ACTS 17:22-31

THE BACKGROUND

The apostle Paul has been traveling throughout the region northwest of Israel, through modern day Turkey all the way to Greece  Rome has overtaken Athens in political power, but Athens is still the center of the world for philosophy and religion (other than for Christian and the Jewish faiths).   In fact, the Roman gods are all renamed Greek gods—they have copied the Greek religion. .  In the verses just before this reading (verses 15-21), Paul has reached Athens, Greece.  He has been walking around Athens, noticing all the idols to all their “gods”.  Since he is a Hebrew by birth, these graven images are repulsive to him.  He even found an idol entitled “To An Unknown God”.  So, he starts preaching the good news.  Some Greek philosophers invite him to speak about his god to a group of philosophers who regularly meet at the Areopagus, a meeting place for philosophers.

THE DETAIL

If you will remember Peter’s sermons to the Jews, Peter quotes Old Testament scripture, pointing to Jesus as the Messiah. 

These Greek philosophers know nothing of Jewish Old Testament scripture, so Paul must take a different approach.  Paul gives these philosophers a very nicely-developed philosophical presentation of the life and work of Jesus Christ.  He makes several key points:

• There is only one God, creator of the earth and all its creatures, including mankind.  (v 24-27)
• In Him, we have our being.  We are his children.  (v28)
• You can’t make a likeness of him out of gold or stone. (v29)
• God has overlooked our sins in the past, but not for much longer. It is time to repent.  (v30)
• God has appointed “a man” (Jesus) who will judge the righteous. We know this man is the one, because God raised him from the dead. (verse 31)

In the verses after our reading, especially in verse 34, we see that Paul didn’t get a lot of converts that day; only a handful.  He left there for Corinth.  There are hints in his letter to that church that he was disappointed about his lack of success in Athens.  (See 1 Cor. 1:18-25)

THE TAKEAWAY

Have you ever done your best to preach the Gospel, only to have it fall on deaf ears?  I know that I have “been there, done that”.  Sometimes, even the most eloquent of speeches do not win the day for our Lord.  It helps me to remember that I have one small part to play in God’s grand plan.  I am asked to plant the seed.  The Holy Spirit has the job of making it grow.
 

1 PETER 3:13-22

THE BACKGROUND

The apostle Peter has written this letter to the all the churches. It is chock full of instructions from him on how to live life as a Christian.  At that time and place, some households had a mixture of faiths.  A wife may have accepted Jesus as her savior, but the rest of the family had not.  In some cases, a servant became a Christian, but not his or her master.  In these situations, there was the opportunity for some to suffer for their faith in Jesus.  In other situations, a person might be the only family member to follow Jesus.  They might be shunned or shut out of family activities because of their faith.

THE DETAIL

• In verse 14, Peter uses the word “blessed”.  This might remind us of when Jesus used it in the Sermon on the Mount.  In the context of suffering, Matthew 5:10-11 is particularly notable:  “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you… on my account.”
• Verses 15 and 16 give good advice on how to witness one’s faith. He tells us to always be ready to do so, and do it with gentleness and reverence.  This might not always be easy to do, especially in a hostile situation.
• Verse 20 calls to mind the story of Noah, in which God “cleanses” the world.  Verse 21 makes a water connection with baptism, in which we are cleansed of our sin. Both are acts of salvation.
• Finally, verses 21 and 22 remind us that Jesus is our Lord, waiting for us in heaven. 

THE TAKEAWAY

If we endure some form of hardship because of our faith in Jesus, we can take assurance in knowing:

• We will receive a special blessing because of our suffering.
• We can take comfort in the knowledge that through our baptism, we are cleansed by God.  We have been saved.
• As we learned in last week’s Gospel reading, Jesus has prepared a home for us, and is waiting.

JOHN 14:15-21

THE BACKGROUND

This is a continuation of Jesus’s farewell address at his last supper.  It continues on for several more chapters.  Next week will be the conclusion of the study of his farewell address. 

THE DETAIL

• Jesus says something very important here.  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” My question is “which commandments is he referring to?”  He said “my” commandments, rather than the 10 Commandments, or any of the other 613 Laws of Moses.  His commandments.  If you look around, you’ll find out that Jesus gave us lots of instruction, but only one commandment: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”   John 13:34  This one commandment really summarizes all 613 Laws of Moses, including the 10 Commandments.  Jesus himself said this, when a lawyer asked him which was the greatest of all the commandments.  He answered that it was to love God and one another.  That all the other laws depend upon this law of love.  (Jesus’ words, not mine.)  (Mt. 22:34-40)  (v. 15)
• He promises to send an “Advocate”, the Holy Spirit.  Actually, he says that he will send another Advocate.  What might this mean?  Is Jesus calling himself an advocate of the Father?  (v. 16)
• Most of all, he promises that if we love him and keep his commandments, that we will live, and be together with him.  (vv. 18-21)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus has made it very simple—we “only” have to love one another.  I don’t know about you, but this might be simple, but it is not easy! Some people are not very loveable. But this is Jesus’ one commandment, so we need to try.  Fortunately, we have the Holy Spirit to help and guide us on our way.

ACTS 7:55-60

THE BACKGROUND

This reading is the conclusion of the story of the disciple Stephen; the account of his martyrdom. He is the first disciple to be put to death for his faith in Jesus.    As he preached The Way (of Jesus), he ran into trouble.  I suggest that you read the complete story of St. Stephen, in Acts chapters 6 & 7. 

