#John 1: 1-14 (NRSV)

[walkswithmyfather]

Revelation 1:4-8 (NRSV). “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

“Jesus, the Faithful Witness” By In Touch Ministries:

“Sometimes the best encouragement comes from reminding ourselves who Jesus is.”

John wrote the book of Revelation to encourage Christians being heavily persecuted by the Roman emperor Domitian. Approximately 25 years earlier Rome had destroyed Jerusalem and taken away Christians’ rights. Many believers were beginning to wonder, Where is Jesus? Is He still Lord? So John’s main purpose in writing this book was to remind believers that Jesus Christ was alive, and He was and would continue to be the same loving, all-powerful Son of God.

We also can be encouraged by remembering who Jesus is. Revelation 1:5 reminds us that He is the faithful witness, which means we can rely on every single thing He says. And not only are His words true, but according to John 14:6, He Himself is the truth. In other words, if He says He will do something, we can trust that it will happen. And that includes not only His statement that life on earth isn’t all there is, but also that He will be with us forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

We know Jesus’ words are trustworthy because He conquered death through the cross and His resurrection, preparing the way for all who trust Him. If you’re unsure whether Jesus is alive and active in your life, remember what lengths He went to in order to keep His word.”

[trekingpan]

Love Incarnate, Plan A

1/5/2024Second Sunday of Christmas Ephesians 1:3-14 (NRSV)John 1:1-18 (NRSV) https://messy-spirituality.com/videos/sermons/2025/01-05-24-Love-Incarnate-Plan-A.mp4  

[reedreadsgreek]

John 17:1–5

1 Ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶπεν· πάτερ, ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα· δόξασόν σου τὸν υἱόν, ἵνα ὁ υἱὸς δοξάσῃ σέ, 2 καθὼς ἔδωκας αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν πάσης σαρκός, ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκας αὐτῷ δώσῃ αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. 3 αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. 4 ἐγώ σε ἐδόξασα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὸ ἔργον τελειώσας ὃ δέδωκάς μοι ἵνα ποιήσω· 5 καὶ νῦν δόξασόν με σύ, πάτερ, παρὰ σεαυτῷ τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί. 

My translation: 

1 These things Yeshua spoke and, having raised his eyes unto heaven, he said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your son, in order that the son may glorify You, 2 just as you gave to him authority of all flesh, that each thing you have given to him, he might give to them life of the age. 3 And this is the life of the age, that they know You, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Yeshua the Anointed. 4 I glorified you upon the earth, having completed the work which You have given to me that I may do it; 5 and now You, Father, glorify me beside Yourself with the glory which I had beside You before the world was.” 

Notes:

17:1 

The substantival near-demonstrative pronoun ταῦτα, probably referring to the discourse comprising chapters 14–16, is the direct object of the aorist ἐλάλησεν (from λαλέω). The subject of the verb is Ἰησοῦς. 

The aorist participle ἐπάρας (from ἐπαίρω “I lift up”; see note on 4:35) is attendant circumstance with the 2nd aorist εἶπεν (from λέγω), translated as an indicative verb to match εἶπεν (“he looked up and said”, sim. most translations). The subject of εἶπεν is Ἰησοῦς above. τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, modified by possessive genitive αὐτοῦ, is the direct object of the participle, which is modified by the directional prepositional phrase εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν. 

πάτερ is vocative. 

The subject of the perfect ἐλήλυθεν (from ἔρχομαι) is ἡ ὥρα. 

The direct object of the 2s aorist imperative δόξασόν (from δοξάζω) is τὸν υἱόν, modified by genitive of relationship σου. 

ἵνα + subjunctive indicates purpose with δοξάζω above. ὁ υἱὸς is the subject of the aorist subjunctive δοξάσῃ (from δοξάζω) and σέ is the direct object. 

17:2 

BDAG says that καθὼς here is causal, “since, in so far as” (NIV, HCSB: “for”; NRSV: “since”). The indirect object of the aorist ἔδωκας (from δίδωμι, a ‘kappa-aorist’) is αὐτῷ, referring to the Son, and ἐξουσίαν is the direct object. The genitive σαρκός, modified by attributive πάσης (“all flesh”; NRSV, NIV: “all people”; NET: “all humanity”), is a genitive of subordination with ἐξουσίαν (“authority over”). 

The ἵνα clause is epexegetical of ἐξουσίαν above (“authority over all people, to give ...”, NRSV). Alternatively, ICC suggests this ἵνα clause is coordinate with the one in verse 1b, with the καθὼς clause parenthetical. The substantival πᾶν is the antecedent of the relative pronoun ὃ. ὃ is the direct object of the perfect δέδωκας (from δίδωμι) and αὐτῷ, referring to the Son, is the indirect object. The singular neuter πᾶν ὃ, although referring to many people, is used instead of the masculine plural πάντες οἵ to emphasize ‘the sum total of the individuals given to Jesus by God’ (EGGNT). πᾶν is a pendant nominative, resumed by αὐτοῖς below. 

The Son is the unexpressed subject of the aorist subjunctive δώσῃ (from δίδωμι; subj. after ἵνα), αὐτοῖς (referring to πᾶν ὃ δέδωκας αὐτῷ above) the indirect object, and ζωὴν αἰώνιον the direct object. The plural αὐτοῖς is used according to sense (even though its referent πᾶν ὃ is singular). For ζωὴ αἰώνιός, see note on 3:15. 

17:3 

δέ introduces a parenthetical statement, spurred on by a desire to clarify what exactly is meant by ζωὴ αἰώνιός. 

The near-demonstrative pronoun αὕτη is cataphoric to the following ἵνα clause. αὕτη is the predicate nominative of ἐστιν (from εἰμί) and ἡ ζωὴ, modified by attributive αἰώνιος, is the subject. 

