John 6, 7
Jesus feeds a large crowd and walks on water. He talks about himself as the bread of life.
Couple of mentions of the temple police in chapter 7. That always catches my attention and brings a smile. My mind speculates on who the temple police might be in 2011. It always seems a shame to me that Pentecost is the one Sunday where red is the color and I have a stole that I love that is red and was a gift from my youth group back in Missouri. I will often press my luck and where it for a Sunday or two beyond Pentecost. I will tell the congregation that we will go ahead and worship and hope the church police don't show up. So far, so good.
Jesus talks a good bit about himself as the bread of life here. This comes just a short time after he has talked about himself as living water and after he has miraculously fed a large crowd. All of this puts me in the mind of the sacrament of communion. I have always attended and then been pastor of churches that had an irregular communion schedule, usually celebrating the sacrament around eight times a year. When called to Hebron I found myself at a church that celebrated communion on the first Sunday of each month. I wondered at the time how that would feel over the course of time - whether it would seem like it was too often. It has not. I love the rhythm of starting each month with communion which keeps ever before us the bread of life that we need to feed us and nourish us and sustain us for the journey.
Monday, February 21, 2011
John 4, 5
John 4, 5
Overview: Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well and heals a man at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem.
"Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done."(4:29) These are the words of the Samaritan woman as she takes her leave of Jesus at the well and runs with excitement into her village to tell of the encounter she has just had. I'm a fan of David Blaine. Not avid mind you, but if one of his tv shows is on late at night, I'm likely to watch the sidewalk magician ply his trade. Card tricks, levitation and the like. Blaine's a fascinating guy. People respond to him with disbelief and excitement - "Can he really do that?" There is more going on in Jesus encounter with the woman at the well then what happens between David Blaine and his audience. When she heads off to the village to say "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done", I don't think she has in mind sharing the best card trick she has ever seen. He next words tell the story, "He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" which of course means she thinks he may well be the Messiah. What gave her that impression? I don't think it simply Jesus ability to site events from her past for her - I think what she really feels after this encounter is that, at last, she has met someone who really knows her. It's not about a trip to the well day after day for water. It's the thirst that she carries inside, the thirst that is built into each one of us by our Creator for something that food and water cannot touch. A desire to be known by God. It is uncomfortable to be this transparent when we spend so much of our time trying to keep our defenses in place. Here was someone with whom the woman did not need to keep up her guard, he already knew, he already knew her, and he was still there talking. God already knows us. It is very good to be known. And loved.
Overview: Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well and heals a man at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem.
"Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done."(4:29) These are the words of the Samaritan woman as she takes her leave of Jesus at the well and runs with excitement into her village to tell of the encounter she has just had. I'm a fan of David Blaine. Not avid mind you, but if one of his tv shows is on late at night, I'm likely to watch the sidewalk magician ply his trade. Card tricks, levitation and the like. Blaine's a fascinating guy. People respond to him with disbelief and excitement - "Can he really do that?" There is more going on in Jesus encounter with the woman at the well then what happens between David Blaine and his audience. When she heads off to the village to say "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done", I don't think she has in mind sharing the best card trick she has ever seen. He next words tell the story, "He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" which of course means she thinks he may well be the Messiah. What gave her that impression? I don't think it simply Jesus ability to site events from her past for her - I think what she really feels after this encounter is that, at last, she has met someone who really knows her. It's not about a trip to the well day after day for water. It's the thirst that she carries inside, the thirst that is built into each one of us by our Creator for something that food and water cannot touch. A desire to be known by God. It is uncomfortable to be this transparent when we spend so much of our time trying to keep our defenses in place. Here was someone with whom the woman did not need to keep up her guard, he already knew, he already knew her, and he was still there talking. God already knows us. It is very good to be known. And loved.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
John 1, 2, 3
John 1, 2, 3
Overview: John's birth narrative. Jesus performs his first miracle in Cana. John the Baptist makes a few appearances. Nicodemus meets with Jesus.
