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A Spiritual Re-Awakening…? Day 19 -Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

A Spiritual Re-Awakening…? Day 19 -Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

by | Mar 27, 2019 | 2019 Lenten Series, Word on Wednesday

Day 19 (Wednesday, March 27, 2019)

Throughout the ages there has been the rise and fall of political activists who have achieved their ends through deception and, once in power, through physical force – as we see, for example, in the histories of Russia under Stalin, Germany under Hitler, China under Mao, and Cambodia under Pol Pot. It is an often overlooked or simply unknown fact today, that many millions died in the 20th century under the brutal rule of these dictators who each claimed that their respective ideology would facilitate the materialist dream of prosperity and peace.

In John 10:1 we read Jesus’ warning against false messiahs: “…Anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit,” he says.

Commentators usually understand thieves and bandits as a reference to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. However his words, “all who came before me…” suggest that he is speaking of another group – the self-styled messiahs between the Old and the New Testaments who claimed they would overthrow the power of Rome and provide liberty for the Jewish people, and so bring in the kingdom of God. But Jesus warns, ‘No. Don’t be fooled. God has a bigger and an everlasting plan. Don’t be duped by short-term goals – goals that will only be achieved through a disregard of personal property and personal freedom. They come to steal and to terrorize’.

Read

 John 10:1-11


“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Reflect

Shepherds were an important part of the Jewish people’s story for they symbolized God’s relationship with his people. David, the greatest of Israel’s kings, had been brought from shepherding sheep to shepherd Israel. It was he who said of God, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… (Psalm 23).

Israel’s leaders, be they kings, religious leaders or prophets were called shepherds. Yet Ezekiel 34 tells us that one way or another they abused their position and failed in their duty. So he says that God himself would shepherd his people and that he would do this through his servant David (Ezekiel 34:23-24). God did not want his people to be sheep without a shepherd (1 Kings 22:17).

Against this background, Jesus spoke of himself as the good shepherd. Whereas the Pharisees of Jesus’ day had ejected the formerly blind beggar, Jesus had not only restored the man’s sight, but had reached out to him. As the good shepherd, Jesus calls his sheep and knows each by name. In the same way that Jesus and God the Father know one another, so Jesus knows each one of us who belongs to him. Furthermore, he is the truly best of shepherds in that he was willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice by laying down his life on behalf of the sheep (10:11). The word for indicates that Jesus died instead of, or in the place of, the sheep so that we might have life, and have it abundantly (10:10).

Prayer

Almighty God, the protector of all who put their trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: increase and multiply your mercy upon us, so that with you as our shepherd, ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal that we finally lose not the things eternal: grant this, heavenly Father, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (BCP, Trinity 4 – adapted)

Daily Reading Plan

Read John 10:1-21

A Spiritual Re-Awakening…? Day 19 -Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

A Spiritual Re-Awakening? Day 18 Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

by | Mar 26, 2019 | 2019 Lenten Series

Day 18 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)

Read

John 9:35-41


35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Reflect

As John’s Gospel progresses he increasingly pushes us towards making a decision about Jesus. In chapter 9 four conversations unfold following the healing of the blind beggar. The final one (9:36-37) is possibly the most beautiful in the whole of the Gospel. The man who had been ejected from the synagogue by the religious leaders, was now sought out by Jesus. ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ Jesus asked. The man’s response was candid: ‘Who is he that I may believe?’

‘You have seen him,’ Jesus said. ‘The one who is speaking to you is he.’

We can only begin to imagine the awesome implications of what Jesus said that day. And the man responded: ‘Lord, I believe.’ John tells us that he worshiped Jesus as though he were God. There are few mountain peaks higher than this in John’s Gospel. The man had progressed from the first conversation where he called Jesus, the man (9:11), to the second where he spoke of Jesus as a prophet (9:17), to the third where he could say, This man must be from God (9:33). Now he worshiped him as Lord.

It’s a picture of the road many of us travel as our understanding of Jesus is awakened. We come to agree that Jesus was a man – he did live; then we see that he’s more than a man – he’s a prophet; then, that he’s much more than a prophet – he must be from God. He is God. He is my Lord.

