November 15 / John 17:1-18:11; Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53

John 17;
Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-11

How would you define “eternal life”? Would you say, “living forever” or “not dying” or perhaps “going on living, even after dying”? Or maybe it’s “going to heaven (and not hell)”. We could build a pretty good case for any of these notions from various Bible verses. Yet the core of eternal life is missing from them. Jesus gives it to us here in His “High Priestly Prayer” to His Father:

And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.

John 17:3

So, do we know God? Or do we just know a bit about God?

See also:

One more thing…

I don’t think we can come anywhere close to imagining the agony Jesus faces in the Garden of Gethsemane. All our attempts at description or portrayal are flawed in one way or another and fall far short. But that does not mean that we should not try to enter in, try to relate to Him, try to join Him in His struggle to submit His will to the Father’s. So even if you think you are familiar with this story, spend some extra time with Jesus in Gethsemane today.

November 14 / John 14-16

John 14-16

Once again the Gospel of John overwhelms us, like trying to get a drink from a firehose. I would therefore urge us all to spend some extra time — quite a lot of extra time — on these few chapters of John (and the next), prayerfully reading and rereading what Jesus has to say and letting it all soak in.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

I expect that most of us are somewhat familiar with this verse. We’ve read it before, multiple times. We’ve heard it before, too, with sermons on the vine and branches, bearing fruit, etc. And we nod our heads in assent to the truth of Jesus’ words. But my own lived experience, coupled with my observation of many others, is that we continually need to be reminded of this truth, because otherwise we have a tremendous capacity to try to “live the Christian life” on our own. Oh, yes, we may pray for Jesus’ assistance, but when it comes right down to it, where “the rubber meets the road”, we try to go it alone. Yet Jesus tells us right here that any attempt to follow Him while disconnected from Him is futile — for apart from Me you can do nothing! So we need to carefully evaluate our relationship with Jesus Himself. Are we abiding in Him? Is He abiding in us? If not, then our best efforts will only turn us into Pharisees, and I think we all know that does not end well. So it is time to lay aside the burden of striving to follow Jesus without Jesus. Let Him in. Let Him lead. Let Him do.

See also:

November 13 / Matthew 26:17-35; Mark 14:12-31; Luke 22:7-38; John 13

Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-30; John 13:18-30;
John 13:1-17, 31-35;
Matthew 26:30-35; Mark 14:26-31; Luke 22:31-38; John 13:36-38

In today’s readings, Jesus employs two tremendous physical activities to build up and instruct His disciples (including us). He establishes the Sacrament of Holy Communion, feeding us with His body and blood, and He washes the disciples’ feet. With both actions, He says words that we are to take to heart:

Take, eat; this is My body.

Matthew 26:26b (cf., Mark 14:22b; Luke 22:19b)

Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 26:27b-28 (cf., Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20b)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34-35

Yet it would seem that we are poor listeners. Large swaths of the (Protestant) Church treat Communion as mere memorialism, devoid of any notion that Christ might really be present in the bread and wine. How would things change if we all were to truly discern the Body and Blood of Christ? And what would the Church look like (or the whole world, for that matter) if we Christians were to — shock of shocks! — actually love one another as Christ has loved us?!

Hmmm. Maybe we need to again listen to Jesus and actually do what He says.

See also:

November 12 / John 12:20-50; Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:1-11; Luke 22:1-6

John 12:20-50;
Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:1-11; Luke 22:1-6

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

John 12:24-25

This is not the first time we’ve heard such a thing from Jesus. Consider these other times:

And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 10:38-39

Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26 (cf., Mark 8:34-37; Luke 9:23-25)

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.

Luke 17:33

Do you think that maybe Jesus thinks this is something we need to hear? Do you think that maybe we each need to die in order to enter into real life? But note that Jesus does not ask of us anything that He Himself is unwilling to do. His own Cross is rapidly approaching!