THE DETAIL

• Stephen has just delivered a long and powerful sermon to the high priest and council (earlier in chapter 7).  He did not hold back.  He made accusations, and called his listeners “stiff-necked”.  They didn’t like it.  (v. 51)
• In verse 56, full of the Holy Spirit, he says “I see heaven open and the Son of God standing at the right side of God!” If you were a Jew who did not believe in Jesus, this would be blasphemy.  The punishment for blasphemy is being stoned to death.  This is exactly what they did.  From the sounds of it, they enjoyed themselves, too.
• At the tail end of verse 58 is an interesting anecdote.  They put their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.  A little further along in Acts, God renames this man Paul.  This is St. Paul!
• As he is being pummeled with stones, St. Stephen prays to God to forgive them.  Then, he dies.  (vv. 59-60)

THE TAKEAWAY

The reason that many people of faith revere saints is to provide them with role models—good examples of Christians living a life of faith.  St. Stephen is certainly a good role model for all of us, because:

1. He preaches with power, wisdom, and courage; in the face of fierce opposition.  He had to know that what he was saying could lead to his execution. Yet, he courageously pressed on.
2. As Stephen is dying, he asks God to forgive his enemies.  I cannot imagine doing this, while big rocks are hitting my head and body.  Stephen most definitely was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  I pray that if I am ever in a similar situation, that the Holy Spirit comes to my aid. 

It is the Holy Spirit in action that does the work here.  We all have just as much access to the Holy Spirit as St. Stephen.  Let’s put our trust in God, to come to our aid, when the going gets tough.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How can we be more like Steven, sharing the Good News with those around us?
 

1 PETER 2:2-10

THE BACKGROUND

Peter is writing this to a group of new Christians.  Imagine this being read or told to you right after you accepted Jesus as your savior. This might be the sermon that was preached at your baptism. 

First, we need a vocabulary lesson.

• STONES:  Cut stone was the basic building material of Jesus’ time. All buildings were made of stone. Wood was only used for roofs and doors. The building that Peter is referring to is the temple in Jerusalem—God’s house, which was built of stone.
• PRIESTS:  Priests, at this time, were the religious leaders of the people.  Today, at least in most Protestant circles, we do not use this word.  Instead, think “preacher” or “spiritual leader”, when you see this word. 
• LIGHT:  In this instance, it refers to God’s presence.  Remember Jesus at the Transfiguration, being dazzling white. Also in Revelation 1:16, Jesus face is shining like the sun, to signify his holy radiance.

THE DETAIL

• Just like last week, I like to replace the “if” in verse three with “since”.  We know that Peter is talking to new believers.  That said, he says that since they have tasted the goodness of the Lord (and become baptized Christians), they need to be fed with “spiritual
• Peter calls us Christians “living stones”.  In his day, buildings and temples were built of stone.  Peter states that the true church is no longer built of stones, but of living people. This was a radical statement. When we say that we are going to church, we usually are referring to the building.  But Peter reminds us that the church is really not the building, but the people who gather inside that building.  (vv. 4-5)
• Peter quotes scripture, calling Jesus our cornerstone.  Our temple is built upon the foundation of Jesus.  (vv. 6-8)
• Now, Peter turns to the reader, reminding us that we are special.  We are precious in God’s eyes.  We have been called out of the darkness of our sinful lives to live in the light of Jesus. (vv. 9-10)

THE TAKEAWAY

When you build a house, you start with a corner.  Back then, you placed a cornerstone, and the rest of the building was built from, and measured off of this stone.  Today, we drive some stakes, and lay out strings, but we still start from a corner. This corner must be perfect, if we want to construct a perfect building.  Peter tells us that Jesus is our perfect cornerstone.  Everything we do is measured off of his life, death, and resurrection.  The church of Jesus is built upon this perfect stone.

Verse 9 is the key verse.  It states that not only are we a special chosen people, but that we are a holy nation of priests!  In other words, we should consider ourselves just as holy as our spiritual leaders—our preachers, priests, and pastors. We are all the stones from which the new temple is built.  We no longer need to go to Jerusalem to be near God.  He is within us!

Verse 10 wraps it all up—we used to be nobodies, but now that we are in Jesus, we are God’s precious people.

JOHN 14:1-14

THE BACKGROUND

This passage is taken from Jesus’ speech at the Last Supper.  This is the last time that Jesus will eat with his 12 apostles.  He has a lot to tell them, before he goes off to Calvary.  Today’s reading is a portion of what he tells them.  (The whole discourse is John 13-17.)