Mark has no birth narrative. Matthew has a brief account. Luke has the most detail. And John? Some might say that John, like Mark, has no birth narrative. I tend to think of John 1:1-18 as John's birth narrative. "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory." (1:14) Luke focuses the camera in close so we can see the particulars of the shepherds and the angels and the young parents in the stable in Bethlehem. John pulls the camera way back so that we can see the sweep of human history - "In the beginning was the Word" - and then brings his focus in on the familiar and elusive John the Baptist. This close reading in larger chunks of the Gospels in the past month has caused me to spend a lot of time thinking on the person and work of John the Baptist. I read a book (whose name I will have to track down) a few years back speculating on the role that John played in Jesus ministry and in the people's ability to understand who Jesus was and what his ministry was to be about. It had a good bit of speculation and was probably a bit over the top, but it did make a compelling argument to at least consider more closely the not incidental, but rather critical role that John plays in Jesus ministry. I am still probably not on board with all the conclusions of that work, but I buy in wholeheartedly to the central role of John.
We did not visit Cana of Galilee this trip to Israel. Technically we did - we drove through it - but we didn't get out and walk around. We have in the past. Here Jesus performs what John tells us is his first miracle. I've always liked the interaction between Mary and Jesus in this story. Mary, the mom, asks Jesus to do something. Jesus seems to decline. Mary tells the servants to do what Jesus tells them to do and then Jesus does what Mary asked him to do. John offers no explanation on Jesus' apparent change of heart, and for anyone who has ever witnessed a child and a parent, particularly a mother and a son, no explanation is needed. Jesus registered his thoughts on the matter, but mom's will was going to carry the day. So the water gets turned to wine and Jesus miracle working days are set in motion.
Overview: John's birth narrative. Jesus performs his first miracle in Cana. John the Baptist makes a few appearances. Nicodemus meets with Jesus.
Mark has no birth narrative. Matthew has a brief account. Luke has the most detail. And John? Some might say that John, like Mark, has no birth narrative. I tend to think of John 1:1-18 as John's birth narrative. "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory." (1:14) Luke focuses the camera in close so we can see the particulars of the shepherds and the angels and the young parents in the stable in Bethlehem. John pulls the camera way back so that we can see the sweep of human history - "In the beginning was the Word" - and then brings his focus in on the familiar and elusive John the Baptist. This close reading in larger chunks of the Gospels in the past month has caused me to spend a lot of time thinking on the person and work of John the Baptist. I read a book (whose name I will have to track down) a few years back speculating on the role that John played in Jesus ministry and in the people's ability to understand who Jesus was and what his ministry was to be about. It had a good bit of speculation and was probably a bit over the top, but it did make a compelling argument to at least consider more closely the not incidental, but rather critical role that John plays in Jesus ministry. I am still probably not on board with all the conclusions of that work, but I buy in wholeheartedly to the central role of John.
We did not visit Cana of Galilee this trip to Israel. Technically we did - we drove through it - but we didn't get out and walk around. We have in the past. Here Jesus performs what John tells us is his first miracle. I've always liked the interaction between Mary and Jesus in this story. Mary, the mom, asks Jesus to do something. Jesus seems to decline. Mary tells the servants to do what Jesus tells them to do and then Jesus does what Mary asked him to do. John offers no explanation on Jesus' apparent change of heart, and for anyone who has ever witnessed a child and a parent, particularly a mother and a son, no explanation is needed. Jesus registered his thoughts on the matter, but mom's will was going to carry the day. So the water gets turned to wine and Jesus miracle working days are set in motion.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Luke 23, 24
Luke 23, 24
Overview: Crucifixion. Resurrection. Post-resurrection appearances. Ascension.