The ἵνα clause defines αὕτη above. The unexpressed subject of present subjunctive γινώσκωσιν (from γινώσκω) is the same as αὐτοῖς (v. 2). ὃν is its own antecedent (“the one whom”) and the direct object of the liquid aorist ἀπέστειλας (from ἀποσέλλω). σὲ ... καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας is the compound direct object of γινώσκω (“that they might know You ... and the one You sent”). τὸν ... θεὸν, modified by attributive adjectives μόνον and ἀληθινὸν (“genuine”; see note on 1:9), stands in apposition to σὲ. Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν stands in apposition to ὃν ἀπέστειλας. 

17:4 

ἐγώ is the emphatic subject of the aorist ἐδόξασα (from δοξάζω) and σε the direct object. The verb is modified by the locative prepositional phrase ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. τὸ ἔργον is the direct object of the aorist participle τελειώσας (from τελειόω “I complete, finish, accomplish”); the participle is instrumental (“by finishing”, NRSV, NIV; “by completing”, NET, HCSB) with δοξάζω. τὸ ἔργον is the antecedent of the relative pronoun ὃ, which is the direct object of the perfect δέδωκάς (from δίδωμι); μοι is the indirect object. 

ἵνα with the aorist subjunctive ποιήσω (from ποιεώ) indicates purpose with δίδωμι above (equivalent to an aorist infinitive ποιῆσαι). 

17:5 

καὶ νῦν means, ‘now that all is completed’ (CGT). 

The direct object of the aorist imperative δόξασόν (from δοξάζω) is με and σύ is the subject. The vocative πάτερ stands in apposition to σύ. The locative prepositional phrase παρὰ σεαυτῷ modifies the imperative, denoting nearness (lit. “Glorify me alongside Yourself”; NIV, HCSB: “... in your presence”; CGT: “side by side with Thee, in fellowship with Thee”), although NASB takes it to expand the scope of the verb (“glorify Me together with Yourself”). τῇ δόξῃ is an instrumental dative with the imperative. The dative relative pronoun ᾗ has been attracted into the case of its antecedent, τῇ δόξῃ, and is the direct object of the imperfect εἶχον (from ἔχω). The article τοῦ substantizes the present infinitive εἶναι (from εἰμί) to function as the object of the preposition πρὸ. τὸν κόσμον is the accusative subject of the infinitive (“before the world was”, NASB; “before the world existed”, NRSV, HCSB). The prepositional phrase παρὰ σοί (“by your side”, EGGNT; most translations: “with you”) modifies ἔχω.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14 | New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

[troybeecham]

Monday in Holy Week

The Gospel reading and a reflection:

John 12:1-11 (NRSV)

“Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary 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. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (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.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” When 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. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.”

As in my Palm Sunday sermon yesterday, the location and the identity of its inhabitants in the Gospel text are necessary for a fuller, deeper understanding of the importance and impact they carry for us.

Yesterday was Bethphage, a village for the special use of Temple priests when they were on duty. Today, it’s Bethany. Bethany is mentioned multiple times in the Gospels, notably as the home of siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus – and the with of the resurrection of Lazarus – as well as of Simon the Leper, who once hosted Jesus and which was the occasion of Mary Magdalene anoints the head of Jesus with costly aromatic oil.

So what’s special and important about Bethany? There is some disagreement about the meaning of the town’s name, but there is wide agreement that it means “House of Affliction”. Bethany was the site of an almshouse for the poor and a place of care for the sick. The Gospels bear this out: Mark tells of Simon the Leper’s house there (Mark 14:3–10); Jesus receives urgent word of Lazarus’ illness from Bethany (John 11:1–12:11). Perhaps that’s why Lazarus lives there.

It has also been suggested, based on the names found carved on thousands of ossuaries at the site, that Bethany in the time of Jesus had a large community of people from Galilee who had come on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This would explain why Jesus and the disciples, as Galileans, would find it convenient to stay here when visiting Jerusalem.

It is often mentioned how both Jesus and John the Baptist ministered on the eastern side of the Jordan. It makes sense when you come to understand that Galilean pilgrims avoided potential conflict with Samaritans by travelling south on the eastern side of the Jordan. Bethany was the last village before Jerusalem after crossing the Jordan river and taking the road through Jericho up into the highlands.

As a frequent pilgrim, I know how easy walking such long distances to become injured or ill. Bethany was the one place where wounded or ill travelers and pilgrims could convalesce before they were allowed into the Temple. Located at a respectful distance from the city and Temple, and on the pilgrim route, Bethany was a most suitable location for a charitable institution. It is not surprising that an Essene hospice had been established at Bethany to intercept and care for pilgrims at the end of the long and potentially arduous journey from Galilee. The house combined this work with care for the sick and destitute of the Jerusalem area. Thus Bethany received its name because it was the Essene poorhouse par excellence, the poorhouse which alleviated poverty closest to the holy city.

According to the Temple Scroll from Qumran, three places for the care of the sick, including one for lepers, were situate just east of Jerusalem. The passage also defines a (minimum) radius of three thousand cubits (circa 1,800 yards) around the city within which nothing unclean was allowed to be visible from the Temple. Since Bethany was, according to John, fifteen stadia (about 1.72 miles) from the holy city, care for the sick there corresponded with the requirements of the Temple Scroll (the stadion being ideally 600 feet (180 m) or 400 cubits). Whereas Bethphage was on the peak of the Mount of Olives with a magnificent view of Jerusalem and the Temple, Bethany lay below to the southeast, out of view of the Temple Mount, which may have made its location suitable as a place for care of the sick, “out of view” of the Temple.

It is only in the context of an almshouse at Bethany, where the poor, wounded, and sick were received and assisted, that Jesus’ remark that “The poor you will always have with you” (Mark 14:7; Matthew 26:11) doesn’t sound deterministic and callous, but rather is a way of encouraging and praising the people of the town for their vocation of caring for the sick.

It is interesting to note that only in Bethany do we find mention of the poor on the lips of the disciples, who object that the expensive perfumed oil poured over Jesus there might have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor (Mark 14:5; Matthew 26:8–9; John 12:4–6, where the objection is made only by Judas, and which was explained as his avarice speaking rather than concern for the poor). Perhaps this objection may have been made in embarrassment that so many sick people could have been cared for with the money. Being still so blind to Jesus telling them of his approaching death, they cannot see the utter necessity of Jesus being anointed, and that it was done in the midst of the sick, the outcast, and the poor of the world.

