The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.²³Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.²⁴So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”²⁶Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”
²⁸Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Thoughts:  Here we have the beginning of a very sad section of John's Gospel.  The people are looking for Jesus because he feed their physical hunger--not because of who he is.   Jesus challenges us to hunger for him just as powerfully and naturally as we hunger for bread.   There is more at stake in life than just having our fill.  There is a deeper spiritual hunger that most also be addressed.  For those of us who follow Jesus--he is that bread.   That is, the very thing that gives us life.

Questions:  If someone miraculously provided for your needs one evening, would you chase them down the next day and try to get more?   Do you think the peoples question is sincere---'what must we do to perform the works of God?' Or do you think they wanted to know what they needed to do to get more free bread and fish?

Thursday September 29, John 6.16-21

Boat on the Sea of Galilee, AKA the Sea of Tiberias,
AKA  The sea of Geneserate

John 6.16-21

¹⁶When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,¹⁷got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.¹⁸The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.¹⁹When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.²⁰But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”²¹Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Thoughts: Some Biblical scholars feel as if this story of Jesus coming to the disciples is actually a post resurrection story.   Regardless it is full of mystery and wonder.  And yet it is a story that brings comfort to many of us.  Here the disciples are--all alone--facing a storm, struggling at the oars and who shows up---Jesus!  He calls out for us to not be afraid and when we reach to bring him into the boat, alas our ordeal is over and we've reached the shore.   Not only is Jesus here the master of wind and wave, he is the bringer of peace in the midst of the storm.   That image alone could be the meditation of a lifetime.

Questions:   I often say that fear is the opposite of faith.  Do you agree?  

Wednesday September 28, John 6.1-15

Tabgha as it is known.  One of the earliest Christian mosaic
known to exist, from near the site of the fishes and loaves.

John 6.1-15

6After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.²A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.³Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.⁴Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.⁵When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”⁶He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.⁷Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,⁹“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”¹⁰Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.¹¹Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.¹²When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”¹³So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.¹⁴When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
¹⁵When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Thoughts:  Are people a problem or an opportunity?   Is there not enough, or more than we can imagine?  This story of the miraculous feeding of the 5000 occurs in all the Gospels and is a long time favorite of the Church.  What I think is so interesting is that everyone had as much as they wanted (vs 11).   This is God's economy where there is a superabundance for all.   I think this miracle reminds us that my brothers and sisters are not my competition; but fellow travelers, fellow guests at the divine table.  And that unlike what the world would have me believe, there is enough for all of us.  Enough food--yes; but also love, mercy and room at the feet of Jesus.

Questions:  What do you make of Jesus command to gather up the left overs (fragments) so that nothing might be lost?  Is he still talking about bread?  Why do you think is the motivation for the people wanting to make him King? 

Tuesday September 27, John 5.31-47

John 5.31-47

³¹“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.³²There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true.³³You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth.³⁴Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved.³⁵He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.³⁶But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.³⁷And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form,³⁸and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.³⁹“You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf.⁴⁰Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.⁴¹I do not accept glory from human beings.⁴²But I know that you do not have the love of God in you.⁴³I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.⁴⁴How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God?⁴⁵Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope.⁴⁶If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.⁴⁷But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

Thoughts:  There is a tiny little verse tucked within this reading that I think holds a lot for us to think about.  In verse 39 Jesus says: "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf."  Theologically speaking it is Jesus who is the Word of God.   Holy Scripture is not technically the Word of God but it points us to the Word or reveals the Word--who is Jesus.   This may seem like a simply word trick; but it is very important.  We do not worship scripture, we worship the one to whom scripture points.   The power of scripture--the Gospel--is that as Jesus says it reveals himself (Jesus) to us.  It is only Jesus who saves.   That is why Lutherans have always said that while we find both Law and Gospel in the pages of scripture; and while both are important, it is only the Gospel, that is Jesus, that saves.   I think here Jesus was saying you pour over the scriptures as if these words on a page were the source of eternal life, they are not.  They point to the one who is!  Many Christians today get caught up in trying to solve mysteries of prophetic words found in the Bible, they get caught up on obscure verses and nuances...as Jesus would say they swallow camels but strain out the gnats!   We do best when we keep our eyes on Jesus.