See also:

One more thing…

A few days ago I gave you all some homework. I explained that, in my opinion, John 12:2-8, Matthew 26:6-13, and Mark 14:3-9 all describe the same event while Luke 7:36-50 depicts a different, much earlier anointing, but I speculate that the cast of characters in these two different events is the same. Your homework was to consider that notion and fill in the blanks between Luke’s account and these later accounts. So, what did you come up with? Here are a few of my thoughts:

  • In Luke, the host is “Simon the Pharisee”. In Matthew and Mark, the host is “Simon the Leper”. If this is the same “Simon”, then our arrogant Pharisee has fallen from his high position to one of outcast. Given that he is now the host, he must have been healed of that leprosy. Who might have healed him? How might Simon’s experience have changed his attitudes, both toward Jesus and toward others?
  • In John, Martha serves the dinner, suggesting that she lives in the house. Is Martha then married to Simon (the host)? Or is she perhaps Simon’s daughter? (If she is Simon’s daughter, then that makes Mary his daughter, too — and Lazarus his son.)
  • In Luke, “the woman” clearly has a bad reputation — certainly in the eyes of Simon the Pharisee. Now consider that this woman is Mary, Martha’s sister (and Simon’s sister-in-law or daughter?). Think about the family dynamics, with Mary as the (repentant) “black sheep” of the family. How might that play into the additional scene where Martha serves and Mary sits at Jesus’ feet in Luke 10:38-42?
  • In Luke, “the woman”, grateful for forgiveness, uses some of the ointment from her alabaster flask to anoint Jesus. She is clearly dedicated to Jesus. Now Mary breaks that alabaster flask (Mark 14:3) and pours out all its contents. Her relationship with Jesus has gone from dedication to total devotion.

By the way, I want to re-emphasize that this is all pure speculation, so there is no basis for dogma here. We need to carefully distinguish between what Scripture actually says and what we imagine. The same goes for various artistic works like The Chosen. I highly recommend that video series, which provides an excellent portrayal of Jesus and His followers. But always keep in mind what bits are truly drawn from Scripture and which are artistic license — and don’t substitute the latter for the former.

November 11 / Matthew 24:36-25:46; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 21:34-38

Matthew 24:36-25:46; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 21:34-38

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 24:44 (cf., Luke 12:40)

Are you ready for Christ’s return? Are you awake and watchful? No? Why not? Perhaps you think that since He has delayed thus far that He will continue to delay even longer, maybe indefinitely. Maybe He will delay — or maybe He won’t. You don’t know. But even if He delays another thousand years, you still don’t know when your own final day will come. And we should all recognize that we cannot push that one off indefinitely. So, are you ready?

See also:

November 10 / Matthew 24:1-35; Mark 13:1-31; Luke 21:5-33

Matthew 24:1-35; Mark 13:1-31; Luke 21:5-33

As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?”

Matthew 24:3

The remainder of Matthew 24-25 is Jesus’ response to these questions, and what He says must be puzzling to the disciples. From where we sit, looking back upon the Resurrection and Ascension and 2,000 years of history, we immediately (and properly) interpret “Your coming” as the Second Coming of Christ, which remains in our future. The disciples, though, do not yet understand that there is to be a Second Coming. Despite Jesus’ prior statements, they do not yet understand that the Cross is just days away. They remain bewildered by His talk of the Resurrection, and they most certainly do not anticipate the Ascension. So they are not (yet) looking for a return of Christ — He’s right there! — but more of a broad revelation of Christ, with attendant glory and Kingship, victory over their oppressors, and the end of the age, ushering in a new world order a la Isaiah 11-12, 65:17-25.

Little do the disciples expect Jesus’ answer to range over millennia into the future, but that is what they get. Much of what Jesus says is fulfilled about 40 years hence with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Some of what Jesus says is fulfilled somewhat continually throughout history (e.g., wars and rumors of wars), with various periods when one might well interpret events as boding Christ’s imminent return (e.g., the fall of Rome, the Black Death, Hitler). And, of course, we are still looking for the global revelation of the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Mt. 24:30)

As I said a couple of weeks ago, Jesus is the ultimate Realist. He does not paint a pretty picture. He speaks of tribulation and distress, of lawlessness and peril and suffering. He urges us to put away all illusions (or delusions) that the world is friendly and benign. We do not live in “Leave It to Beaver land”. We need to face that reality and not panic when the whole world goes to pot. Nor should we be led astray by false reports of some “christ” over here or over there. (Mt. 24:23-25) But we should most definitely pay attention to what is going on in the world and anticipate His return, with full assurance that what Jesus says will stand forever. (Mt. 24:32-35)

See also:

November 9 / Matthew 22:23-23:39; Mark 12:18-44; Luke 20:27-21:4

Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40;
Matthew 22:34-46; Mark 12:28-37; Luke 20:41-44;
Matthew 23:1-39; Mark 12:38-44; Luke 20:45-21:4

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

Matthew 23:13a,15a,23a,25a,27a,29a

Jesus gives the scribes and Pharisees quite a tongue lashing, calling them hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, a brood of vipers. How is it, then, that we can read these words and still so often live more like the Pharisees than like Jesus? Might a little self-evaluation be in order? Let Matthew 23 roll around in your head today and see whether anything Jesus says finds its mark in you yourself. To that end, have a listen to “Alas for You”, the Godspell musical version of this chapter.