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

[religioused]

Doing Better than Santa

Christmas Service

December 25, 2021

by Gary Simpson

John 1:1-2 and 14 (NRSV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

Reflection:

There are several options for Bible passages this Christmas. We read one of them earlier. Another option is from St. John. The Gospel of John has no birth narrative for Jesus.(1) Because John has no birth story, it might surprise you as a choice for a Christmas text.

As we think about the passage in the Gospel of John, we will look at how it might speak to our lives, to Christian theology, and to how we perceive the Bible.

This is old news. You might remember a news story about Raphael Samuel, an Indian man who tried to sue his parents, because he did not want to be born.(2) There is a big difference between Jesus Christ, Raphael Samuel, and myself. Like Raphael, I did not ask to be born. I never signed up for some of the things that happened in my life. I did not sign up for any of these things:

• Being hit by a car.

• Graduating during a recession.

• Debilitating religious trauma.

• Arthritis.

• Serious infection.

• Early retirement.

• Pandemic.

Jesus may have asked to be born. According to John, Jesus was the Word and was with God from the beginning. John’s Gospel emphasizes “the pre-existence of Jesus.”(3)

In John 8:58, John tells us that Jesus said He existed before Abraham. “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’”(4)

Jesus Christ is considered by most large denominations to be God, God incarnate. God is generally considered to be all knowing, being able to know the end from the beginning. Some Christians believe that Jesus, the Word who was with God, signed up for the incarnation and for the cross.

The Gospel of John causes us to pause and reflect on how we view and treat the Bible. John’s Gospel helps make a crucial, but not well-known point. The Word of God is Jesus, not the Bible. Christ, not the Bible, is the Word that was God and that was with God. The Bible contains narratives about God, words about God, but it is not the word of God. The leather study Bible that I gave my grandmother was not in heaven before human life began on earth. Not even my prized James Moffatt Bible dates back to the beginning of time. According to Christian theology, Jesus is the Word of God.In the church in which I grew up, the Bible was treated as the Word of God. In some liturgies, the Bible is referred to as the Word of God. Because I respect the Bible, I am okay with the Bible being called the Word of God in liturgy. Outside of formal liturgy, I am a little uncomfortable with calling the Bible the Word of God. Some people take their respect for the Bible so seriously that they may unintentionally treat the Bible almost like a god. We can take the Bible seriously, and we can respect the Bible without making it a god. In John’s Gospel, I see a quiet call to recognize Jesus, not the Bible, as the ultimate revelation of God to humanity.

One way we can recognize Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God to humanity is to understand what we are reading. In the Christian Scriptures, there are Epistles. The word Epistle is just a fancy term for a letter. There are general Epistles and specific Epistles. The seven Catholic Epistles are James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.(5) These General Epistles reflect on Christ's work, give new perspectives on the faith, provide practical instructions, provide hope, and are “written to an audience in a similar moment to our own.”(6)

None of the Pauline Epistles are General Epistles. Paul’s letters were addressed to specific parishes or people. We need to take care how we apply the specific Epistles to our lives and to the lives of our church. Reading the specific Epistles can be like listening to one side of a telephone conversation. We may have a general sense of the topic of the conversation, but we are handicapped because we cannot hear the other side of the conversation. We are not always certain what problem or question the author is addressing. When we study the Pauline Epistles, we need to look for broad principles that might apply to contemporary society and to our church. The broad principles may still apply to the church of Jesus Christ, but the specifics might have been intended only for the specific situation in the church to which Paul is writing.

There are times when I wonder what the Apostle Paul, if he were alive today, would say if he saw how we used his comments to marginalize and hurt oppressed people. I wonder if Paul would yell, at the top of his lungs, “I was not talking to you! What are you doing? Why are you blaming your conduct on me?”

The light of the world, the Word is Jesus Christ, not the Bible. We learn about Jesus in the narratives in the Gospels, the growth of the early Church in the book of acts, and we get glimpses into community life and how to live in community in the Gospels.

I have a love and hate relationship with Santa Claus, because Santa Claus does not seem to me to be like the light of the world that we see in the ministry of Christ. Santa supposedly knows who has been naughty and who has been nice. And Santa makes a list of all that children do. Good kids are rewarded and bad kids are punished. This sounds like legalism - earning good gifts. Nothing can be much farther from the spirit of Christmas, from in incarnation of love and grace.

The good news is that we generally practice a much kinder and more gracious Christmas. At Christmas, children seem to get gifts anyway, even if they were little terrors through parts of the year. Parents seem to understand that being a bit of a terror is part of being a kid. We tend to not tie Christmas gifts to good behavior, because the gifts are an expression of love and hope - hope that children will grow up to be wonderful people.

The power of hope makes a difference. There are stories about the apostle John. One of the stories, shared by Bible commentator William Barclay, shows the power of love and hope. John was visiting a church in the Ephesus area. He saw a young man in the church. He told an elder of the church that he was placing the young man in the care of the elder and the church. The young man stayed with the elder and was baptized. Sadly, the young man got involved with a rough gang and entered a life of crime, working his way to the top of the gang. The band of thieves killed some people. When John returned to the congregation, he learned of what the young man did. He was told that the man was ‘dead to God.’

John went out to find the young man. John allowed the group of thieves to capture him. The gang brought him to the young man, who was now the leader of the gang. When the young man tried to run away, John went after him, calling out, “Why are you running away . . . there is yet hope for salvation . . . If need be, I will gladly die for you.” John continued, “Christ . . . sent me to you.” The young man’s heart was broken. He threw away his weapons and returned to the church with John.(7)

On Christmas, I encourage you to be better than Santa. One of the most loving things we can do this Christmas season is to treat people the way we treat naughty children at Christmas - give them the gift of acceptance and the gift of hope, even when they do not deserve love and hope. Especially when they do not deserve love and hope.

Notes

(1) William Barclay. The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John. Vol. 1. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1956), xv.

