See John 21.15-18
- Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me more than these idols you worship, more than all these other things you fill your life up with?
- Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. [no comment on the comparison]
- Feed my sheep.
Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me? [no comparison asked for this time]
- Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
- Then take care of my lambs.
Michael, son of Arthur, do you love me?
- [putting on hurt feelings, but knowing exactly what Jesus is getting at because of the comparison at the beginning – the clutter, the idols, the selfishly doing what I want to do] Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.
- Then take care of my sheep. Look, in the past you did whatever you liked. You chose what to do – and you did it. But things have got to change. If I’m going to use you – and that’s why I called you – you can no longer rule your own life. I’m in charge. And that means you go where I want you to go, not where you want to go. It means you do what I want you to do, not what you want to do. You say you love me – and that’s true: I know that you love me. But you need to demonstrate that love by feeding my sheep, you need to live that love by taking care of my lambs.
Showing posts with label John's Gospel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John's Gospel. Show all posts
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
The Name of God
OK, for all who are reading but not commenting, I'll write something new.
I've been reading John 17. Jesus says (in prayer to God the Father), "I have revealed your name." In other words, the way he lived his life defined the name of God. Later he says, "Keep those you have given me true to your name." In other words, the way we live our lives should be according to the definition of the name of God.
And what is the name of God?
Moses was the lucky man. God told him his name.
In Exodus 3.15 God says his name is Yahweh - which, the experts tell us, is probably some form of the verb "to be". God is Being itself. He is the key to existence. So far so good - but it doesn't give us much to live by.
So in Exodus 34.6 Yahweh unpacks his name. The name defines the character, and by defining or explaining his name, God is defining or explaining his character, his personality, who he is, what kind of Being he is.
And what's the answer?
"Yahweh, Yahweh, God of tenderness and compassion, long-suffering, rich in faithful love and constancy, maintaining his faithful love to thousands of generations, forgiving fault, crime and sin, yet punishing the fault of the parent to the third and fourth generation."
Wow! This is our God. Our oft-misrepresented and maligned God.
Jesus lived tenderness and compassion, long-suffering and forgiveness, faithful love and loyalty, without being soft on sin.
I must do the same.
Michael
I've been reading John 17. Jesus says (in prayer to God the Father), "I have revealed your name." In other words, the way he lived his life defined the name of God. Later he says, "Keep those you have given me true to your name." In other words, the way we live our lives should be according to the definition of the name of God.
And what is the name of God?
Moses was the lucky man. God told him his name.
In Exodus 3.15 God says his name is Yahweh - which, the experts tell us, is probably some form of the verb "to be". God is Being itself. He is the key to existence. So far so good - but it doesn't give us much to live by.
So in Exodus 34.6 Yahweh unpacks his name. The name defines the character, and by defining or explaining his name, God is defining or explaining his character, his personality, who he is, what kind of Being he is.
And what's the answer?
"Yahweh, Yahweh, God of tenderness and compassion, long-suffering, rich in faithful love and constancy, maintaining his faithful love to thousands of generations, forgiving fault, crime and sin, yet punishing the fault of the parent to the third and fourth generation."
Wow! This is our God. Our oft-misrepresented and maligned God.
Jesus lived tenderness and compassion, long-suffering and forgiveness, faithful love and loyalty, without being soft on sin.
I must do the same.
Michael
Monday, October 09, 2006
I am a god
Jesus says he's God. The Jews complain and want to stone him because he, a mere man, is claiming to be God. Jesus then complicates things: “Jesus answered, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said: You are gods”? It is those to whom God’s word came who are called gods – and Scripture cannot be set aside.’” (John 10.34)
Jesus is citing Psalm 82 where “God takes his place in the court of heaven to pronounce judgement among the gods”. And the judgement is that “the gods” are failing uphold the level of conduct God expects and commands; that is care for orphans and widows, rescue the weak and needy – the very things the Jews are commanded to do in the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets. The border between divine and human is very fuzzy: God’s word calls the recipients of God’s word gods. But because they have not upheld divine standards, “You shall die as mortals die, and fall as any prince does.” (Psalm 82.7)
There is a sense in which I am a god. For starters I am made in the image of God. My vocation is to fulfil the law of God and get others to do likewise. I am immortal – as long as I uphold God’s standards faithfully. But if I fail to care for the widow and orphan, the weak and needy – then I will fall and die as mortals die. Too often we create a deep divide between the divine and the human: we are worms; we are wretched spiders which God dangles over the fires of hell. No! We are gods! And the way we show it is to behave like Yahweh, caring for the weak and needy, widows and orphans, the poor and oppressed.