Prayer

Almighty God, you wonderfully created men and women in your own image and have now more wonderfully rescued and restored them. Grant us, we pray, that as your Son our Lord Jesus Christ was made in our likeness, so may we share his divine nature; we ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (1978 AAPB, Second Sunday after Christmas – adapted)

Daily Reading Plan

Read John 9:24-41

A Spiritual Re-Awakening…? Day 19 -Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

A Spiritual Re-Awakening? Day 17 Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

by | Mar 25, 2019 | 2019 Lenten Series

Day 17 (Monday, March 25, 2019)

Read

John 9:1-7


1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

Reflect

A blind man begging on the side of the road was a familiar sight in ancient Palestine. But this man wasn’t blind because of the dusty roads and disease-laden air. He had been born blind. In answer to the disciples’ question about who was to blame, Jesus responded by pointing to the purpose of this man’s blindness; it was so that God’s power through Jesus to give sight to the blind might be revealed. Here and elsewhere Jesus implies that physical blindness is an outcome of living in a fallen world.

Jesus’ stunning miracle is told simply. It is another occasion when he didn’t look for any expression of faith: he just took the initiative and acted. When the man obeyed Jesus’ instructions, he came back seeing. Imagine how this narrative would be reported today. ‘How did you feel?’ would be the question. But John wants us to focus on Jesus’ action, not the man’s feelings.

 As the chapter unfolds, it becomes increasingly apparent that the man had not only been physically blind, he was also spiritually blind. In a conversation with the neighbors (9:8-12) immediately following his healing we get the sense that when he’d gone home everyone was talking at once – some saying it was the blind beggar while others were saying it couldn’t be. ‘How can you see?’ was their question when he affirmed that he was the former blind beggar. His response is simple and direct: ‘The man Jesus healed me.’ It’s a moving, straightforward testimony, one that we who call ourselves God’s people might emulate.

Prayer

Merciful Lord, let your glory shine upon your Church; so that, enlightened by the teaching of your blessed apostle and evangelist Saint John, we may walk in the light of your truth and come at last to the splendor of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, St. John the Evangelist)

Daily Reading Plan

Read John 9:1-23

A Spiritual Re-Awakening…? Day 19 -Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

A Spiritual Re-Awakening? Sunday 3 Song of Mary

by | Mar 24, 2019 | 2019 Lenten Series

SUNDAY 3 – Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-55)

Read

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord: my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant: from this day all generations will call me blessed; 
the Almighty has done great things for me: and holy is his name.

He has mercy on|those who fear him: in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm:
he has scattered the proud in their conceit. 


He has cast down the mighty from their thrones: and has lifted up the lowly. 


He has filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel: for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers:
to Abraham and his children forever.

Glory to God: Father Son and Holy Spirit;
As in the beginning so now: and forever Amen.

A Spiritual Re-Awakening…? Day 19 -Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

A Spiritual Re-Awakening? Day 16 Lenten Readings & Reflections through John’s Gospel

by | Mar 23, 2019 | 2019 Lenten Series

Day 16 (Saturday, March 23, 2019)

Read

John 8:31-32


31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Reflect

In a world where we expect to get everything now, the idea of perseverance seems foreign. Yet this is the key to what Jesus is saying in these verses. He understood human nature. He knew how many people were attracted to him because of the miracles he performed or the unexpected words he uttered (so, John 8:30). But he also knew about human fickleness and how easily we shift our attention from one celebrity to another. It’s one thing to be infatuated with someone, but quite another to form a long-term relationship. And yet this is what Jesus wants: he wants us to form a relationship with him that holds firm through tough times as well as good times.

Notice that he wants us to continue in his word. We’ve already seen Jesus’ insistence on our need to know the truth – about who God is and what he expects of his followers. This truth is not just ‘head knowledge’. It is a knowledge that awakens, drives and frames our relationship with God, impacting our mind, conscience, will and heart. So, as with any relationship, we need to work at knowing God better – in this case through his special self-revelation in the Bible. Furthermore, as with any relationship, we need to persevere with it, even when things don’t seem to be going our way. Jesus is not asking us to join him in a one hundred yards sprint, but in the marathon of life. The extraordinary thing is that when we do this he frees us from our bondage to self-interest and sin and opens our lives up increasingly to enjoy life as we were meant to live.

Prayer

Almighty God, give us grace so that we may cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light now in the time of this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came amongst us in great humility: so that on the last day, when he comes again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, Advent – adapted)

Daily Reading Plan

Read John 8:31-59