THE DETAIL

• It starts out with the famous “There are many rooms (or mansions) in my Father’s house.”  He assures us that there is a place waiting for us in heaven, so we shouldn’t worry about the details that confront us in this life.  (vv. 1-3)
• Jesus tells them that they already know the way there.  Thomas, bless his heart, says “Not me!  I don’t know the way.”  He does, of course, and Jesus will tell him so. (vv. 4-5)
• Jesus tells Thomas “I am the way, the truth, and the life!”  In other words, Thomas already knows the way to heaven; he just didn’t realize it. (v. 6) 
• Then, Jesus talks about seeing the Father.  The apostles are confused.  “Where is He?”  “Show Him to us!  That’s all we need.”  Jesus says “You dummies, I’m sitting here right here in front of you!”  (But, he said it nicer than that, didn’t he?)  But his point is that since he and his Father are of one mind, when you see and hear God the Son, you see and hear God the Father. (vv. 7-11)
• Jesus makes an interesting shift.  He started out talking about faith, but now talks about actions.  He says that if we have faith in him, we will be able to do the same stuff that he did, and even greater things! (vv. 12-14) 

THE TAKEAWAY

It is easy to lose sight of the fact that Jesus wasn’t merely a special, holy man.  He was more than that—he was God on earth.  God came down from heaven to teach us, and to show his love for us by sacrificing himself for us.  If (or since) Jesus is our hearts, we are capable of doing remarkable things.  The Holy Spirit is ready and waiting to help. So, let’s have courage and conviction, and do God’s work here in this place!

ACTS 2:42:47

THE BACKGROUND

The book of Acts is Luke’s sequel to his gospel.  It takes up where his gospel left off.  Jesus ascends into heaven (chapter 1).  Then, the Holy Spirit makes his dramatic entrance, and many come to believe in Jesus (chapter 2). Starting with the end of chapter 2, we get a glimpse of the activities of the early church.  If you ever wondered what it might have been like in those early years, this is your answer.

THE DETAIL

• They “had all things in common … selling possessions, and distributing them to those in need.”  This sounds a little like a hippie commune from the ‘60’s, with one big exception.  This was a loving group of Christians, sharing with one another.  (vv. 42-46) 
• They spent much time together in the temple.  They broke bread (the Lord’s Supper) at home. This was because the early church met in homes, as well as in the temples.  Most important of all, they “ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.”  (vv. 46-47a)
• The contrast to those around them must have been overwhelming, because many were drawn to Jesus based upon the sincerity of these little groups.  (v. 47b)

THE TAKEAWAY

For these Christians, accepting Jesus as their savior brought about a radical change of lifestyle. It was a life focused on loving others.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Could we Christians do this today?  Could we give away all our possessions, and live in one, big community?  

What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing this? 

What do you see about this lifestyle that is God-pleasing?

How can we be more like these early Christians, without going to these extremes? 
 

1 PETER 2:19-25

THE BACKGROUND

In the second chapter of 1 Peter, he is writing to various groups of people—slaves, husbands, wives, etc.  In verse 18 (just prior to today’s reading), it states that the instructions we read about in this passage were for slaves.  Slave ownership was an accepted part of life at this time.  Between a quarter and a third of the population were slaves.  Sometimes, these servant-slaves believed in Jesus, and their masters did not. Sometimes, they suffered for their beliefs.  Since slavery no longer exists in our culture, do we discard this instruction? I don’t think so. To me, it is just as applicable to people in the workplace.

THE DETAIL

• Peter is talking about slaves who have been beaten for their faith.  Presumably, their masters were not Christians.  Peter states that if you’ve been beaten for a just reason, then you got what you deserved.  But if you have suffered for your faith, then you are just like Jesus.  Jesus suffered for his obedient dedication to his Father. These are words of encouragement for those suffering for their faith.  (vv. 19-24)
• We are to remember that Jesus bore our sins by being nailed to the cross.  Before we believed, we were like stray sheep.  Now, we follow Jesus, who cares for our souls.  (v. 25)

THE TAKEAWAY

We all answer to somebody, so this instruction is just as appropriate for us today.  Sometimes, we face a choice between doing the expected thing or doing the right thing. When we do the right thing, we often endure suffering.  We can find comfort in knowing that Jesus suffered, too.  We should follow his lead.  
 

JOHN 10:1-10

THE BACKGROUND

This passage comes on the heels of Jesus’ healing of a man who was blind from birth.  Some of the Pharisees were upset about it.  Jesus hints to them that maybe they are the blind ones.  They did not take it well.  At that moment, Jesus turns to his followers, and teaches them today’s lesson. It is important for us to recognize that Jesus’ teaching uses figures of speech.  He is not calling himself a gate or shepherd in the literal sense, but figuratively.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus begins his teaching by talking about livestock farming!  He reminds them about the nature of sheep and their shepherd.  Real sheep behave like the sheep in this passage.  They really can tell their master’s voice from a stranger’s.  Jesus must have known this, and uses it as an object lesson.  (vv. 1-5)
• The disciples are confused.  “Why are you talking about sheep?”, they seem to say, or at least that’s how I imagine it.  (v. 6)
• The “thieves and bandits” are those who denounce Jesus as the Messiah, and seek to lead us astray.  In this case, they are the temple officials, who feel threatened by Jesus’ superior spirituality. (vv. 7-8)
• Jesus explains the story by making one of his famous “I am” statements that are found in John’s gospel.  This one is “I am the gate”.  He is also the shepherd, whose voice we recognize.  We follow him, and find good pasture.  (v. 9)
• By following Jesus, we have abundant life. (v. 10)

THE TAKEAWAY

Psalm 118:19-20 is interesting:

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lord;
    the righteous shall enter through it.

Jesus is our “gate”.  Through him, we have access to God. 

In Jesus, we will find our Good Shepherd, and will be saved.

