Today’s scripture: John 8:38-59 (NRSV) (The Message)

As you read, consider: What might God be saying to me? Summarize your thoughts in a sentence or two.

My thoughts (David Squire):

This is one of those passages that might not really register on first reading. It’s dense and complicated. For me, it’s sort of like reading a big block of Shakespeare, when my brain is accustomed to USA Today and YouTube clips. Give me sound bites and bullet points, Jesus!

When we dig in, though, we see some incredible, life-shaping, life-shaking stuff.

Jesus is continuing His conversation with “almost believers” that Tyler wrote about yesterday. And He makes several bold claims — claims that go to the heart of His work and mission:

• Jesus claims to know God, to have been sent from God, and that He is doing the work of God. (v 42, 55)
• He states, “Before Abraham was, I am.” (v 58) Interesting that He uses the same name/description for Himself that God used at the burning bush to reveal Godself to Moses.
• Jesus challenges us to accept His word as the revelation of God. (v 38)
• Jesus’ claims that His words are the way to life. (v 51)

Jesus says that those who don’t believe His message “are from your father, the Devil.” Kind of harsh, don’t you think?

After all, He was speaking to people who were interested in spiritual things. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t have bothered listening to Jesus at all. They “had believed in Him” (v 31) at some point, but apparently couldn’t accept some part of Jesus message. Perhaps His teachings were just too different from the religion they knew. Maybe they were afraid of where they would end up — or what they’d have to give up — if they took following Jesus seriously.

So if Jesus had these words of rebuke for good, observant, religious people, what would He say to us?

I know that I struggle with some of the things Jesus taught. Occasionally, here at the church office, I’ll get an email from the American Family Association of Indiana. (If you’re not familiar with the AFA, they’re a conservative activist group whose main purpose, currently, is to write discrimination against gay and lesbian people into Indiana’s constitution. Grrr….) I read the stuff AFA puts out, and I want to strike back. But then Matthew 5:44-45 starts to rattle around in my head and heart:

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven….

I remember these words of Jesus, and I think, “But I don’t want to love them, or bless them, or do good to them.” The best I’ve been able to do, so far, is half-heartedly pray for them.

And that’s just one example. I’m sure you can think of plenty of other ways we all marginalize the magnitude of change Jesus requires of us.

Thought and prayer for the day: Which of Jesus’ truths are you not finding a place for in your heart? In what ways are you still living as a slave (or a child of the devil) instead of as a child of God? God, help me with the difficult work of knowing the truth, so the truth will make me free, so I may be Your child.

We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. Use the item above as a starting point, or consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 20th, 2007 at 12:01 am and is filed under Gospel of John. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.