Today's Readings
Yes, my reflections are back. Again, I regret the several days without being able to reach out to the Internet and you, faithful readers, and prayers. That said, let's begin again as we enter these final days of another Lenten season that has passed us so quickly.
After reading today's gospel, two questions arise? Where do you think all of this took place? Secondly, "What do you think you are observing?" If you answered that you were in a temple, you are correct. Did you answer 'a temple meeting' to the second question? If so, you are somewhat correct. However, what you were witnessing was what would might call a family tug of war, a family discussion, a family disagreement.
In earlier lines to this part of John's gospel, the author wrote that Jesus was in the temple speaking to the "Jews who believed in him." We must keep that in mind.
So, you might ask, what was this battle about? The issues at hand for these believers are family claims and heritage. What brought it about? Jesus claimed an identity with God and also that he had power over death. This was surely enough to rouse the crowd!
Jesus claims his heritage with the Father for himself as well as for those who believe in him. He, Jesus, the son of Mary and foster child of Joseph, he is the embodiment of God for the world, for all people. This statement brought the pot to a boil. He strengthens his relationship to the Father by saying that before Abraham I AM. Wow! Surely arrogance. The hearers in the temple would surely recall that God once spoke to Moses and told him to tell the Jewish people, that I AM had sent him to them.
Embodiment of the Father! Can you imagine a stronger statement of and intimate relationship between two people? And, if you had never heard it before, how would you react to being told by this carpenter's son, this young, itinerant preacher, that we are incorporated with him into his death, a death that will be a passage to the Father?
For us today, the challenge is to see and pray beyond what we have grown accustomed to hearing and reading. Our salvation is given to us through our being incorporated into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Wow! Awesome in the truest sense of the word.
After reading today's gospel, two questions arise? Where do you think all of this took place? Secondly, "What do you think you are observing?" If you answered that you were in a temple, you are correct. Did you answer 'a temple meeting' to the second question? If so, you are somewhat correct. However, what you were witnessing was what would might call a family tug of war, a family discussion, a family disagreement.
In earlier lines to this part of John's gospel, the author wrote that Jesus was in the temple speaking to the "Jews who believed in him." We must keep that in mind.
So, you might ask, what was this battle about? The issues at hand for these believers are family claims and heritage. What brought it about? Jesus claimed an identity with God and also that he had power over death. This was surely enough to rouse the crowd!
Jesus claims his heritage with the Father for himself as well as for those who believe in him. He, Jesus, the son of Mary and foster child of Joseph, he is the embodiment of God for the world, for all people. This statement brought the pot to a boil. He strengthens his relationship to the Father by saying that before Abraham I AM. Wow! Surely arrogance. The hearers in the temple would surely recall that God once spoke to Moses and told him to tell the Jewish people, that I AM had sent him to them.
Embodiment of the Father! Can you imagine a stronger statement of and intimate relationship between two people? And, if you had never heard it before, how would you react to being told by this carpenter's son, this young, itinerant preacher, that we are incorporated with him into his death, a death that will be a passage to the Father?
For us today, the challenge is to see and pray beyond what we have grown accustomed to hearing and reading. Our salvation is given to us through our being incorporated into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Wow! Awesome in the truest sense of the word.