My attention was most caught by the early verses of Luke 24. It is here that the women and then Peter make their way to the tomb to find a tomb, an empty tomb. The women also find angels - angels were there to announce Christ's arrival to the Shepherds and they were there to announce his resurrection to the women. Angels as sign posts to get people moving in the right direction. This section of the passage caught me as I reflected on just three weeks ago sitting in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and reading these same two chapters of Luke's gospel. One thing which I remember very clearly is that just as the women came and just as Peter came, people are still coming. In the middle of the day they come in groups and the place is full of pilgrims, lined up around the "tomb" awaiting their turn to go in. In the middle of the night when a man walked through the church (probably either just getting off work or going to work) and methodically prayed his way through the building, walking and touching the altars and paintings as he went. In the morning at 6:00 a.m. when a Catholic mass was taking place at the entrance to the tomb and when I climbed up the stairs to Calvary there were already women and men kneeling in quiet meditation. It is worth pausing for a moment at the tomb. Pausing to remember that Jesus died for us and was placed in the tomb. Pausing to remember that while there is a tomb - Jesus isn't in it anymore. Pausing to consider what happened there and how it wasn't something that was done for someone else - it was done for us.
Overview: Crucifixion. Resurrection. Post-resurrection appearances. Ascension.
My attention was most caught by the early verses of Luke 24. It is here that the women and then Peter make their way to the tomb to find a tomb, an empty tomb. The women also find angels - angels were there to announce Christ's arrival to the Shepherds and they were there to announce his resurrection to the women. Angels as sign posts to get people moving in the right direction. This section of the passage caught me as I reflected on just three weeks ago sitting in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and reading these same two chapters of Luke's gospel. One thing which I remember very clearly is that just as the women came and just as Peter came, people are still coming. In the middle of the day they come in groups and the place is full of pilgrims, lined up around the "tomb" awaiting their turn to go in. In the middle of the night when a man walked through the church (probably either just getting off work or going to work) and methodically prayed his way through the building, walking and touching the altars and paintings as he went. In the morning at 6:00 a.m. when a Catholic mass was taking place at the entrance to the tomb and when I climbed up the stairs to Calvary there were already women and men kneeling in quiet meditation. It is worth pausing for a moment at the tomb. Pausing to remember that Jesus died for us and was placed in the tomb. Pausing to remember that while there is a tomb - Jesus isn't in it anymore. Pausing to consider what happened there and how it wasn't something that was done for someone else - it was done for us.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Luke 20, 21, 22
Luke 20, 21, 22
Overview: Jesus teaches. Jesus shares a final supper with his disciples. Jesus is arrested and his trial begins.
"Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called."(21:37) This verse is one of those that takes on new life when you have an opportunity to stand on the Mount of Olives and to look across the Kidron Valley to the place where the Temple would have stood and imagine the spot on to the left of the Temple in the upper part of the city where the last supper would have taken place. The hillside was probably covered with Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem for the passover. A sort of religious KOA campground. Perhaps the place Jesus returned to following the last supper, the Garden of Gethsemane was a place near to a spot where his family had camped during his growing up years, a place he had developed a special affinity for and returned to now in the years of his public ministry. The places are close together - you can get from here to there - but also far apart when you begin thinking about Jesus beginning the day in one place, traversing the valley to get to the upper room, back across the valley to pray in the garden and then once more back towards the upper city when he is arrested and taken to Caiphus' house.
"When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time."(Luke 4:13) Remember this verse from earlier in Luke? The devil was by no means giving up, simply waiting for an opportune time. Foreshadowing? Perhaps. "Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve."(Luke 22:3) No subtle larger point to be made. Simply, this is a reminder that the devil is always looking for opportunities. We talk, sometimes, abstractly about evil. As though evil is a random occurence that unfortunately springs up and intrudes in our lives. These passages argue otherwise. Evil is not random. The devil is calculating and patient and looking for openings. We do ourselves no favors when we play down what we are up against.
Overview: Jesus teaches. Jesus shares a final supper with his disciples. Jesus is arrested and his trial begins.
"Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called."(21:37) This verse is one of those that takes on new life when you have an opportunity to stand on the Mount of Olives and to look across the Kidron Valley to the place where the Temple would have stood and imagine the spot on to the left of the Temple in the upper part of the city where the last supper would have taken place. The hillside was probably covered with Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem for the passover. A sort of religious KOA campground. Perhaps the place Jesus returned to following the last supper, the Garden of Gethsemane was a place near to a spot where his family had camped during his growing up years, a place he had developed a special affinity for and returned to now in the years of his public ministry. The places are close together - you can get from here to there - but also far apart when you begin thinking about Jesus beginning the day in one place, traversing the valley to get to the upper room, back across the valley to pray in the garden and then once more back towards the upper city when he is arrested and taken to Caiphus' house.
"When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time."(Luke 4:13) Remember this verse from earlier in Luke? The devil was by no means giving up, simply waiting for an opportune time. Foreshadowing? Perhaps. "Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve."(Luke 22:3) No subtle larger point to be made. Simply, this is a reminder that the devil is always looking for opportunities. We talk, sometimes, abstractly about evil. As though evil is a random occurence that unfortunately springs up and intrudes in our lives. These passages argue otherwise. Evil is not random. The devil is calculating and patient and looking for openings. We do ourselves no favors when we play down what we are up against.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Luke 18, 19
Luke 18, 19
Overview: Jesus tells a story about a Pharisee and a tax collector who go to the temple to pray Jesus says little children will enter the kingdom of God and wealthy people will have a hard time doing so. Jesus meets a tax collector named Zacchaeus in Jericho. Luke gives his account of the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday and Jesus weeps over Jerusalem.
Jesus offers a few sayings about the kingdom of God that discourage those who are listening to him. "Truly I tel you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."(v.17) This on the heels of people bringing their children to Jesus to bless them. The disciples try to run them off so he can do more important things - Jesus tells them to stop running the kids off, that actually it's to the little ones that the kingdom belongs. The saying itself is quite specific in its use of the word never. Receive the kingdom as a child or never enter it. Never. Further on, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God."(v.25) This is an ominous statement if you happen to be wealthy. A little less exact then never, but still Jesus says it will be hard.
The people listening to all of this get a little discouraged and ask, "Then who can be saved." The more Jesus has talked about it, the more challenging it seems to be - perhaps impossible. Jesus answer is one we can hang our hats and our hopes on. "What is impossible for mortals is possible for God."(v.27) A great escape hatch from the whole problem of how we are able to negotiate a path into the kingdom. The possibility of the journey being successful doesn't depend on us - what is possible - even if we imagine it to be impossible - is possible because it is God's work and God's will.
Overview: Jesus tells a story about a Pharisee and a tax collector who go to the temple to pray Jesus says little children will enter the kingdom of God and wealthy people will have a hard time doing so. Jesus meets a tax collector named Zacchaeus in Jericho. Luke gives his account of the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday and Jesus weeps over Jerusalem.
Jesus offers a few sayings about the kingdom of God that discourage those who are listening to him. "Truly I tel you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."(v.17) This on the heels of people bringing their children to Jesus to bless them. The disciples try to run them off so he can do more important things - Jesus tells them to stop running the kids off, that actually it's to the little ones that the kingdom belongs. The saying itself is quite specific in its use of the word never. Receive the kingdom as a child or never enter it. Never. Further on, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God."(v.25) This is an ominous statement if you happen to be wealthy. A little less exact then never, but still Jesus says it will be hard.
The people listening to all of this get a little discouraged and ask, "Then who can be saved." The more Jesus has talked about it, the more challenging it seems to be - perhaps impossible. Jesus answer is one we can hang our hats and our hopes on. "What is impossible for mortals is possible for God."(v.27) A great escape hatch from the whole problem of how we are able to negotiate a path into the kingdom. The possibility of the journey being successful doesn't depend on us - what is possible - even if we imagine it to be impossible - is possible because it is God's work and God's will.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Luke 15, 16, 17
Luke 15, 16, 17
Overview: Jesus is teaching. Several well known parables in these chapters. The prodigal son. The lost sheep and the lost coin. The story of Lazarus and the wealthy man.
