"Where is your Father?"

John 8:12-20 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” 19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

***

In the Book of Genesis, God’s first act of creation is to utter the words: “Let there be light.” And in that moment, Scripture says, light broke forth, manifesting to a newborn world the limitless imagination and profound power of our Creator. At the outset of the Gospel of John, Jesus is compared to an inextinguishable light that shined in the midst of immense darkness. And in the passage above, Jesus describes himself as such, saying, “I am the light of the world.” But that’s not all! As usual, Jesus doesn’t just want to tell us about himself or his mission, he wants us to join with him and to share in his life by conforming our own to his teaching and example: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I can’t help but think about how profound a connection this is—that light is the first sign of God’s presence at the start of Scripture, and is now what Jesus calls himself and promises to all those who will follow him. Surely, this deeply symbolic and hopeful connection from ancient times to Jesus’ own time would have been appreciated and celebrated by his own people, right? Well, not exactly. As we read in the passage, the Pharisees’ preoccupation over whether Jesus’ testimony about himself can be validated without being seconded leads Jesus to rebuke them more than once: “You have no idea where I come from,” says Jesus, and “You do not know me or my father.” Clearly, the Pharisees are in the dark about who Jesus is and what he’s about. So what about you and me? Are we like the Pharisees? After all, they were folks who went to church, tried to follow the rules, and took God’s word seriously. And yet, according to Jesus in this passage, they didn’t even know his Father, the God of Israel, the God the Pharisees thought felt they knew better than most. Even though I do my best to make it to Eucharist every Sunday and obey the law of the land, do I know Jesus when I see him? Do I allow myself to get close enough to people around me who are sick, suffering, vulnerable, or unfairly judged? Because, as Jesus teaches us elsewhere in the gospels, this isn’t only where he is in our own times, but it’s who he is—he is with and he is in the least of our brothers and sisters. As our Lenten journey continues, may we pray each and every day to grow in the knowledge of Jesus. To be able to recognize him in our world, respond to him, and in so doing, come to better know him. Perhaps we’ll decide to commit to a particular work of outreach ministry we’ve been thinking about for awhile. Maybe there’s a coworker whose trials and tribulations could use a more responsive or sympathetic ear. Or is there someone we’ve hurt who deserves a sincere apology? In these ways, by drawing near to others who call out of us charity, mercy, or humility, we meet Jesus where he is, and then we can come to truly know him. And in knowing him, we follow him. And by following him, we come to share in the radiance of that approaching Easter light—light which penetrated the darkness at the dawn of creation…light which came into the world through Jesus and could not be snuffed out…light which brightens the human spirit when we can encounter Jesus in others, and allow him to be encountered in ourselves.

Pools of Beth-zatha

John 5:1-18

1After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralysed. 5One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ 7The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ 8Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ 9At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.
Now that day was a sabbath. 10So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.’ 11But he answered them, ‘The man who made me well said to me, “Take up your mat and walk.” ’ 12They asked him, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Take it up and walk”?’ 13Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.’ 15The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. 17But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working.’ 18For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

***

There is so much packed into this one piece of scripture, that it's hard to know where to start. It is hard not to focus exclusively on the sick old man. For 38 years, this man whom Jesus heals has been sitting around, bemoaning the fact that he cannot get to the pools quickly enough. Those darn whippersnappers always get there before him when the water is stirred up. And no one will come and carry him over to the pools because they're all too busy focusing on their own needs. I've always found this man an odd candidate for Jesus' healing touch. Surely there was someone else at the pool that day that had a purer heart, a more sympathetic story, led a more holy life. But Jesus chooses this man. What point was he trying to make? To me it's significant that the man is healed not by some abstract miracle but because he follows Jesus' instruction to get up and walk over to the pool with his own mat. Jesus challenges the man to take responsibility for himself, to believe that he can and will be healed, and once he listens to Jesus and follows his command, it is so.

It's tempting to look at this example and say "But, I'm not paralyzed, what relevance does this have for me?" The relevance to our everyday lives, I think, is composed of two things. First, the ever important cliche that God helps those who help themselves. How often do we find ourselves mired in a situation simply waiting for someone else to save us and whisk us out of it without ever really trying to get up and walk away with our proverbial mat? Second, and for me the greater temptation, is to say, "Well, it was easy for the old man. Jesus walked up to him and told him what to do. I lack that kind of clarity in my life." But here's the kicker: we read on and realize that the old man had no idea that he was speaking to Jesus. Until he saw him again, he was simply unaware that he'd been visited by the son of God. So, why did this man, this apparent sinner, follow Jesus' command to do precisely that which - for 38 years - he did not believe he could do? More importantly for each of us, what is it that we believe we cannot do? What is it God is telling us to conquer, to attempt to overcome, to change for ourselves during this season of repentance and renewal? May God give us all the peace, clarity and wisdom to find that thing and follow his will.