ACTS 2:14a, 36-41

THE BACKGROUND

During the season after Easter Sunday and before Pentecost, the first readings are not taken from the Old Testament; they come from the book of Acts.  We read about the work of the Holy Spirit, helping the apostles to form the early church.  The scene for today’s passage takes place on that Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled the room with her presence, causing the apostles to prophesy in foreign languages before a large crowd.  Last week and this week’s readings comprise Peter’s explanation to the crowd of what was happening.  No longer do we see the denying Peter.  We now hear the sermon of a spirit-filled Peter, boldly proclaiming the Good News to the crowd, many of whom played an active role in crucifying Jesus.  If you have the time, I suggest that you read his entire sermon and the results, beginning with verse 14, and going to verse 41.

THE DETAIL

• Today’s passage begins with Peter pointing the finger directly at the Israelites present, saying that they were the ones who crucified the Messiah.  This is the second time he has pointed the accusing finger, the first being in verse 23.  Peter is no longer fearful, but filled with the Holy Spirit.  He now has the power, courage, and wisdom to preach the gospel. (v.36)
• He must have been a persuasive speaker, because the crowd did not get angry, but asked what they should do.  (v. 37)
• Peter is quick with the answer—repent, and be baptized.  If you do, you, too, will receive the Holy Spirit!  (v. 38)
• This next verse is a sweet one for me.  Peter tells them that the promise is not just for them, but for everyone; even those who are far away (like us).  (v. 39)
• He did some more preaching, for which we don’t have many details.  But the end result was astounding.  With the Holy Spirit’s help, over three thousand people did what Peter told them—they repented, were baptized, and received the Holy Spirit. (vv. 40-41)

THE TAKEAWAY

Not too long ago, Peter was a coward.  Fearing for his life, he denied Jesus three times.  Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit, he speaks the Good News with bold conviction. 

We, too, have the Holy Spirit to help us.  We should not be like the fearful, timid Peter, but stand up and boldly share the Good News knowing that the Holy Spirit is by our side.

1 PETER 1:17-23

THE BACKGROUND

For the next several weeks, we will work our way through 1 Peter for the second lesson.  It may help a little to understand some of the background for this letter. 

It is believed that the apostle Peter wrote this letter from Rome.  He was originally based in Jerusalem, but at some unknown time moved to Rome to be the head of the church there.  He was martyred in Rome, probably under the reign of Nero in 64-68AD. 

Peter wrote this letter to the churches of Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey.  This letter was intended to be circulated throughout those churches, and used as instruction.  It is believed that most of the believers in Asia Minor were Gentile Christians, rather than like the Jewish Christians we read about in the first reading.

THE DETAIL

• This verse starts with the word “if” in this translation.  Many others use the word “since”, which I like better.  Since we as Christians invoke (call) on the name of the Lord, we should live in fear (awesome respect) for the power of God.  (v. 17)
• Peter reminds us that we were ransomed—bought with the blood of Christ on the cross.  From what were we ransomed?  According to this verse, we were ransomed from our former “futile ways”.  To me, this means that because of Jesus, I should step away from my former, self-serving life and actions, and live as a Child of the Light.  (vv. 18-19)
• It was God’s plan to do this from the very beginning—to ransom us through the gift of his Son.  (v. 20)
• Now, the focus turns from what God has done for us.  Now, we read about what we should do in response.  Verse 21 is the transition from God’s action to what our reactions should be.  What our response should be is the focus of the remainder of Peter’s letter.
• Our souls have been purified—not by what we have done but by God’s ransoming us through Jesus. Because of this, we must have mutual love for each other from the heart.  We are reminded that we are born anew, and live our lives through the enduring word of God.  (vv. 22-23)

THE TAKEAWAY

We often talk about loving God, but rarely about fearing Him.  It may seem odd to have both feelings about the same being.  But while we certainly love Him for all that He does for us, we must also be aware of His awesome power.  It is much like the love and fear that we once had for our parents.  Mine were both loving parents, yet I also feared their power.  Both feelings were justifiable, at least in my childhood!

We are about to receive some detailed advice from Peter on how to live our lives.  But first, he lays the foundation.  He reminds us that what saves us is God’s gracious and loving act. We are ransomed.  We are His.  Number one on our list of instructions it to love one another from the heart.

LUKE 24:13-35

THE BACKGROUND

It is still that first Easter Sunday.  Two disciples have decided to leave Jerusalem, and go to the town of Emmaus. Emmaus was a seven mile walk downhill from Jerusalem, much like walking down to Tryon from Saluda.  (They did not take the Interstate.)

THE DETAIL

• As they walked along, they discussed that incredible day, and all that had happened.  Jesus approaches, and eavesdrops, but they do not recognize him.  Jesus says “Whatcha talking about?”  They stop dead in their tracks.  One of them, Cleopas, says (in my translation) “Where have you been—under a rock? Haven’t you heard about all the things that have gone on in Jerusalem?”  Jesus plays dumb, and says “What things?”  (vv. 13-19a)
• They give him a Readers’ Digest version of the past three days, at least the way they understood it.  But they are still confused about the empty grave, and are still trying to process it all. (vv. 19b-24)
• Jesus seems to say “Oh you silly boys!”, and proceeds to explain why it all happened this way. (vv. 25-27)
• As they reach Emmaus, they still don’t realize it is Jesus.  They invite him to dinner, which he does.  (vv. 28-29)
• As he broke the bread, their eyes were opened!  Then, Poof! Jesus was gone.  (vv. 30-31)
• They told each other about how their hearts were burning as they walked the road with Jesus explaining everything to them.  (v. 32)
• That very hour, they hoofed it back up the mountain to share this remarkable thing with their Christian brothers. (vv. 33-35)

THE TAKEAWAY

During this Easter season, the Good News of God’s saving act should also burn within our hearts.  Let us rekindle this flame by studying Holy Scripture.