(2) Geeta Pandey. “Indian Man to Sue Parents for Giving Birth to Him.” BBC News. 7 February 2019, 22 December 2021. <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47154287.amp>.

(3) William Barclay. The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John. Vol. 1. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1956), xxx.

(4) NRSV.

(5) Brandon Crowe. What Are We Missing in the General Epistles? Westminster Theological Seminary. 15 October 2015, 08 December 2021. <https://faculty.wts.edu/posts/what-are-we-missing-in-the-general-epistles/>.

(6) Crowe. What Are We Missing in the General Epistles? Westminster Theological Seminary (2015) <https://faculty.wts.edu/posts/what-are-we-missing-in-the-general-epistles/>.

(7) Barclay (1956), xxxiii-xxxiv.

[eli-kittim]

If the Bible Warns Against Future False Christs, then How Is the End-Times Earthly Messiah Not a Deception?

By Author Eli Kittim 🔎

—

False Christs & False Prophets

The New Testament warns that the end of days will be characterized by great deception. Matthew 24 tells us that many false christs will appear, saying “I am the Christ” (v. 5), and will deceive many. And many false prophets will also appear (v. 11). If they tell you “here is the Christ,” don’t believe them, for many false Christs & false prophets will perform great signs so as to deceive even the elect (vv. 23-24). In the text, Christ says (Mt 24.25-26 NRSV):

Take note, I have told you beforehand. So, if

they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the

wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, ‘Look!

He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.

But one may raise the question, “if the Bible warns against future false Christs, then how is the end-times earthly messiah not a deception?”

I will try to answer this question using an excerpt from my book, “The Little Book of Revelation,” chapter 11, the section entitled “THE CORPSE: A MISSING LINK IN BIBLICAL EXEGESIS,” pp. 237-238:

// However, we must challenge the reader to go further. Because if you do not understand the specific timeline of these end-time events, the biblical script will become very confusing. For example, Matthew 24:23 reads, “if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.” Some argue that this verse exhorts us to distrust any earthly Messiah that might appear in the last days. But this is simply not true. For one thing, Christ himself appears for the first time in the last days! (Heb. 1:2, 9:26; Gal. 4:4; Eph. 1:9-10; Acts 3:20-21; Rev. 12:5). Not to mention that the Jews themselves are still awaiting the Messiah. Furthermore, Matthew’s gospel sets up the context of this exhortation in its proper chronological order. For instance, notice that Matthew first introduces Daniel’s prophecy of “the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION . . . standing in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15) as the backdrop for this exhortation. This event is set to take place when the antichrist will take “his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Thess. 2:4).

Next, we are warned that when this event transpires, we should “flee to the mountains; . . . for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall” (Matt. 24:16-21). But we must remember that Christ will most certainly die before the antichrist could reveal himself to the world (Matt. 24:28). Paul writes, “He [Christ] who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed” (2 Thess. 2:7-8). That Christ’s arrival precedes that of the antichrist is further demonstrated in John’s gospel, Jesus says, “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (14:30, cf. Dan. 9:26). Hence, “the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION” serves as the context in which the previous exhortation was made. So during this particular time period, we are rightly urged to distrust any physical being that claims to be the Messiah.\\

—

The Day of Christ

Here’s another excerpt from “The Little Book of Revelation,” ch. 3, the section entitled “FIRST COMES CHRIST; THEN COMES THE ANTICHRIST,” p. 101:

// Christ, then, must be the first horseman of “Revelation,” whose “robe” (body) was “dipped in blood” (Rev. 19:11-13, cf. Rev. 6:2). This episode marks the first of several incidents that lead up to the cosmic apocalypse. We already know that the anticipated child born during the end-times is clearly the Messiah (Rev. 12:1-5). And more than that, we are now in a better position to understand the preceding events leading up to his foretold ascension: being “caught up” into heaven (Rev. 12:5). These include his incarnation, death and resurrection, when he “will arise” from the dead (Dan. 12:1) “to make the earth tremble” (Isa. 2:19). We are also told that the antichrist “will be revealed” during the interim in which Christ will be “taken out of the way” (2 Thess. 2:7-8). Hence, it was very much the scriptural intention to instill insight in its advocates so that they might firmly distrust those who claim “that the day of the Lord has come” (2 Thess. 2:2).\\

—

[dailybiblelessons]

Wednesday: Reflection on the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revised Common Lectionary Proper 22 Roman Catholic Proper 27

Complementary Hebrew Scripture from The Writings: Song of Solomon 8:5-14

Who is that coming up from the wilderness,  leaning upon her beloved?

Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labor with you;  there she who bore you was in labor.

Set me as a seal upon your heart,  as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death,  passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love,  neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of his house,  it would be utterly scorned.

We have a little sister,  and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister,  on the day when she is spoken for? If she is a wall,  we will build upon her a battlement of silver; but if she is a door,  we will enclose her with boards of cedar. I was a wall,  and my breasts were like towers; then I was in his eyes  as one who brings peace. Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;  he entrusted the vineyard to keepers;  each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. My vineyard, my very own, is for myself;  you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,  and the keepers of the fruit two hundred!

O you who dwell in the gardens,  my companions are listening for your voice;  let me hear it.

Make haste, my beloved,  and be like a gazelle or a young stag  upon the mountains of spices!

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture Torah Lesson: Deuteronomy 6:10-25

When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you,¹ because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of the Lord your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.

Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.² You must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you, thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.

When your children ask you in time to come, “What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?” then you shall say to your children, “We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The Lord displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.”

¹Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8. ²Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 4:7 and Luke 4:14. Jesus uses both of these quotations while he is being tempted by the devil in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-12.

Complementary Psalm 144

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,  who trains my hands for war,  and my fingers for battle;  my rock and my fortress,  my stronghold and my deliverer,  my shield, in whom I take refuge,  who subdues the peoples under me.

O Lord, what are human beings that you regard them,  or mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath;  their days are like a passing shadow.

Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;  touch the mountains so that they smoke. Make the lightning flash and scatter them;  send out your arrows and rout them. Stretch out your hand from on high;  set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters,  from the hand of aliens, whose mouths speak lies,  and whose right hands are false.

I will sing a new song to you, O God;  upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,  the one who gives victory to kings,  who rescues his servant David. Rescue me from the cruel sword,  and deliver me from the hand of aliens, whose mouths speak lies,  and whose right hands are false.

May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,  our daughters like corner pillars,  cut for the building of a palace. May our barns be filled, with produce of every kind;  may our sheep increase by thousands,  by tens of thousands in our fields,  and may our cattle be heavy with young. May there be no breach in the walls, no exile,  and no cry of distress in our streets.

Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall;  happy are the people whose God is the Lord.

Semi-continuous Psalm 119:49-56

Remember your word to your servant,  in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my distress,  that your promise gives me life.

The arrogant utterly deride me,  but I do not turn away from your law. When I think of your ordinances from of old,  I take comfort, O Lord.

Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,  those who forsake your law.

Your statutes have been my songs wherever I make my home.

I remember your name in the night, O Lord,  and keep your law.

This blessing has fallen to me,  for I have kept your precepts.

New Testament Gospel Lesson: John 11:45-57

There are parallel passages at Matthew 26:1-5, Mark 14:1-2, and Luke 22:1-2.

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. So 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. If 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.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death.

Jesus 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.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They 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?” Now 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.

Year A Ordinary 27, RCL Proper 22 Catholic Proper 27 Wednesday

Selections are from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Image credit: Annas and Caiaphas by James Tissot, via Wikimedia Commons. Annas wass Caiaphas' father-in-law. This is a public domain image.

[hopeloveandpray]

Mark 1:16-20

16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

In verse 16, we see normal men doing their normal activities before Jesus comes along. But Jesus doesn’t see people the way that we see them, he sees their heart

1 Sam. 16:7 - But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

NRSV Translation

How often do I encourage the people around me in their average, day-to-day activities?

In verse 17, Jesus was speaking simply. ‘Follow me’. He didn’t make it beyond their understanding with academic theological arguments, he didn’t condemn them before he called them. But instead, he called and accepted them as they were.

In verse 18, the disciples left all they knew. The simple way that this is written makes giving everything up seem so easy. But what if it was that easy? Imagine having that level of trust in the Saviour that you leave your job, your security, your income and your comfort zone? How wonderful would that be?!

Jesus included everyone, from outcasts to ordinary men. There is always space in the Father’s house for you.

John 14:2 - In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

NRSV Translation

So the question is:

How quickly will I give up what I know to follow and trust my Father, my Saviour and my Friend?

Hope this has blessed you today!

[passioncentre]

Outline: Supernatural health and healing in the Bible

Supernatural health is yours if you will but receive it through faith.

Deuteronomy 7:15 in the Amplified Bible says:“The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you.”

Israel was protected by God. They had a powerful promise of supernatural health. Then we see that the curse of infirmity was inflicted on those who hated Israel. Disease is a curse and God will always bless His people and His children with health and with healing

God has multiple promises of health and healing in the Bible

Jeremiah 33:6 “ ‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

By nature God’s people are blessed by Him. Even when they where in a condition of slavery they kept themselves fit.

Psalms 105:37 Good News Translation Then he led the Israelites out; they carried silver and gold, and all of them were healthy and strong.

Health and healing are also a consequence of obedience to God’s laws and commands. It is crucial for us to know the Word of God if we want to receive the promises of Supernatural health and of healing.

Exodus 15:26 26 He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.”

A great portion of Christ’s time was dedicated to healing the sick and downtrodden. He healed all kinds of people including the blind, the paralyzed, the deaf, the lame, lepers, those who had fever, and many with chronic illnesses, among others.

Jesus had miraculous power to heal the sick

Mark 1:29-31 - And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and anon they tell Him of her; and they besought Him for her. And He stood over her and rebuked the fever; and He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she arose and ministered unto them.

The rebuking of the fever shows that Jesus had the power to address the symptoms of infirmity and bring forth healing almost instantaneously. Fever is a consequence of infirmity. Jesus wasn’t afraid of viruses and was bold enough to bind, rebuke and expel demonic infirmities from everyone he met.

Mark 1:32-33 And at even, when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with diverse diseases brought them unto Him; and they that were possessed with devils; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them. And all the city was gathered together at the door.

Jesus exercised his supreme healing power to heal everyone who came to Him.

Matthew 15:30 “A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all.”

Jesus healed them all!

Luke 4:40 “As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one.”

Jesus healed everyone!

These are only a few of the examples of Jesus’ healing power. Throughout His ministry, Jesus healed many different people with many different illnesses.

The early Church continued to heal people following the footsteps of Jesus. The apostles carrying out the commands and words of the Master.

Acts 5:15–16 The Message - They even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on stretchers and bedrolls, hoping they would be touched by Peter’s shadow when he walked by. They came from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, throngs of them, bringing the sick and bedeviled. And they all were healed.

We should expect God to use us in the same way performing wonderful miracles of healing everywhere we go in Jesus name.

Following in the footsteps of Jesus

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.

The meaning of this Bible verse is that

we are to carefully follow after Jesus with the goal to replicate what he (did) does

. This expression depicts a person so committed to imitating another person that he is willing to follow him exactly and to do whatever he does.

The word “steps” is the Greek word

ichnos - a word that really means footprints

— precisely like the foot- prints I left in the sand at the beach. It is the picture of us putting our feet exactly where Jesus first placed His feet, stepping in His very footprints and following His actions in every circumstance we face.

With those footprints before you, you can do what He did, you can say what He said, and you can walk how He walked.

Paul tells the Corinthians, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (11:1).  Yet Paul tells the Corinthians, not just to model themselves on Jesus, but also to imitate him as he imitates Christ. When we first read this, it might seem a little arrogant. Why not just say "Be imitators of Christ"? Who does Paul think he is? Well, he thinks he is one who has been sent by God to bring the Gentiles into relationship with Jesus Christ and to grow in that relationship as disciples of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:5–6 (NRSV) 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit

The presence of the Holy Spirit was the key to the early church’s explosive growth. He is the key to revival in our generation, too. Christ in us, Paul says, is our hope of glory.

