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John 9:13-34

by Lon on August 16, 2010

Continuing our journey through the gospel of john together

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.

15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” 
But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.

17 Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” 
The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 
18 The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.

19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind.21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 

25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” 

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 

27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!

29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.

33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

The mud on the eyes would seem a step backwards from regaining vision.  How might this relate to how Jesus is working in your life?  And what might it suggest that the man had to wash his eyes out himself afterwards?

I’m a bit saddened that the story here doesn’t quite capture the emotional reaction of the parents now that their son can see – though that may not be the point of it all.

“One thing I do know.  I was blind but now I see!” – How can anyone dispute a life transformed?  How might we live indisputable lives?

v29-31 It’s fascinating how this blind man, who with my own prejudices, I wouldn’t imagine being very intelligent – has such a profound grasp of the Scriptures.

Do we ever find ourselves, throwing out those who speak truth in our lives?  Could the voice of God possibly be resounding in another person’s life than our own?  What it mean for us to embrace God wherever he speaks – even if we can’t quite hear him ourselves?

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John 9:1-12

by Lon on August 12, 2010

Continuing our journey through the gospel of John

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 
6 Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

9 Some claimed that he was. 
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” 
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded. 

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. 
“I don’t know,” he said.

Jesus saw a blind man as he walked.  How many blind, destitute, and lonely people to we come across every day, but have failed to even notice?

“As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me” – notice how he says ‘we’ must do the work, and the level of sacred urgency that ought to be in our lives.

Why go through the theatrics of spitting on mud?  Walking to the pool?

Imagine encountering God and being so transformed people debate whether it is still really you?

Why didn’t Jesus tell him where he was after?  Could there be a wider understanding of what it means to encounter Jesus and follow him here?

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John 8:42-47

by Lon on July 19, 2010

Continuing the story of Jesus according to John

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say.44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?

47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

I recently read an article quoting a scientist in reference to a greater cosmic consciousness in the universe and said “Even if it were true I wouldn’t believe it”

While we talk often about despising hypocrisy and seeking truth – there can be times where something in us just doesn’t want truth.

There’s something that goes far beyond what we say and what we do (though it greatly affects both).  At our very core there is something we cannot simply will into existence.  There is a person within us that can only be transformed by it’s maker – and this shapes everything.

To whom do you belong?  What is your maker like?  For what purposes were you fundamentally created?

Maybe there are some things we can hear from God only in the context of belonging to him.

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John 8:31-41

by Lon on July 14, 2010

Continuing our journey through John

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.37 I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word.

38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 

39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered. 
“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did.40 As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.

41 You are doing the things your own father does.” 
“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

This is a profound passage.

How will we know if we are his disciples?  If we hold to his teaching.

THEN we will ‘know the truth’.  The truth isn’t a statement memorized, it’s a life lived and practiced.

How can we be free?  Many of us delude ourselves into thinking we’re living free lives when we’re not.  The Jews had been physically enslaved a multitude of times, let alone enslaved by their own sins, yet they could not see it.

It’s not enough to simply acknowledge God, or to even declare him as Father (which is quite an amazing and remarkable thing to realize), yet as we’ll see in the next passage – What is this Father God of yours like? Jesus and the Jews were talking about different fathers in this passage.

What is your Father like?

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John 8:12-30

by Lon on July 5, 2010

Continuing our journey through the gospel of John

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 

13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” 
14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.

18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” 

19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” 
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come. 

21 Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” 

22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” 
23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be , you will indeed die in your sins.” 

25 “Who are you?” they asked. 
“Just what I have been claiming all along,” Jesus replied.

26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” 
27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

30 Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.

Don’t want to walk in darkness?  Follow Christ.

Jesus affirms two parts of our triune god here has he distinguishes himself and the Father as unique beings in some sense.  More importantly though, all that we need to know about God can be found in Christ himself.  ”If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

What does it mean to not only die, but to die in your sins?

What does it mean to have ‘lifted up the Son of Man” ?

What if our every action was to the pleasure of God?

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John 8:1-11

by Lon on July 2, 2010

Continuing our journey through the gospel of John

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. 
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 

11 “No one, sir,” she said. 
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

It’s interesting that while the biblical validity of this passage has always been in question – it remains one of the most popular stories in Christ’s ministry today.

The story has deception, adultery, mystery, and forgiveness all in 11 short verses.

Find yourself in the story.

How much energy to do you spend looking for ways to judge and condemn others?  (Pharisees and teachers of the law)

Have you ever been caught or on trial for your sins?  Really, there’s no such thing as being ‘caught’ before God when he sees the entirety of our lives.  While having our deepest sins intentionally shared can be deeply freeing, it almost always seems shameful when they’re ‘discovered’ for all to see.  (woman caught in adultery)

Have you ever forgiven someone who doesn’t deserve forgiveness for their actions?  Have you ever intentionally released someone from all condemnation, even if they haven’t yet repented?  (Jesus)

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John 7:45-52

by Lon on June 21, 2010

Continuing through our reflections on the Gospel of John

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” 

46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards declared. 
47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted.48 “Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law–there is a curse on them.” 
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,

51 “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?” 

52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

Here we see a glimpse of some ‘insider’ conversation as those in power debated the implications of Jesus.

Whenever we come across something foreign, or something that threatens our status quo, it’s easy to quickly make judgments before seeking to understand first.

We can also see how Nicodemus begins tuning into who Jesus might be as he makes an attempt to listen more to what Christ has to say first.

Are there people in your life (who all bear the image of Christ) you haven’t given enough of a chance to yet?

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John 7:18-24

by Lon on June 10, 2010

Continuing our journey through the gospel of John

14 Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

15 The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?”
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.17 If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

20 “You are demon?possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all astonished.22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath.23 Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?

24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”

We often break one law for another.  It’s easy to criticize others.  It’s easy to stand back and make judgments on how others live life, do ministry, seek god, express themselves, etc.

We often judge people by their actions, yet long for them to judge us by our intentions – rather than the other way around.

It takes much more time to understand another person’s story.  It’s much more difficult to love them regardless of how much you disagree.

But if we could sum up the scriptures to a word, would ‘love’ not be one of them?  Are there ways we as a community could practice unconditionally loving one another and celebrate our differences?

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