EZEKIEL 37:1-14

THE BACKGROUND

This Sunday is the Sunday before Palm Sunday.  We will end our Lenten journey talking about the resurrection.  The prophet Ezekiel wrote this message during the Babylonian exile. The spirit of the People of God was broken.  All hope for a future nation was lost.  It appeared to them that they would fade away into Babylonian life, never to return. This message of Ezekiel offers them hope.  It also offers us hope, when our future seems bleak.

THE DETAIL

• The Lord transports Ezekiel to a desert valley.  A war had been fought there, and the remains of the fallen were all around.  There was nothing left but dry bones.  (vv. 1-2)
• The Lord asks Ezekiel if these bones can live.  The prophet is wise, and redirects the question back to the Lord.  The Lord answers by commanding the prophet to prophesy to the bones, telling them that the Lord will bring them back to life. (vv. 3-6)
• Flesh came upon the bones, but there was no “breath” in them.  (The word in Hebrew for “breath” also means “spirit”.)  The breath-spirit is blown into them, and they live.  (vv. 7-10)
• The Lord then announces to Ezekiel that this vision has been a metaphor for the house of Israel. Israel believes that they are washed up and dried out.  But the Lord has other plans.  He “will place his spirit within” them, and they shall live.  (vv. 11-14a)
• Best news of all is that He will place them on their own soil!  (v. 14b) 

THE TAKEAWAY

Like Israel in exile, we may also feel like those dry bones—hopelessly lost and forgotten.  God promises to breathe new life into us—breathe his spirit into us, renewing our spirit.

ROMANS 8:6-11

THE BACKGROUND

The first part of Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is devoted to making the point that everybody is a sinner, and we cannot save ourselves.  Our only hope of salvation is a free gift, obtained by our belief in Jesus as God’s Son.  Now, Paul talks about our new lives in the spirit, contrasting it with our old, former lives “in the flesh”. 

THE DETAIL

• We have a choice to live “in the Spirit” or “in the flesh”.  This is a life or death choice; it is one or the other.  If we do not focus on living our lives in the Spirit, we are turning our backs on God.  There is no way to please Him.  (vv. 6-8)
• Paul lifts the reader up now—“but you are not like that, you are in the Spirit”. God dwells in us.  Oh, by the way, all those others who are not in the spirit do not belong to him. (v. 9)
• While verse 9 emphatically states that we do live in the Spirit, Paul now uses the word “if” several times.  I suggest reading these passages twice, once as-is, and second time substituting “since” for the word if.  You’ll feel the full impact of the words.  “If/since” we are now in the Spirit, our old bodies are dead because of sin.  But because we are raised with Christ into life in the Spirit, we experience a sort of rebirth or resurrection.  (vv. 10-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

We live in the flesh when we serve our own selfish interests. Life in the Spirit involves self-giving, rather than self-serving.  We should die to our old selfish ways, and daily strive to live our lives in the Spirit, giving of ourselves to others.  In this passage, Paul lifts Jesus us as our superhero of self-giving. We need to strive to keep Jesus in our hearts, rather than our self-serving desires.

JOHN 11:1-45

THE BACKGROUND

This is the story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  It can be considered one of the high points of the gospel of John.  It also marks a turning point in the gospel narrative, shifting from the stories of Jesus’ signs or miracles to Jesus discussing God’s glory.  In today’s passage we have both.  We also get a glimpse of Jesus’ tender side.  He loved this family, perhaps more than any other.  That is also clear in this reading.  But the real question for you and me is what God wants us to understand about Jesus through this story.  This is a long story.  Let’s get started.