See also:

November 8 / Matthew 21:23-22:22; Mark 11:27-12:17; Luke 20:1-26

Matthew 21:23-32; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8;
Matthew 21:33-22:14; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19;
Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’? [Psalm 118:22-23]
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they held Him to be a prophet.

Matthew 21:42-46

Jesus makes this reference to Psalm 118 at the conclusion of the Parable of the Tenants (or Wicked Vinedressers), and it is clear to all that Jesus is speaking about the religious authorities — the Pharisees, the chief priests, the scribes, the elders — and their rejection of Him. They are the builders, and He is the rejected Stone. They are the wicked vinedressers, and He is the murdered Son. But do the religious authorities rethink their position? Do they take an honest look at themselves, at Jesus, at the Scriptures, and at the evidence? No. They just further harden their already hard hearts.

Jesus knows full well where He is headed. He knows that His words rankle the authorities. He knows He is not going to win them over. None of this is a surprise to Him. And He presses on, speaking the Truth — all in obedience to the Father.

So what are you going to do with this Stone today — not yesterday or tomorrow, but today? Are you going to push Him aside, looking for a better option? Or is He your Cornerstone?

See also:

November 7 / Matthew 21:1-22; Mark 11:1-26; Luke 19:28-48; John 12:12-19

Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19;
Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:12-19; Luke 19:45-48;
Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:20-26

As He was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Luke 19:37-40

Let’s not be the Pharisees. Let’s recognize our King and not leave it to the stones to do all the praising!

See also:

One more thing…

With today’s readings we enter into Holy Week, the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. We’ve spent about three weeks reading about Jesus’ first 33 years, particularly His three years of ministry. Now we’ll spend about two weeks focused on this last week of His life. Perhaps we already know the story, maybe even very well. Or maybe we don’t know it (or Him) well enough…

November 6 / Matthew 20:17-34; Mark 10:32-52; Luke 18:31-19:27; John 12:1-11

Matthew 20:17-28; Mark 10:32-45; Luke 18:31-34;
Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-19:27;
John 12:1-11

You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:42b-45

I memorized that last verse (Mark 10:45) 40+ years ago as part of a series of verses illuminating Who Jesus is. Here we see Him as the ultimate Servant, laying down His life for us, the many. We, of course, find tremendous comfort in that. And we are in awe (or should be in awe) that the King of the universe would do such a thing as to come and serve us puny humans. Glory!

But although I memorized that specific verse, I’ve never bothered to memorize the preceding verses, and so I’ve never really retained the context for Jesus’ description of Himself as a Servant. That context indicates that He is acting as our Example, that we are to follow in His steps in servanthood. Hmmm. Now Jesus is meddling, rubbing us the wrong way. It’s fine if He wants to serve us. It’s not so fine when He expects us to serve one another. But that’s what He says. So, James and John (and you and I), do you want to sit at Jesus’ side in His glory? Then become the lowliest of servants here and now.

See also:

One more thing…

I am of the opinion that Jesus’ anointing by Mary of Bethany described in John 12:2-8 is the same incident as given in Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9, which we won’t get to for nearly a week. I think The Chronological Study Bible leads us a bit astray here by separating these readings by several days, implying that they are two separate events. John 12:1 says that Jesus arrives in Bethany 6 days before the Passover. John 12:2 does not say that the dinner at which Mary anoints Jesus is held that very night. We all know that none of the Gospel writers feel compelled to present their material in chronological order, and John happens to present this vignette a bit early (or, conversely, Matthew and Mark may present the anointing a bit late). Hence, I think it would have been better for us to push John 12:2-8 later, reading those verses alongside the Matthew and Mark accounts a few days hence (or vice versa), but that’s OK.

By the way, I am also of the opinion that the anointing described in Luke 7:36-50 is indeed a separate, much earlier event, so I was glad to see The Chronological Study Bible cover that when we did. Now, some food for thought… I speculate (and it is pure speculation — no dogma here!) that the cast of characters is the same. That is, “Simon the Pharisee” in Luke is (speculatively) “Simon the Leper” in Matthew and Mark. And it is (speculatively) the same woman throughout all four accounts, Mary of Bethany. Now, here’s your homework: Assuming that my speculation is true (and it may not be!), fill in the blanks between Luke’s incident and this later incident as given in Matthew, Mark, and John…