Bonus pictures of the pools at Bethesda! - http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/Bethesda.html

A seed on good soil

Mark 3:31-4:9

³¹Then [Jesus’] mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. ³²A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” ³³And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

¹Again [Jesus] began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. ²He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ³“Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. ⁶And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. ⁸Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” ⁹And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

***

In several of his letters to Christian communities throughout the ancient Near East, Saint Paul calls his readers “brothers and sisters in Christ.” This phrase has been passed down for nearly two millennia among Christians, emphasizing a special kind of spiritual kinship we share as men and women baptized in Jesus’ name. However, according to Jesus’ own conviction at the conclusion of chapter 3 of Mark’s gospel, we not only have the chance to be like brothers and sisters to each other, but we can actually become brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ himself: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister…” This is no small or purely sentimental statement on Jesus’ part, either. Earlier in chapter 3, Jesus’ family members are concerned about the increasingly public and confrontational things Jesus has said and done. Talk of Jesus being mentally disturbed, or even possessed by a demon, prompts his family to act. Amid all of this talk and worry, Jesus’ family decides to go find him and “restrain him” (see Mark 3:19b-22). When his family members eventually arrived and sent Jesus a message that they were outside and wanted to talk to him, his response was no doubt as jarring as it was hurtful: “ ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’ ”

As was already said once, you and I have the chance not just to be called brothers and sisters in Jesus’ name, but also to become true brothers and sisters to Jesus himself if we are willing to seek out and do the will of God. Apparently, as Jesus’ sobering response to his family indicates in the passage, their attempts to keep him out of the public eye and spared from further ridicule, however well intentioned they may have been, was not what God willed. So, how do we avoid that same pitfall; or, in other words, how do we try and seek out what God’s wills (or, wants) for us and then do it? Perhaps Jesus’ parable at the start of chapter 4 can orient us in the right direction. In the story, a sower casts his seed over every type of ground. In several spots the seeds ultimately don’t stand a chance—they face scorching heat, have shallow roots, or succumb to encroaching thorn bushes. As we all know, however, some seeds are lucky enough to make it into fertile ground, where they could sprout robustly to become plants yielding a plentiful harvest. Surely, what God wants for us is to be like these seeds which grow so freely and abundantly!

During our Lenten journey, then, maybe we need to keep our eyes focused not just on the end of the road—which is our sharing in Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection—but also on the type of ground we’re walking on, too! We have to notice the ground around us; what kind of soil makes up the path we’re treading this Lent? Are we seeking out fertile ground for ourselves, so that God can nurture the seeds of faith, hope, and love that have been planted in our lives? Are we encouraging others to seek out equally fertile ground, so that God can nurture these same seeds as they’ve been sown in the lives of our friends, family, neighbors, roommates, coworkers, students? Or if I, like a seed with shallow roots, started Lent off with the best of intentions about keeping a certain discipline, but soon failed to stay true to it, am I willing to ask God to help deepen my roots so I can recommit to seeing my discipline through the remainder of the season? Or if I, like a seed that could be choked by thorns, find myself surrounded by certain people or activities that are belittling or even hurting me, can I find someone trustworthy to talk to about confronting this situation before it causes any more harm?

These sorts of questions are especially meaningful during Lent because Jesus himself always equated the forgiveness of sins with experiences of profound empowerment and healing. So, if we feel like our roots are shallow, or we feel we’re being choked, or we feel parched from lack of nourishment, this is a perfect time to reach out to our brother Jesus, and to all our other brothers and sisters who we have through him, for help, healing, refreshment, or whatever else we may need. If we seek to live life in this way—to live and grow and be strengthened in fertile ground—we will be well on our way to doing the holy will of God as brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus.

Jesus at Passover

John 2:23-3:15 (NAB)

While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"
Jesus answered, "Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can this happen?"


Jesus answered and said to him, "You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