THE DETAIL

• It begins with a little refresher as to who this “certain man” Lazarus was, as well as his sisters.  There was a pre-existing relationship between them and Jesus.  Now, Lazarus is ill.  They send word to Jesus-the-healer, identifying Lazarus as “he whom you love”. Yes, they were close friends indeed. (vv. 1-3)
• Jesus sort of shrugs off the call to come and heal his friend, stating that God had bigger plans. This must have seemed quite confusing to those around him! (vv. 4-5) 
• Surprisingly, Jesus dilly-dallies two days before heading to Lazarus’ aid!  Finally, he tells his disciples they’re going.  A discussion ensues.  They know that going there is dangerous for Jesus.  But Jesus has a mission, and nothing will deter him. (vv. 6-10)
• He confuses is disciples by saying that Lazarus has “fallen asleep”.  He clarifies this, which confuses Thomas into saying something rather silly.  (vv. 11-16)
• By the time they got there, Lazarus has already been dead four days.  A large crowd had gathered, even some from Jerusalem. Martha, hearing that Jesus was on his way, came to greet him while he was still far off.  (This was a customary practice of the day.)  Mary stayed at home, which you may recall was her custom. (vv. 17-20)
• Martha tells Jesus that if he had been there while her brother was still alive, that he might have been able to do something.  I sense that she was not very happy with the situation.  They talk about Lazarus rising again.  Martha expresses her belief in resurrection on the last day. But Jesus has something different in mind.  (vv. 21-24)
• Next, we have the key verses of this passage.  Jesus makes one of the “I am” statements that appear throughout John’s gospel*, and this is a biggie.  He is the resurrection and the life.  Those of us who believe in him will never die. (vv. 25-26a)
• Then, Jesus asks her if she believes what he just said.  (v. 26b)
• Now, it is her turn to make a profound statement.  She says yes, and furthermore calls him the Messiah that they’ve been waiting for. (v. 27)
• Now, she and Mary trade places.  Mary also expresses frustration in Jesus’ not being there to heal her brother.  (vv. 28-32)
• Seeing Mary weep causes Jesus to weep.  There is no doubt that he loves this family!  Even though he knows what he is about to do, it must have broken his heart to put them through all this agony.  (v. 33)
• The scene shifts quickly to the site of the tomb.  Many are there.  Many share Mary and Martha’s frustration and confusion.  He orders the stone to be rolled back, in spite of the stench. Jesus prays aloud, not so much to ask his Father for assistance, but to demonstrate to the crowd where Jesus’ power originates, and that they might believe.  (vv. 34-42)
• You know the rest. He shouts to Lazarus to come out of the tomb, which he does.  Orders are given to care for the living Lazarus.  (vv. 43-44)
• The passage concludes with an important note.  Many of “the Jews” (I suspect that these were of the school of “doubting Jews”) were moved to believe in Jesus.

THE TAKEAWAY

According to John, he wrote his gospel so that the reader might come to believe in Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.  (John 20:31) In this story, a woman (not a man!) proclaims Jesus as just that.  On these last days of our Lenten journey, it is fitting that we remind ourselves that Jesus truly is the resurrection and the life.  He is God’s Son, our brother and savior.

*FURTHER READING

The “I am” statements in the gospel of John:

1. Bread of Life (6:35, 48, 51)
2. Light of the World (8:12, 9:5)
3. Door of the Sheep (10:7, 9)
4. Good shepherd (10:11, 14)
5. Resurrection and the Life (11:25)
6. Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6)
7. True Vine (15:1)

1 SAMUEL 16:1-13

THE BACKGROUND

Today’s story is about the selection of David as Israel’s king.  As we join the story, Saul is the king of Israel.  But Saul has fallen from favor with God.  Usually, kings are kings for life.  But God doesn’t care about that.  He has plans for Samuel, his prophet.

THE DETAIL

• Apparently Samuel doesn’t like Saul any more than God does.  But God is not going to take Saul’s disobedience sitting down. He tells Samuel to prepare some oil for the anointing of a new king.  God is basically telling Samuel to perform an act of treason!  (v. 1)
• Samuel knows that if Saul finds out about this mission, Samuel will be executed. But God has a sneaky plan cooked up. Samuel is going to pretend that he’s going to Jesse’s house merely to perform a sacrifice.  (vv. 2-3)
• Samuel did what he was told.  The elders meet Samuel on the road.  They were worried what it meant that God’s number one man was coming to their town. He invited them along.  They did indeed perform a sacrifice, after everyone did some ritual cleansing first (sanctifying).  (vv. 4-5)
• Spotting Jesse’s eldest son, Samuel thought he must be the one.  God says “no”.  Samuel was basing his opinion on appearance.  God has a different selection criterion in mind.  He knows what’s in their heart, and that’s what is important to God.  (vv. 6-7)
• Next, we have the short “interview process” for the kingship.  All but one of Jesse’s sons pass before Samuel, and all are rejected.  “Are there any more?” he asks.  “Oh, just the youngest, and he’s out in the field with the sheep.” David is summoned from the fields and anointed on the spot, right in front of all his rejected brothers.  (vv. 8-13)

THE TAKEAWAY

The key verse comes in verse 7.  “…the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Many will focus on the last part of this quote, and that is a good thing.  God does indeed look beyond outward appearances, and into our hearts.  But more important for understanding today’s lesson is that God “sees” differently that we humans “see”.  In addition to seeing, I suggest that God also thinks differently than we do.  Take, for example, the beatitudes that Jesus spoke on the Sermon on the Mount.  The very human attributes that mortals think are shameful are the ones that Jesus calls “blessed”.  We will talk more about sight and blindness in the gospel lesson for today.

EPHESIANS 5:8-14

THE BACKGROUND

In recent weeks, we have been studying about the tension that existed in the early church between Gentile believers and Jewish Christians.  Many scholars believe that this letter was written after that conflict had passed. Now, the writer can focus on building the faith and actions of the church without worrying about petty cultural differences.

THE DETAIL

• We are reminded that we are all children of the light.  We used to live our lives in darkness, before we believed in Jesus.  But now, we are “children of the light”.  The good things we do (the “fruit”) should reflect the fact that we are children of the light.  This fruit is everything that is good, right, and true.  (vv. 8-9)
• Things that are not good, right, and true should not only be avoided; they should be exposed!  Secrecy is shameful.  Unfruitful works should be brought to the light of day.  Exposed.  (vv. 10-13)
• This section ends with the words of encouragement that doing this will cause the light of Christ to shine on them.  (v. 14)

THE TAKEAWAY

All too often we are told to keep our mouth shut, when we see something happening that is not right.  This passage tells us that we need to rethink our inaction, and do the right thing. 