"But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him."(15:20) I love this moment in the story of the prodigal son. Of the many sermons I've heard on this passage the one that made the greatest impact on me was the one that focused heavily on this verse. The son has been gone - off in the far country. Who knows how long - long enough to squander his inheritance and to arrive at a point of desperation and hopelessness. And yet the father sees him while he was "still far off". Did the father just happen to look off into the distance on the right day? I don't think so. I think the father had been looking up that road every single day. Every. Single. Day. With love in his heart and hope that perhaps this would be the day that his heart would not be broken again. And then came this particular day. And the father is off the out the door, off the porch and up the road, because what he had hoped for and lived for and somewhere in himself believed against all odds was happening - his son was returning home. Is there a more poignant illustration of God's love for us. A better illustration of our unworthiness and yet God is watching and watching and hoping and waiting.
"Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming and he answered, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say 'Look here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.'"(17:20-21) When the world seems really broken it can be tempting to hope that one day we will be able to simply say "There it is!". Jesus points to an experience of the kingdom that is no less powerful, but is, perhaps more subtle and more nuanced. The kingdom is not alien, the kingdom is among us. I've been mesmerized by the people of Egypt this past several weeks. Who would have imagined a month ago what would be transpiring in Egypt today. And yet there it is. It was in their midst taking form and preparing to make it's presence powerfully known. I will not forget the moment when I happened to have on MSNBC and the commentator was telling us tha the Vice President of Egypt was making a statement and as the announcer was stumbling through the interpreters version of the statement words became unnecessary. There was born such a roar from the people in the square in Cairo whose name is translated Liberty, a roar that grew and grew and grew and was filled with such pure, untainted joy. And it went on and on and on. It wasn't here or there. It was among them. The kingdom of God is among us.
Overview: Jesus is teaching. Several well known parables in these chapters. The prodigal son. The lost sheep and the lost coin. The story of Lazarus and the wealthy man.
"But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him."(15:20) I love this moment in the story of the prodigal son. Of the many sermons I've heard on this passage the one that made the greatest impact on me was the one that focused heavily on this verse. The son has been gone - off in the far country. Who knows how long - long enough to squander his inheritance and to arrive at a point of desperation and hopelessness. And yet the father sees him while he was "still far off". Did the father just happen to look off into the distance on the right day? I don't think so. I think the father had been looking up that road every single day. Every. Single. Day. With love in his heart and hope that perhaps this would be the day that his heart would not be broken again. And then came this particular day. And the father is off the out the door, off the porch and up the road, because what he had hoped for and lived for and somewhere in himself believed against all odds was happening - his son was returning home. Is there a more poignant illustration of God's love for us. A better illustration of our unworthiness and yet God is watching and watching and hoping and waiting.
"Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming and he answered, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say 'Look here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.'"(17:20-21) When the world seems really broken it can be tempting to hope that one day we will be able to simply say "There it is!". Jesus points to an experience of the kingdom that is no less powerful, but is, perhaps more subtle and more nuanced. The kingdom is not alien, the kingdom is among us. I've been mesmerized by the people of Egypt this past several weeks. Who would have imagined a month ago what would be transpiring in Egypt today. And yet there it is. It was in their midst taking form and preparing to make it's presence powerfully known. I will not forget the moment when I happened to have on MSNBC and the commentator was telling us tha the Vice President of Egypt was making a statement and as the announcer was stumbling through the interpreters version of the statement words became unnecessary. There was born such a roar from the people in the square in Cairo whose name is translated Liberty, a roar that grew and grew and grew and was filled with such pure, untainted joy. And it went on and on and on. It wasn't here or there. It was among them. The kingdom of God is among us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)