***

The closing verses of chapter 2 of the Gospel of John remind me of a modern thriller or mystery novel; they have an ominous sense to them worthy of a chapter closing penned by Stephen King. Jesus knows what is coming - He is about to see a demonstration of the darkest parts of human nature, ending in His own death for the sins of humanity. You can practically hear the scary music. If this were a movie, people would be yelling, "No! DON'T GO IN THE TEMPLE!" at the screen.Our Lenten journey is a little bit like that trip into the basement, or back into the house, or wherever the movie villain is lurking with weapon ready. We need to travel through that dark place just as Jesus traveled through death, before we can come out into light and safety and share in His resurrection. And just as (most) horror movie villains are human, so too is our personal darkness a part of our human nature, a reflection of the parts of ourselves we don't like to look at very carefully most of the time.This reflection of Jesus's flows directly into the story of Nicodemus, who demonstrates a very human response to what he is being told. If nature abhors a vacuum, human nature abhors a mystery it can't solve. Nicodemus lives in a very literal world. He understands physical birth from the womb of the mother, and descent into Sheol upon physical death. The concepts of new birth, through water and Spirit, a birth that has nothing to do with flesh and can happen at any time in a person's lifetime, and of ascent into heaven, are mysteries he cannot unravel in literal, earthly terms. Because of this, he finds it difficult to accept the message Jesus is offering.Like Nicodemus, we are asked to take on faith the concepts of new birth in baptism - which we cannot see, although we can witness the outward signs of ritual, and which produces no physical change in the baptized - the salvation of the spirit, and eternal life. These are mysteries that we know we will never solve during our earthly lives. Because of this we may struggle - we are human, and it can be difficult to believe in things that cannot be proven to our physical, human eyes. Our nature is to question, and to have to strive not only to understand the message brought to us by Jesus, but to accept the presence of mystery in that message. This is the mystery that we re-enact each year as we travel through the forty days of Lent. By traveling through death with Jesus we die to the old life as we did in baptism, and in the process we reflect on the sins and the darker parts of our nature - the fear, doubt, and weakness - that tie us to the flesh rather than the spirit. We have faith that just as we emerge into joy on Easter morning, so we will also emerge someday with Jesus into the brightness of eternal life. If we start trying to understand this in our literal earthly terms (where is Heaven anyway? somewhere in the Earth's atmosphere? can we see it from space?) we will be as lost as Nicodemus. We have to accept the mystery in order to share in the joy, because what is being offered to us is beyond all human understanding.

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

Mark 2:18-22 (NIV)

¹⁸ Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. ²⁰ But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

²¹ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. ²²And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

***

According to some commentary I was reading regarding this passage, Jesus was not a fan of the ceremonial law that encouraged fasting on prescribed days. He would certainly fast during his lifetime, but not because the laws said so. His disciples were joyful and didn't NEED to fast because their savior was here! They equated fasting with pain and sorrow, and were experiencing none of that with Jesus in town. Therefore, like it would be inconceivable to sew a patch of unshrunk or brand new cloth onto an old garment, you wouldn't want to fast when you were happy.

We fast, or withhold things from ourselves during Lent today because it's a reminder of how indebted and dependent we are on God's saving grace and love. I think this hymn will help in looking at this passage.

THE GLORY OF THESE FORTY DAYS

The glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise;
For Christ, by Whom all things were made,
Himself has fasted and has prayed.

Alone and fasting Moses saw
The loving God Who gave the law;
And to Elijah, fasting, came
The steeds and chariots of flame.

So Daniel trained his mystic sight,
Delivered from the lions' might;
And John, the Bridegroom's friend, became
The herald of Messiah's Name.

Then grant us, Lord, like them to be
Full oft in fast and prayer with Thee;
Our spirits strengthen with Thy grace,
And give us joy to see Thy face.

O Father, Son, and Spirit blest,
To thee be every prayer addressed,
Who art in threefold Name adored,
From age to age, the only Lord.

Words Attributed to Gregory I, 6th century

Ash Wednesday

LUKE 18:9-14 (NRSV)
9[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. 11The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' 13But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."
***
As we begin our Lenten journey together, this parable from St. Luke's Gospel encapsulates a teaching of Jesus: "Be humble". In his story, Jesus equates being humble with a tax collector who acknowledges his sinfulness before God and asks for mercy. "I tell you," insists Jesus, "this man went home justified, rather than the [Pharisee]."
We all know why the Pharisee ends up on the outs in this parable, his prayer is totally conceited: "God, I thank you that I am not like other people...or even like this tax-collector." That's just wrong, to glance over at a fellow parishioner across the aisle from behind folded hands, then raise your eyes back to the heavens and mutter, "Thank God I'm not like him."
Notice, then, the significant distinction between the two prayers offered in this parable. The Pharisee gives thanks to God for what he is not, but the tax collector prays for God's mercy precisely because he admits to what he is. In a very real and human way, the tax collector's humility is a reflection of his ability to be honest with himself and with God.
And so, Jesus' parable extends an invitation to each of us. It is an invitation to begin Lent from a place of humble honesty. Do I have the humility to admit to the limits of my love and acceptance that sometimes cause me to fail in honoring God and my neighbor as I should? Am I honestly ready to trust in and accept God's promise of forgiveness, healing, and restoration if I choose to seek it?
As brothers and sisters in faith, let us both encourage and be encouraged by each other throughout Lent to ask God for such humility and honesty. And let us not forget the tax collector, who, knowing himself to be imperfect, went to the temple and was heard by God when he prayed: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

The 2011 Lenten Blog Begins

Beginning today, Ash Wednesday 2011, we'll be continuing the tradition of the Lenten Blog. This year, we'll have reflections on the Daily Office through the Lenten season, written by members of the Trivium community. We'll post new reflections on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout Lent, as well as on each day during Holy Week. So check back for insight, inspiration, and a shared Lenten discipline.