John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

The supernatural move of God is coming to the end-time church, and as the supernatural Body of Christ, we should want to be used by God to do greater works that display His glory for all the world to see.

[lyqueencity-blog]

Nature & Grace

There is a problem with the human condition. It is not a new problem. It is not a problem identified solely by one individual or group. Rather, it is a problem that is understood by different people through the years. In our present culture in the U.S.A., we are not surprised when we see fighting and backbiting. We see labels such as homophobic, misogynistic, racist, bigot, and more being thrown around. Everyone is aware that things are not as they should be. We don’t all agree though on what the problem is precisely or how to come about a solution. 

One way to consider the problem with our human condition, from the vantage point of the Old and New Testaments that comprise the Bible, is called sin. John Wesley, in his sermon The End of Christ’s Coming (Sermon 62), writes “To take the matter from the beginning: ‘The Lord God’ ... ‘created man in his own image;’ -- in his own natural image, as to his better part, that is, a spirit, as God is a spiritual; endued with understanding; which, if not the essence, seems to be the most essential property, of a spirit.” (Paragraph 3) While we may be created in the image of God, it is doubtful that any would contend that we live up to such an image at present. The problem is sin. From the vantage point of traditional western christian thought, we have a guilt problem. From the vantage point of eastern christian thought, we have an “infirmity of our nature.” (Maddox, p. 73, 1994) We are sin-sick so to speak. We have been marred by sin. Yet, we are not left in a hopeless estate. 

While there are a number of ways in which people might try to approach and contend with the brokenness we find in our world, the solution for the follower of Jesus is wrapped up and rooted in the move of God. In particular, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus highlights, accentuates, and works on the behalf of humanity in a way that nothing else does or can. We may seek political, economic, relational, medical, and other such solutions, but try as we might, they are not sufficient to the task. However, all of these elements can be used redemptively when sufficiently sourced through the grace of God. They are not the root of the solution, but they all can and should play a role.

It is in humility that we must come before God and recognize our need of Him. After all, as Maddox notes on the thinking of John Wesley, “we are created and dependent beings.” (p. 67, 1994) This isn’t a negative thing though. I think of my son. 

This picture is of him praying at a baptism service at our church a number of years ago. I knew a time when he was not. He has been throughout his life, dependent on me, his mother, and others. Yet, he is loved immensely and has gifts, talents, and graces afforded to him to steward. To be created and dependent is a beautiful thing when there is great love and affection afforded to the one upon whom we owe our existence and subsistence. I think of a favorite passage of scripture of mine found in 1 John 3:1a. “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” We are beloved children, and that is a good thing. 

It is because of God’s love for us that He doesn’t leave us to languish in our sin and brokenness. While others may strive against the brokenness in our world, we can rest in Him who is interested in the work of “the gracious and gradual restoration of humanity to God-likeness.” (Maddox, p. 67, 1994) Yet, it is not just trying to put things back together like gluing a broken vase back to its original state. It’s much more. John Wesley writes that in the work that God does in preparing us for eternity we will find, “an unmixed staled of holiness and happiness far superior to that which Adam enjoyed in Paradise.” (Sermon 64, Paragraph 18). 

We have a God who is mighty in strength and power, and He is for us. It makes me think of a recent trip to our local zoo. The lion is powerful and sits comfortably and confidently regardless of situation. 

We too can be confident regardless of circumstance because of the Lion of Judah. “Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered.’” (Revelation 5:5 NRSV)

In Jesus, we can have redemption. It is afforded to us. It is not forced upon us. God loves us, and love by its very nature doesn’t force, contrive, or coerce. “Without God’s grace, we cannot be saved; while without our participation, God’s grace will not save.” (Maddox, p. 19, 1994) Jesus came that we might be saved. We share “a bond of brotherhood” with Jesus. (Crawford, p. 38, 2015) God has made a way, and we can live in that new Way. Jesus says in John 14:6-7, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’” (NRSV)

There is a way out of the brokenness. There is truth amidst a world of deceit. There is life in a world so often marred by death. Sin is a real problem in our world, but the love and grace of God is a real solution to that problem. 

Are you living in step with the grace of God today? Are you aware of your need for Him? If you are, then you will find yourself equipped to better handle the brokenness in your own life. There will be hardships, but we will never be left alone to them. And we will be able to live out and share this good news with others. We need not label the brokenness in our world as though there are good people and bad people. Rather, we can see everyone as someone deeply loved by God and look to address the sin-sickness in our world by sharing the love and grace of God that has been afforded to us. 

We must deal with ideas, practices, and systems that are harmful to people. Yet, we must do so in ways that demonstrates love to everyone. After all, we are all caught up in and guilty of feeding into brokenness in our world at one time or another. The work of God though makes a way forward. As John Wesley writes, “[The Christian] feels a displacing at every offense against God, but only tender compassion to the offender.” (p. 26, 1966) We are offended by the brokenness in our lives and world. In Christ, we are overwhelmed with compassion and a desire to see things set right and people made whole through the grace and love of God. 

Maddox, R. L. (1994). Responsible grace: John Wesleys practical theology. Nashville, TN: Kingswood Books.

Wesley, John. A Plain Account of Christian Perfection: as Believed and Taught by the Reverend Mr John Wesley from the Year 1725 to the Year 1777. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1966.

(n.d.). Wesley Center Online. Retrieved from http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-62-the-end-of-christs-coming/

(n.d.). Wesley Center Online. Retrieved from http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-64-the-new-creation/

[walkswithmyfather]

Friend, on days when you feel overwhelmed, scared, or anxious, God is with you. How do we know this? Because it says many times in His Word that He is with us and will never leave us (Heb 3:5,Deut 31:8 for example).

Jesus said that in this world we will have troubles (Jn 16:33), but to take heart, because He has overcome the world. Jesus also said that He will be with us until the end of the age, (Matt 28:20).