JOHN 9:1-41

THE BACKGROUND

In my bible, this very long story is entitled “A Man Born Blind Receives Sight”.  If I could, I would change the title to “The Story of the Blind Pharisees”.  By the time you’re done reading these reflections, I hope that you will agree with me.  But first, I need to make something clear.  I’ve said this before, but it is critical to understand who the Jews and the Pharisees were before we start.

The Jews—this term is often used in the New Testament to refer to a group of religious people where opposed to Jesus and his teachings.  We must not forget that Jesus’ human family was Jewish.  When they took Jesus to the temple for naming, for example, they were following the tenets of the Jewish faith.  All of Jesus’ apostles and disciples were Jewish.  The fact is that while some Jews hated Jesus, many more Jews loved their Jewish brother (Jesus).

Pharisees-- There were several Jewish sects during this time.  These sects intended to live their lives in a more devout, God-pleasing way than your average Jewish person.  Pharisees were one of these strict and conservative sects.  They did their very best to obey all of God’s commandments, not just the ten. But all 613 of God’s laws.  They studied and discussed Holy Scripture constantly. They had everything figured out—they had all the answers about God, because they knew the bible (the Old Testament) inside and out.  When Jesus came along, he didn’t fit into their image of the Messiah. 

But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s break this story down into some big chunks.

THE DETAIL

• The first paragraph sets the stage.  A man born blind comes to Jesus for healing.  The disciples ask a strange (to us) question.  They want to know who sinned for this man to be born blind! First, it was thought that all sickness came upon people because of sin.  Second, the Old Testament states that some sins are punishable to the offspring of the sinner, for several generations.  Jesus says that it is not applicable in this case, but that the man is here so Jesus can do what he’s about to do.  And then he heals the man with some spit-mud (!) (vv. 1-7 )
• Now the confusion begins.  People are so used to seeing this man blind, they think he must be someone else! Besides that, Jesus has disappeared from the scene.  He will return later.  (vv. 8-12)
• When you are healed from a profound disease, you are supposed to go to the temple to be examined.  This is what the crowd does.  There, the confusion gets even worse.  Some are hung up about Jesus healing on the Sabbath.  Others want to deny that it happened at all.  There was denial and confusion all over the place.  The parents are even brought in.  It gets so comical that the formerly blind man asks the Pharisees in verse 17 if they want to be Jesus’ disciples!  This is not winning him any awards with this crowd. Finally, in verse 34, they call him a sinner (not pure and holy like them), yell at him for having the nerve to teach them, and throw him out.  (vv. 13-34)
• Jesus reappears, and has a discussion with the man he had healed.  The man states that he believes in Jesus, and worships him.  (vv. 35-38)
• Here is the key verse, and the whole reason for the healing in the first place. Jesus healed the man to tell people to open their eyes to see who Jesus really was.  Furthermore, Jesus claims that many who think they see are actually blind.  (v. 39)
• Some Pharisees hear this and say “Who do you think you’re talking about—surely not us?”  [my translation]  Jesus answers with a little word play/banter to say yes, I’m talking about you. (vv. 40-41)

THE TAKEAWAY

We want to have answers for everything.  The last thing we want to hear from our pastor is “I don’t know” or “It is a mystery”.  We scour Holy Scripture for answers, and figure out answers to life’s questions. Because we have found the answer in the bible, we know that the answer is the right one.  When the chips are down, we stick to our guns, knowing that we have found the answer in God’s Word.

This is exactly what the Pharisees had done! They had everything so figured out, that they did not recognize God when he was staring them in the face!  Instead of sending them a Messiah that met their expectations, God sent the Messiah to be the son of a Nazarene carpenter, born in a barn.  God’s Messiah did not lead a political revolution.  God’s Messiah led a spiritual revolution.  Jesus challenged the Pharisees’ thinking, and they did not like it.  God sent them a curve ball, and they struck out. 

I wonder what surprises God has in store for us. As I go through life studying scripture, I plan to keep my eyes open.  I will remember that God sees things differently than I.  We should all keep our eyes open, and be prepared for a couple of God-surprises along the way.

EXODUS 17:1-7

THE BACKGROUND

This is part of the story of Moses leading the people through the desert to the Promised Land.  If you’ve ever been to a desert, you know that it is not only dry but barren.  There is nothing to eat or drink.  It is hot. It is easy to die in the desert. That’s what God’s People are faced with in today’s reading.

THE DETAIL

• The Israelites are traveling in stages across the desert.  The finally reach an encampment.  Maybe it is an oasis, but there is no water.  (v. 1)
• They are not happy. They are thirsty.  They go to their leader, and complain.  Moses says “why me?  I’m not the one to complain to, but God.  Do you want to complain to God?”  (v. 2)
• But they still complain to Moses.  (v. 3)
• Moses prays to God, and God answers with some specific instructions.  Moses follows the instructions, and water springs forth out of the rock!  (vv. 4-6)
• Moses is so relieved that he names this place “quarreled” and “tested”.

THE TAKEAWAY

Oftentimes, God allows us to work ourselves into a predicament.  It’s OK to complain, even to complain to God.  Just have faith in God to answer your prayers.

