Dead Man Walking

John writes his gospel with the expressed purpose of relating the story of Jesus so that the reader might believe. By the time we get to John's account of the raising of Lazarus, Jesus has already fed five thousand people, walked on water, healed a man born blind and a man who couldn't walk. Over and over he describes himself as God's son. John of course has described him as God himself, the word made flesh.

One would wonder why John needs to add the story of Lazarus. It certainly is likely the most spectacular of Jesus' miracles. Raising a man who had been dead, (and lots of people knew he was dead) after he had been in the grave for four days, seems like overkill. Shouldn't the other stories have been enough? All through the passage though, there seems to be a background of skepticism, an underlying "but". Maybe raising someone from the dead is not enough to inspire belief.

This Sunday we will look at what Lazarus' raising means for us today.

Great News at the Well

The third Sunday of Lent brings us to a Samaritan village and a conversation beside a well. This, like the conversation Jesus had will Nicodemus in last week`s text, is an odd conversation. It`s odd, not so much because of it`s content, but because of the people who are talking together. Jesus, a Jewish teacher, and a Samaritan woman. 

Jesus and the Samaritan woman, 12th century
C.E. Illuminated manuscript from the Jruchi Gospels II

While their social standing could not be further apart, Jesus does initiate conversation, makes himself vulnerable to this woman in his need for water. The conversation moves to deeper water as Jesus really ``sees`` the woman, her life, her struggles. Jesus forms a bond with her and in so doing is able to share the good news of the gospel with her.

This week, we will continue our Lenten journey thinking about how we can use the example of this exchange to change the way we communicate the gospel, share our faith, with those around us.

 

In the Darkness (John 3:1-17)

Jesus and Nicodemus by Crijn Hendricksz, 1616–1645

Nicodemus comes to see Jesus during the night. He likely does this so no one will see him meeting with this upstart teacher. He doesn't want anyone to know about the meeting but he feels he must go because he has questions that he really wants answered. Jesus is saying things that demand more investigation and Nicodemus is truly curious.

He arrives in the dark of night, and likely leaves just as much in the dark when it comes to having any clarity about who Jesus is and what it is that he is teaching. Their exchange, reported by John, seems quite unsatisfying. Their conversation just doesn't seem to meet, the questions and answers don't seem to match. Nicodemus, I'm sure, left frustrated.

Jesus was talking in heavenly terms while Nicodemus was trying to bring the conversation down to earth, down to his level. He needed to think bigger, think higher.

This Sunday, we will listen in on this dark of night conversation and see how it applies to us and our lives.

For God so loved the world.......