Good Morning.
Today’s Gospel reading contains the magnificent words from the first chapter of the Gospel of John. I want you think about just the last two sentences of that passage: “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. [John 1:17,18]”
We constantly argue about just who God is; about the different views of God that seem to be presented throughout scripture. Yet the history of God’s covenant relationship with humanity is clear: we kept getting it wrong. We kept looking for a god who would avenge us; who would justify our way of life; who would insure our wealth and power; who would strike down our enemies; whom we could worship by going through some prescribed ritualistic mumbo jumbo that we made up; whom we could mold to our liking. We wanted a god who wouldn’t challenge the injustices and hard-heartedness of our lives.
God gave us one more try. God sent Jesus to reveal to us who God wants us to be and who God is. I was never a big fan of the WWJD school of sloganeering mostly because so many people have not bothered to study Christ’s life enough to actually know what Jesus would do. It’s not about slogans. It’s not about rituals and other forms of mumbo jumbo. It’s not about one of us feeling superior to another and judging one another. It’s about sacrifice. It’s about kindness. It’s about forgiveness. It’s about a God who loves us so much that God gave the Son of God to us to show us the way to follow God; to please God; to worship God; to serve God.
Confused about who God is? Read the Gospel of John. In fact read all four Gospels. That’s how to start. All four Gospels in total are shorter than most modern novels. Read the Gospels. Pray about understanding what you read. Pray and listen to God’s answer. Pray and recognize the living presence of God in your daily life.
Prayer: Merciful God, open our eyes, our hearts, our minds that we may readily see You. Lead us through the revelation of Your will for us in the life and death and triumph of Jesus, the Messiah. Forgive our doubts. Forgive our idolatry. Help us to see all of Your creation through the eyes and the heart of Your Son. It is in His name that we pray. Amen.
Today’s readings are Judges 6:25-40; Acts 2:37-47; John 1:1-18; Psalm 80, 77 & 79.
Blessings.
Pastor Jim
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