Questions:  What is your relationship with scripture?  Is it a long love affair?  A love/hate relationship?  A distant romance?  A flirtatious exchange?  A life long commitment?

Monday September 26, John 5.17-30

John 5.17-30


17But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” 18For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. 19Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. 21Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25“Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; 27and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Thoughts.  I remember showing the movie The Gospel of John during Lent a few years ago and one of the comments I got was how confrontational Jesus often sounded.  It is true, in John's Gospel Jesus is often in direct confrontation with the authorities.  Part of this is historical.  John's Gospel was written during a time of great tension between the synagogue and the fledgling church.  This historical tension that the author of John's Gospel felt personally gets reflected also in his writing.   John's purpose is to bring us to faith in Jesus.  He's trying to make that folks realize the claims that Christians are making--that Jesus is GOD WITH US!  If this is so, then all other claims become subservient to Jesus--including laws like healing on the Sabbath.
 
Questions:  It seems that many folks took offense at Jesus?  Do you think modern folks take offense at Jesus?  If so, what is so offensive about him?  Are we followers of Jesus guilty of over looking this reality--or soft selling Jesus' claims?

September 25, 2011--Story

John 5.1-16

Beth-zatha today

5After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.²Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes.³In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.⁵One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.⁶When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”⁷The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.”⁸Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.”⁹At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.¹⁰So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”¹¹But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”¹²They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?”¹³Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there.¹⁴Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”¹⁵The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.¹⁶Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath.

Thoughts:  Do you want to be made well?   What a question.  Of course I want to be made well, healed of my infirmities, healed of my prejudices, healed of my hatreds, healed of my rationalizations....hmmm.  Do I want to be healed?   This is such an interesting question that Jesus asks the man at the pool.  In truth, the man never does answer the question before Jesus has ordered him to pick up his mat and walk!   

Questions:  What would be different in your life if Jesus "healed" you right now?   Do you think rules are made to be broken or are you a stickler that things are done RIGHT!   Why do you think Jesus purposely healed on the Sabbath?  Couldn't he had come back the next day?   When have you allowed the "rules" to get in the way.

Saturday September 24, John 4.43-54

John 4.43-54

⁴³When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee⁴⁴(for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country).⁴⁵When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.⁴⁶Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum.⁴⁷When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.⁴⁸Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”⁴⁹The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.”⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.⁵¹As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive.⁵²So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.”⁵³The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household.⁵⁴Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

Comments:  There is quite a wide range of folks who are coming to Jesus: Nicodemus, religious leader who doesn't quite get it; woman of Samaria to whom is revealed that Jesus is hte Messiah, and now a royal official whose son is ill and who begs Jesus to come down with him to heal the son.  This official however has no time for conversation, his child is dying.   Jesus begins with a bit of a rebuff about folks always wanting signs, but the man is insistant in only one thing, Jesus coming to heal his son.   Instead, Jesus simply says--"Go; your son will live."   And he believes.  And here is the second of Jesus signs.  But I have to wonder, is it the sign of the sick child recovering or is it the sign of faith, when someone can believe in Christs words even with no evidence to substantiate his claim.   Fith, hears and believes.

Thoughts:  Can you take someone at their word or do you need to see everything up front?   What kind of faith did the royal officail have.  What would it take for you to have such faith?  

Friday September 23, John 4.1-42

John 4.1-42

Woman at the well by:  He Qi

4Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, “Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John”²—although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized—³he left Judea and started back to Galilee.
⁴But he had to go through Samaria.⁵So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.⁶Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.⁷A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”⁸(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)¹⁰Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”¹¹The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?¹²Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?”¹³Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,¹⁴but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”¹⁵The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.”¹⁷The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!”¹⁹The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet.²⁰Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.”²¹Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.²²You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”²⁵The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.”²⁶Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”
²⁷Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?”²⁸Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people,²⁹“Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?”³⁰They left the city and were on their way to him.³¹Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.”³²But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”³³So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?”³⁴Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.³⁵Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.³⁶The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.³⁷For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’³⁸I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”³⁹Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.”⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.⁴¹And many more believed because of his word.⁴²They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”



Questions:  Have you every had a serious religious conversation with someone?  Are you able to agree to disagree or do you need others to embrace your position.   What started this conversation between Jesus and the woman (look at verse 7).  How might you entertain such lofty conversations?