ROMANS 5:1-11

THE BACKGROUND

In the past several second readings, we have been studying Romans 3-4.  We have learned that our salvation does not come by doing good things. We cannot earn our way into heaven. But the good news from these chapters is that our salvation is a free gift, bestowed on us from God.  All we need to do to get this gift is to believe that Jesus is God’s son, the Messiah.  Chapter 5 is Paul’s conclusion to this whole discourse.

THE DETAIL

• Because we are saved by our faith, we have peace with God.  (v. 1)
• We now have access to God’s grace—to His love.  This is what we can brag about to others.  (v. 2)
• Here’s where it gets interesting.  We can also brag about the suffering that may come with our faith in Jesus.  This is because our suffering eventually ends up in the hope that the Holy Spirit pours out on us.  (vv. 3-5)
• Jesus died on the cross for us while we were still sinful beings.  He knew what we are like, because he was human and lived among us. Yet, he still died for us to prove God’s love for us.  (vv. 6-8)
• Since Jesus shed his blood for us, he has saved us from God’s wrath.  That’s where we would have found ourselves, based purely on our sinful nature.  (v. 9)
• So, through Jesus’ death on the cross, we have been reconciled with God.  So if we’re going to brag about anything that has to do with our faith-walk, it has to be that we brag about what God has done for us, not what we have done for God.  (vv. 10-11)

THE TAKEAWAY

“Reconciliation” is a big word.  This is how I understand it.  When I get a statement from my bank about my checking account balance, it is always cause for concern.  Their balance NEVER matches mine!  There are always those checks that haven’t been cashed by someone.  There might also be a recent deposit that happened after the mailed the statement.  But there are other reasons.  Sometimes I have made a subtraction error, or written down the check amount incorrectly. There is always a difference between their statement and mine.  I need to reconcile my account. 

Our relationship with God can be boiled down into two parts:  His expectations and our actions.  We will always fall short of God’s expectations, because of our sinful nature.  There is always a shortfall; always a gap.  Jesus’ death on the cross reconciles our “account” with God.  God not only forgives our sins, but He forgets them!  Thank you, Jesus!

JOHN 4: 5-42

THE BACKGROUND

This is a very long story! But it is the familiar story of Jesus meeting the woman at the well.  To understand this story to it’s fullest, we need to understand some important facts.

SAMARITANS      lived in the area north of Galilee.  Jews shunned the Samaritans.  They avoided them like the plague.  In fact, to get from Judea to Galilee as Jesus was doing, most Jews would take the longer route.  They didn’t want to be anywhere near the Samaritans.

WOMEN were not equal to men by a long shot.  In fact, a good Jewish man should avoid talking to strange women, especially when alone.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus finds himself outside a Samaritan city, by Jacob’s well.  He is hot, tired, and thirsty.  His disciples went into the city to buy some food, so he was alone when a Samaritan woman appears.  He “asks” her to draw him some water from the well.  (vv. 4-8)
• The woman basically asks Jesus “What’s wrong with you?  I’m a Samaritan woman, and you’re a Jewish man!”  (v. 9)
• Jesus is no longer thirsty for water, but for a spiritual discussion!  (v. 10)
• She doesn’t get it at first.  She says that how’s he going to get this “living” water—he doesn’t even have a bucket! (v. 11)
• Jesus is, of course, speaking of spiritual matters, just as he was last week with Nicodemus. (vv. 12-15)
• Jesus changes the subject.  He asks her to get her husband, knowing the type of person she really is.  She is shocked that he knows her life story, even though they have never met.  She realizes that she is a holy man.  (vv. 16-19)
• Now, SHE changes the subject!  She has a question.  Jews worship on the hill in Jerusalem, but the Samaritans worship God on “this” mountain (Mt. Gerizim).  Which is correct?  Jesus says that soon, neither place will matter.  What will matter is worshiping God in spirit and truth.  (vv. 20-24)
• She goes further, mentioning the promised Messiah.  (The Samaritans’ expectations of the Messiah were different than what the Jews expected.)  Jesus told her that he was the Messiah (of the Jews and the Samaritans).  (vv. 25-26)
• At this point in the narrative, there are two threads.  One in the interaction with the disciples, who have returned with food. The other is the woman’s reaction, and the reaction of the townsfolk. 

THE DISCIPLES

• They want to know why Jesus was speaking to a woman.  (Let alone a Samaritan woman.)  But they don’t have the courage to ask him.  (v. 27)
• They want him to eat, but he is high on the Holy Spirit [my assumption].  He says that his food is to do the Father’s will.  (vv. 30-34)
• He goes on to tell them that it is time to harvest [souls].  (vv. 35-38)

THE WOMAN’S TESTIMONY AND ITS RESULTS

• Many Samaritans come to Jesus because of the woman’s testimony.  They beg him to stay and teach them.  They proclaim that he is “truly the Savior of the world”.  (vv. 39-42)

 TAKEAWAY

In the verse right before today’s gospel reading it states that “Jesus had to go through Samaria”.  We know that most Jews chose a longer route to get to Galilee, just to avoid Samaria.  But Jesus had to go.  He wanted to proclaim the good news to everyone; proclaim it to even the despised Samaritans and to a disreputable Samaritan woman. The good news for us is that Jesus came for the whole world, even people like you and me. 

And, since we are his disciples, it is also our job to join in the “harvest”, to bring many to share in God’s loving grace and free forgiveness.