“Fear not/Do not fear/Do not be afraid” (depending on the translation) are written hundreds of times throughout the Bible. It has been said that they are written 365 times (one for each day of the year)! The Bible tells us that when God is with us, there is nothing to fear (Isa 41:10), and God is ALWAYS with us. Amen! 🙌

Friend, whatever troubles you go through in this life, you don't go through them alone. God walks through the dark valley with you (Ps 23:4). Jesus is always with you (Matt 28:20) and the Comforter is with you and lives in you (Jn 14:17, 26). Furthermore, God is in control of every situation and is working all things for your good (Rom 8:28), no matter what it might seem like at the time!

When you pray, believe Matthew 19:26, that “nothing is impossible for God” and your faith will move mountains (Matt 17:20-21)! Also, when you pray, God's peace will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:4-7). AND Jesus gives you His perfect peace (Jn 14:27)!

How can you know all this? Because all God's promises are in His Word and all His promises are “Yes” and “Amen!” (2Cor1:20) Below are just some of those promises. God bless you. Amen! 🙏

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” —Psalm 27:1 (NRSV)

“Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you;” —Isaiah 41:10a (AMPC)

“Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.” —1 Peter 5:7 (TPT)

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:4‭-‬7 (NRSV)

“Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]” —John 14:27 (AMP)

“But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” —Matthew 19:26 (ESV)

PRAYER: God, when I feel overwhelmed, scared, or anxious, please fill my heart and mind with Your perfect peace. Help me to remember that you are in control of every situation and that nothing is impossible for You. In Jesus' name, Amen! 🙏🕊️🙌

[trekingpan]

Easter Vigil 2024

3/20/2024 GENESIS 1:1-2:4 (NRSV)JONAH 2:2-9 (NRSV)EZEKIEL 37:1-14 (NRSV)ISAIAH 61:1-4, 9-11 (NRSV)JOHN 20:1-18 (NRSV) Sermon https://messy-spirituality.com/videos/sermons/2024/Easter-Vigil-2024.mp4 Full Service

[reedreadsgreek]

John 16:23–24

23 Καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἐρωτήσετε οὐδέν. ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἄν τι αἰτήσητε τὸν πατέρα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου δώσει ὑμῖν. 24 ἕως ἄρτι οὐκ ᾐτήσατε οὐδὲν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου· αἰτεῖτε καὶ λήμψεσθε, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη. 

My translation: 

23 “And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly truly I say to you, what ever you might ask the Father for in my name He will give to you. 24 Until now you asked for nothing in my name; keep asking and you will receive, in order that your joy might be filled.” 

Notes:

16:23 

The prepositional phrase ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ is temporal and modifies the negated future οὐκ ἐρωτήσετε (from ἐρωτάω). “That day” refers to the day of Jesus’s resurrection or to the giving of the Spirit. ἐμὲ is the direct object of the verb, and οὐδέν is the complement in a double accusative construction after a verb of asking. If ἐρωτάω is taken as equivalent to αἰτέω below (so ICC; NRSV: “you will ask nothing of me”), then both mean, “ask for something”, “ask a favor”. In this case, the contrast is between ἐμὲ here and τὸν πατέρα below. John occasionally uses ἐρωτάω in this way (e.g., 4:40, 47, 14:16). But if ἐρωτάω is taken in its more usual sense of “ask a question” (so CGT, EGGNT; NASB: “you will not question Me about anything”), then the meaning is that all necessary information for the disciples will no longer be supplied by Jesus but by the Spirit. NIV, NET, HCSB read, “ask me” (rather than “ask me for” or “ask of me”), suggesting they align with the latter interpretation. 

For ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, see note on 1:51. 

ἄν could be equivalent to ἐάν, in which case a third-class conditional statement is introduced (so NASB, NRSV). Alternatively, ἄν could simply make τι indefinite (“whatever”, so NIV, NET). HCSB leaves ἄν untranslated. 

The indefinite pronoun τι is the complement and τὸν πατέρα the direct object in a double accusative construction after a verb of asking, the future αἰτήσητε (from αἰτέω). The prepositional phrase ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου denotes our harmony with Jesus’s interests (cf. 14:13). ἐν is naturally taken with αἰτέω (so most translations). However, some manuscripts place the prepositional phrase after ὑμῖν below (so CGT), in which cases ἐν modifies δίδωμι and means that the granting of the request by the Father is what is done in Jesus’s name. The placement with αἰτέω in the UBS5 text is rated a {C} by the UBS Committee, denoting significant doubt. ICC argues that ἐν should be taken with αἰτέω regardless of placement. 

The Father is the unexpressed subject of the future δώσει (from δίδωμι) and ὑμῖν the indirect object. If ἄν above was taken as ἐάν, then δώσει ὑμῖν is the apodosis of the condition and “it” is supplied as the direct object of δίδωμι. Otherwise, the entire clause ἄν τι ... μου functions as the direct object. 

16:24 

ἕως here functions as a preposition with the temporal adverb ἄρτι (“until now”). The phrase modifies the negated aorist οὐκ ᾐτήσατε (from αἰτέω); οὐδὲν is the direct object. The verb is modified by the prepositional phrase ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου (see note on v. 23). 

The present-tense of the imperative αἰτεῖτε (from αἰτέω) denotes habitual asking (EGGNT). Imperative + καὶ + indicative is similar to a conditional statement (“Ask and you will receive” = “If you ask, you will receive”). λήμψεσθε is a future middle (from λαμβάνω; dep. in the fut.). 

ἵνα + subjunctive indicates result, probably modifying λαμβάνω above rather than αἰτέω (so Leedy). ἡ χαρὰ, modified by subjective genitive ὑμῶν, is the subject of the present subjunctive ᾖ (from εἰμί). ᾖ forms a periphrastic construction with the perfect passive participle πεπληρωμένη (from πληρόω); the perfect-tense is stative (“may be complete”, most translations; NASB: “may be made full”).