Yahweh behaves in a certain way toward me; I behave in that self-same way to those around me. To that extent I am a god to them. God shows mercy; I show mercy. God forgives; I forgive. God oozes lovingkindness and unfailing love; I ooze lovingkindness and unfailing love. God upholds strict standards of justice and honesty; I uphold strict standards of justice and honesty. But if I fail in any of this and look out for self-interest and personal gain, then I will fall, and die as mortals die. In other words, my basic state is eternal; that is the norm, to be immortal as Yahweh is. However, if I don’t watch my behaviour I will fall; fall and die – mortal, the end.
Yahweh -> me -> others. I am a god, as I bring God to others.
Michael
Jesus is citing Psalm 82 where “God takes his place in the court of heaven to pronounce judgement among the gods”. And the judgement is that “the gods” are failing uphold the level of conduct God expects and commands; that is care for orphans and widows, rescue the weak and needy – the very things the Jews are commanded to do in the Law of Moses and the words of the prophets. The border between divine and human is very fuzzy: God’s word calls the recipients of God’s word gods. But because they have not upheld divine standards, “You shall die as mortals die, and fall as any prince does.” (Psalm 82.7)
There is a sense in which I am a god. For starters I am made in the image of God. My vocation is to fulfil the law of God and get others to do likewise. I am immortal – as long as I uphold God’s standards faithfully. But if I fail to care for the widow and orphan, the weak and needy – then I will fall and die as mortals die. Too often we create a deep divide between the divine and the human: we are worms; we are wretched spiders which God dangles over the fires of hell. No! We are gods! And the way we show it is to behave like Yahweh, caring for the weak and needy, widows and orphans, the poor and oppressed.
Yahweh behaves in a certain way toward me; I behave in that self-same way to those around me. To that extent I am a god to them. God shows mercy; I show mercy. God forgives; I forgive. God oozes lovingkindness and unfailing love; I ooze lovingkindness and unfailing love. God upholds strict standards of justice and honesty; I uphold strict standards of justice and honesty. But if I fail in any of this and look out for self-interest and personal gain, then I will fall, and die as mortals die. In other words, my basic state is eternal; that is the norm, to be immortal as Yahweh is. However, if I don’t watch my behaviour I will fall; fall and die – mortal, the end.
Yahweh -> me -> others. I am a god, as I bring God to others.
Michael
Sunday, October 01, 2006
The truth sets you free
Apologies to all my readers that five days have gone by and I've not posted anything. This week has been hectic and non-stop. For your meditation today, though, some thoughts from John 8:
Action: Keep on obeying my teachings.
Result: You will know the truth.
Long-term impact: You will be set free. (The truth will set you free.)
These are continues actions, like “If you go on believing in him you will go on having eternal life.” It was the long-term impact (you will be set free) that the people challenged. Being set free, it seems, didn’t meet a felt need. If I think I’m already free I will have no desire to follow a route designed to set me free.
Jesus elaborates, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Freedom from slavery; freedom from sin. Again the aspect is continuous: “whoever goes on sinning”. Then Jesus says, “A slave is not a permanent member of the family.” What a liberating statement! What a liberating statement! I may be a slave to sin, but I am not a permanent member of the family of sin. Since I’m only a slave of the family of sin and not a son in the family of sin I can be set free! And Jesus gives me the route: obey his teaching which will help me know the truth which will set me free: the slave is liberated.
I am a son in the household of God, and a slave in the household of sin. My home is where I am a son. But it took my big brother to come and rescue me from the other household where I was a prisoner. And if my big brother sets me free – he’s the Son with a capital “S” – I will indeed be free. No doubt about it.
Enjoy his freedom! Michael
Action: Keep on obeying my teachings.
Result: You will know the truth.
Long-term impact: You will be set free. (The truth will set you free.)
These are continues actions, like “If you go on believing in him you will go on having eternal life.” It was the long-term impact (you will be set free) that the people challenged. Being set free, it seems, didn’t meet a felt need. If I think I’m already free I will have no desire to follow a route designed to set me free.
Jesus elaborates, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Freedom from slavery; freedom from sin. Again the aspect is continuous: “whoever goes on sinning”. Then Jesus says, “A slave is not a permanent member of the family.” What a liberating statement! What a liberating statement! I may be a slave to sin, but I am not a permanent member of the family of sin. Since I’m only a slave of the family of sin and not a son in the family of sin I can be set free! And Jesus gives me the route: obey his teaching which will help me know the truth which will set me free: the slave is liberated.
I am a son in the household of God, and a slave in the household of sin. My home is where I am a son. But it took my big brother to come and rescue me from the other household where I was a prisoner. And if my big brother sets me free – he’s the Son with a capital “S” – I will indeed be free. No doubt about it.
Enjoy his freedom! Michael
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