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Pastor's Reflection of the Day
The gospel of John has taken us along the road to Jerusalem as we read about Jesus and the disciples on their way to the cross. In today's reading, chapter 19, Jesus is crucified.
I wasn't quite sure exactly what I wanted to reflect on today that wouldn't turn into a full-blown Holy Week kind of sermon. So, I do what I always do when I'm not sure what to say: I read what someone else has to say about it!
So in my trusty NIB Commentary on John's gospel, I read this: ". . . the Fourth Evangelist narrates Jesus' death with dignity, respect, and solemnity. There is none of the turmoil of the Synoptic accounts--no jeering crowds, no loud cry when Jesus dies." It seems that he provides no narrative details that will distract us from the bare bones story of crucifixion.
I don't think I ever noticed that before. When I imagine the crucifixion, there are always jeering crowds and sobbing women and people standing in stunned silence. But John gives us a pretty sparse account; it covers barely more than a couple of verses. The picture John paints for his readers is "Jesus' serene and controlled gift of his life in love" (NIB).
I kinda like that. We know that Jesus gave up his life willingly for us; I like the idea of it being a serene (though surely painful) death. Only God could die in such a way under such circumstances, which might actually be the point the gospel writer is trying to make . . . the crucifixion "marks the completion of Jesus' work of making God known to the world" (NIB). What more could Jesus possibly have done to make Himself known to the world?!
So, if you're looking for an excuse to ignore the leaves that you really should rake (like in my front yard!) here's a little homework assignment: try looking at all the crucifixion scenes in the gospels. What might the writers be trying to say about the way they portray Jesus' death?
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Salvation By Trickery
Hello, sunshine! Glad you stopped by to check in on the 2009 Year of the Bible blog. The sun is bright, but I hear the wind howling away.
The sprint through Holy Week is about to begin. If you're not already planning on it, I encourage you to attend worship tomorrow for Palm (Passion) Sunday in your local congregation. We are about to celebrate the greatest miracle the world has even seen: resurrection!
No time to waste; we all have lots of things to do today. Let's get down to business. . .
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Fri, Apr 3 To whom does God show kindness? To whom does God show sternness? (Rom 11)
Sat: Joshua 8:19 19 As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.
And here's the question of the day:
Sat, Apr 4 How did Joshua and the Israelites conquer the city of Ai? (Josh 8)
And here's the reflection of the day:
In the today's reading from Josh 9, we hear the story of the Gibeonites who, also anticipating Israel's march toward their cities, decide it is time to be pro-active. They create a ruse, tricking the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them. Once the Israelites discover the ruse, they are forced to NOT do what the Lord has commanded them (called "the ban"), which is to conquer all the people living in the Promised Land.
If you remember in the story of Rahab in Josh 2, a very unlikely woman puts herself in the position to be able to bargain with the Israelite spies in order to save her family from certain death. She had heard the Israelites were on the move in Jericho's direction and acted swiftly and cunningly.
Salvation by trickery strikes again.
It seems that the author of Joshua has some admiration for the underdogs in these stories, don't you think? In these stories of tricks and ruses, we see the echoes of Jacob and Joseph and Tamar, other Old Testament figures who also gained notoriety through their devious ways.
But what about us? Do we admire these folks for their ingenuity, "glad to see them gain salvation, even by dishonest means?" (Creach, Joshua, p. 88). OR, do we see them like those sneaky vineyard workers, who were hired at the end of the day and earned as much as those who have been working all day long? (Mt 20:1-16)? Are we glad for them or are does it seem like they are receiving something they do not deserve?
Scholars debate whether what Rahab and the Gibeonites received was safety or salvation. For our interpretive purposes, let's assume we're talking about salvation.
In which case, we must remember that no one deserves or earns God's grace. . . that is a gift which He freely bestowed "while we were still sinners," to borrow from Romans 5.
This story is "good news" for those who feel like they don't fit the "church mold." It is an illustration that God's love is far bigger than we usually give Him credit for.
Have a great day!
Allison
The sprint through Holy Week is about to begin. If you're not already planning on it, I encourage you to attend worship tomorrow for Palm (Passion) Sunday in your local congregation. We are about to celebrate the greatest miracle the world has even seen: resurrection!
No time to waste; we all have lots of things to do today. Let's get down to business. . .
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Fri, Apr 3 To whom does God show kindness? To whom does God show sternness? (Rom 11)
Sat: Joshua 8:19 19 As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.
And here's the question of the day:
Sat, Apr 4 How did Joshua and the Israelites conquer the city of Ai? (Josh 8)
And here's the reflection of the day:
In the today's reading from Josh 9, we hear the story of the Gibeonites who, also anticipating Israel's march toward their cities, decide it is time to be pro-active. They create a ruse, tricking the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them. Once the Israelites discover the ruse, they are forced to NOT do what the Lord has commanded them (called "the ban"), which is to conquer all the people living in the Promised Land.
If you remember in the story of Rahab in Josh 2, a very unlikely woman puts herself in the position to be able to bargain with the Israelite spies in order to save her family from certain death. She had heard the Israelites were on the move in Jericho's direction and acted swiftly and cunningly.
Salvation by trickery strikes again.
It seems that the author of Joshua has some admiration for the underdogs in these stories, don't you think? In these stories of tricks and ruses, we see the echoes of Jacob and Joseph and Tamar, other Old Testament figures who also gained notoriety through their devious ways.
But what about us? Do we admire these folks for their ingenuity, "glad to see them gain salvation, even by dishonest means?" (Creach, Joshua, p. 88). OR, do we see them like those sneaky vineyard workers, who were hired at the end of the day and earned as much as those who have been working all day long? (Mt 20:1-16)? Are we glad for them or are does it seem like they are receiving something they do not deserve?
Scholars debate whether what Rahab and the Gibeonites received was safety or salvation. For our interpretive purposes, let's assume we're talking about salvation.
In which case, we must remember that no one deserves or earns God's grace. . . that is a gift which He freely bestowed "while we were still sinners," to borrow from Romans 5.
This story is "good news" for those who feel like they don't fit the "church mold." It is an illustration that God's love is far bigger than we usually give Him credit for.
Have a great day!
Allison
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