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

1 A soft answer turns away wrath,    but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge,    but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,    keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,    but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5 A fool despises a parent’s instruction,    but the one who heeds admonition is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,    but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge;    not so the minds of fools. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,    but the prayer of the upright is his delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,    but he loves the one who pursues righteousness. 10 There is severe discipline for one who forsakes the way,    but one who hates a rebuke will die. 11 Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord,    how much more human hearts! 12 Scoffers do not like to be rebuked;    they will not go to the wise. 13 A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance,    but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken. 14 The mind of one who has understanding seeks knowledge,    but the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15 All the days of the poor are hard,    but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord    than great treasure and trouble with it. 17 Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is    than a fatted ox and hatred with it. 18 Those who are hot-tempered stir up strife,    but those who are slow to anger calm contention. 19 The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns,    but the path of the upright is a level highway. 20 A wise child makes a glad father,    but the foolish despise their mothers. 21 Folly is a joy to one who has no sense,    but a person of understanding walks straight ahead. 22 Without counsel, plans go wrong,    but with many advisers they succeed. 23 To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,    and a word in season, how good it is! 24 For the wise the path of life leads upward,    in order to avoid Sheol below. 25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,    but maintains the widow’s boundaries. 26 Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,    but gracious words are pure. 27 Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households,    but those who hate bribes will live. 28 The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,    but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil. 29 The Lord is far from the wicked,    but he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,    and good news refreshes the body. 31 The ear that heeds wholesome admonition    will lodge among the wise. 32 Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,    but those who heed admonition gain understanding. 33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,    and humility goes before honor. — Proverbs 15 | New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 13:8; Leviticus 7:18; Deuteronomy 19:14; Deuteronomy 32:22; Judges 8:1; 1 Kings 1:12; Nehemiah 2:2; Psalm 59:7; Proverbs 1:2; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 1:25; Proverbs 8:21; Proverbs 9:7; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 12:14; Proverbs 13:18; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 17:1; Proverbs 18:15; Proverbs 22:5; Proverbs 25:25; Ecclesiastes 4:6; Ecclesiastes 7:5; John 9:31; Acts 1:24; Ephesians 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:9; 1 Timothy 6:11; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Peter 3:15; Revelation 2:7

[troybeecham]

Monday in Holy Week

The Gospel reading and a reflection:

John 12:1-11 (NRSV)

“Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary 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. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (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.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” When 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. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.”

As in my Palm Sunday sermon yesterday, the location and the identity of its inhabitants in the Gospel text are necessary for a fuller, deeper understanding of the importance and impact they carry for us.

Yesterday was Bethphage, a village for the special use of Temple priests when they were on duty. Today, it’s Bethany. Bethany is mentioned multiple times in the Gospels, notably as the home of siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus - and the with of the resurrection of Lazarus - as well as of Simon the Leper, who once hosted Jesus and which was the occasion of Mary Magdalene anoints the head of Jesus with costly aromatic oil.

So what’s special and important about Bethany? There is some disagreement about the meaning of the town’s name, but there is wide agreement that it means “House of Affliction”. Bethany was the site of an almshouse for the poor and a place of care for the sick. The Gospels bear this out: Mark tells of Simon the Leper's house there (Mark 14:3–10); Jesus receives urgent word of Lazarus' illness from Bethany (John 11:1–12:11). Perhaps that’s why Lazarus lives there.

It has also been suggested, based on the names found carved on thousands of ossuaries at the site, that Bethany in the time of Jesus had a large community of people from Galilee who had come on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This would explain why Jesus and the disciples, as Galileans, would find it convenient to stay here when visiting Jerusalem.

It is often mentioned how both Jesus and John the Baptist ministered on the eastern side of the Jordan. It makes sense when you cone to understand that Galilean pilgrims avoided potential conflict with Samaritans by travelling south on the eastern side of the Jordan. Bethany was the last village before Jerusalem after crossing the Jordan river and taking the road through Jericho up into the highlands.

As a frequent pilgrim, I know how easy walking such long distances to become injured or ill. Bethany was the one place where wounded or ill travelers and pilgrims could convalesce before they were allowed into the Temple. Located at a respectful distance from the city and Temple, and on the pilgrim route, Bethany was a most suitable location for a charitable institution. It is not surprising that an Essene hospice had been established at Bethany to intercept and care for pilgrims at the end of the long and potentially arduous journey from Galilee. The house combined this work with care for the sick and destitute of the Jerusalem area. Thus Bethany received its name because it was the Essene poorhouse par excellence, the poorhouse which alleviated poverty closest to the holy city.

According to the Temple Scroll from Qumran, three places for the care of the sick, including one for lepers, were situate just east of Jerusalem. The passage also defines a (minimum) radius of three thousand cubits (circa 1,800 yards) around the city within which nothing unclean was allowed to be visible from the Temple. Since Bethany was, according to John, fifteen stadia (about 1.72 miles) from the holy city, care for the sick there corresponded with the requirements of the Temple Scroll (the stadion being ideally 600 feet (180 m) or 400 cubits). Whereas Bethphage was on the peak of the Mount of Olives with a magnificent view of Jerusalem and the Temple, Bethany lay below to the southeast, out of view of the Temple Mount, which may have made its location suitable as a place for care of the sick, "out of view" of the Temple.

It is only in the context of an almshouse at Bethany, where the poor, wounded, and sick were received and assisted, that Jesus’ remark that "The poor you will always have with you" (Mark 14:7; Matthew 26:11) doesn’t sound deterministic and callous, but rather is a way of encouraging and praising the people of the town for their vocation of caring for the sick.

It is interesting to note that only in Bethany do we find mention of the poor on the lips of the disciples, who object that the expensive perfumed oil poured over Jesus there might have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor (Mark 14:5; Matthew 26:8–9; John 12:4–6, where the objection is made only by Judas, and which was explained as his avarice speaking rather than concern for the poor). Perhaps this objection may have been made in embarrassment that so many sick people could have been cared for with the money. Being still so blind to Jesus telling them of his approaching death, they cannot see the utter necessity of Jesus being anointed, and that it was done in the midst of the sick, the outcast, and the poor of the world.

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.