Home thoughts from abroad.wordpress.com

John 7: 1-13: Family matters (please click here for todays passage)

It is a dangerous thing to be a Christian in this world (7, 11, 13).The world hated Jesus, and it will hate those who walk in His steps and speak His words; those who expose it; who show it up for the dark and dismal place it is. People do not like conviction of sin. 

”The world has nothing against you, but it’s up in arms against me. It’s against me because I expose the evil behind its pretensions.” The Message.

So the opening verse of chapter 7 shows that it is fine to act wisely to protect yourself, so long as that does not conflict with doing God’s will. Jesus was willing to die, and He knew that He would, when it was the right ”time” (or ”hour”). This is a repeated theme in John’s gospel. (We will come across it again in verses 6-9). Jesus wanted all His movements to be according to a divine timetable. He wanted all He did to be in the will of God – not just His dying, but also His living. It seems that He could not have been too far behind His brothers in leaving for the ”Feast” (8). Even so, He was on a different timetable to them. Frank Laubach tells how he got to a place in life where regularly, during the day, he would ask God that he might do His will in what came next. To look to the Father in this way became a habit and pattern in this missionary’s life. Jesus was not going to take His orders from his brothers, however much He loved them. He was not under their authority.

”Live on God’s schedule and you will always have God’s help.” Warren W. Wieners be: ‘With the Word’, p.693.

There is encouragement here for all those who have family members who don’t understand them; who are out of sympathy with them because of their faith. Jesus’ brothers did ”not believe in him” (5). What they said to Him sounds hurtful. There is no indication in the Bible that Jesus ever ‘wanted’ to be ”a public figure” (4). They just did not ‘get’ Him at all. But it looks like later on, at some point – probably after His resurrection – his brothers came to faith (Acts 1:14). So don’t give up. Don’t stop praying for your family. Don’t lose heart. Keep living a life of dedication to God, and keep on shining His light into their darkness. It’s the kindest; most loving thing you can do for anyone.

There is, in this passage, another reminder that Jesus divides people (12, 13). So it will be until the end of time. This is one big reason why it is dangerous to be a believer.

”But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, ”You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” Psalm 31:14, 15.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be both courageous and wise. I don’t want cowardice to force me into hiding when I should be highly visible in my witness. But I do need the wisdom to know when to take a lower and quieter profile. Help me to know your will and timing in everything.

John 6:60-71: How to empty your church.(please click here for todays passage)

This morning I saw an extract on the news, of an interview with the newly appointed England football manager, Sam Allerdyce. He explained that he had developed a certain toughness through the years and gave every impression of a man relishing the challenge. He said with a smile, ”Bring it on boys!”

Leadership is tough, and it is an art to be able to have the hide of an elephant and yet retain the heart of a child. It’s a delicate balance to be able to combine softness and strength. A lot of us are not made of the sort of stuff that smilingly says, ”Bring it on.” We’d avoid it if we could.

But as a preacher you must be prepared to speak the ‘hard’ truth (60). You don’t have to be hard in your manner; but you must not put the hard truths of the gospel in a blender and mush them up.

As a leader you have to be prepared to face grumbling and offence (61). You won’t always be understood and you can’t always be popular.

In John 6, Jesus preached a message that emptied the church – well, almost. At the end of it He only had twelve left in His congregation. (Actually, He knew it was just eleven: verses 70, 71). But was He a success in God’s eyes? Of course He was! We can be too obsessed with growing numbers. The black and white stats don’t tell the whole story.

Methodist missionary to India, E. Stanley Jones tells this story:

”A Brahman came to me confidentially one day and said, ”Your addresses have been very much enjoyed, but there is one thing I would suggest. If you will preach Christ as a way, all right, but say that there may be other ways as well. If you do this, India will be at your feet.” I replied, thanking my brother for his concern, but said: ”I am not looking for popularity, and it is not a question what I should say. It is a question of what are the facts. They have the final word.” I should be glad, more than glad, if I could say that there are others who are saving men, but I know of only One to whom I dare actually apply the term ”Saviour.” But I do dare apply it to Christ unreservedly and without qualification.” ‘The Christ of the Indian Road’, pp.48, 49.

As faithfully as you may preach the good news, the anointing of the Spirit bringing a life-giving word is no guarantee of belief (62, 63). As we saw previously, the mystery of God’s Sovereign grace is at work in every conversion (65). And there were those who believed, few though they were in number. They were not perfect. They included in their ranks Peter, with all his flaws. But he was ever big-hearted Peter; quick to say the right thing on this occasion. Does he not speak for us all? (68, 69). As E. Stanley Jones observed, there is no one like Jesus.

Prayer: Toughen me up Lord to always do and say the right thing; the required thing, in any given circumstance. But please, also, keep my heart so soft towards you, and to every person I meet.

John 6:52-59:(please click for todays passage)

We should not be surprised to find that Jesus’ teaching divides and offends certain people (52). We cannot, and should not, try to make palatable that which the natural man innately finds distasteful. Certainly we should not aim to be offensive. There is no virtue in that. But it is not for us either to sandpaper down the rough edges of the of the cross. It says in ‘The Message’, ”But Jesus didn’t give an inch.” Neither should we. If you never have an adverse reaction to the gospel you share, just check that you are preaching the Biblical gospel. Neither should we be surprised, by the way, if what we teach ‘in church’ (59) sometimes meets with painful opposition.  There may be ‘disciples’ (66) who don’t much like the sermon. The truth sets free, but first of all it can make people miserable, angry and uncomfortable. (Notice again here that Jesus was being taken literally when His intention was to be understood spiritually.)

Whenever Jesus says, ”I tell you the truth” in this fourth gospel (and He frequently does), He is underlining the importance of what is to come. It’s like, ”Listen up folks. This really matters.” Jesus was not advocating cannibalism. But He did have a teaching style that involved being provocative at times. He would say shocking things and get people to think. When you ”eat” and ”drink” you take into yourself that which is outside yourself – and we have to do that with Jesus.  We have to receive Him into the ‘inner person’. I mentioned in yesterday’s piece that there is the idea in the Greek language of enjoyment. ‘The Message’ captures this in these words: ”The one who brings a hearty appetite to this eating and drinking has eternal life and will be fit and ready for the Final Day. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” If you’re looking for reality, you will find it in Christ alone. Feed on Jesus Himself and you will find yourself consuming great big mouthfuls of reality; swallowing down huge gulps of authenticity. You’ll be fully alive because of Who Jesus is in His Person and because of what He did for you at the cross, and that new, fresh quality of life will continue forever.

Furthermore, His death is indispensable for us to have ”life”. ”Flesh” and ”blood”, mentioned in separation, as here, point to death – violent death. It cost the Lord Jesus dearly to save us. It’s the Bible Jesus we are called to feed on – not some version of Him (and therefore an idol) we have constructed in our own image. It’s the Jesus of the cross who is our true life. Let’s feed on Calvary truth and all that it means. Devour it. Hunger for it. Settle for no substitutes.

There is no basis here for the belief that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of our Lord at the communion service (‘transubstantiation’). Jesus did not teach that. He did however make it clear that we can feed on Him (the One who died for us) by faith, and be eternally nourished and satisfied in Him.

Remember, as long as Jesus is outside your life He cannot free you from your sins. You must ”eat” and drink” and ‘feed’. (Look at the repetition of ”eat” and ”drink” in 53, 54, 55. This imperative is hammered in). Open up all you are to all He is, and all that He has done on your behalf.

Prayer: Lord, let there be no compromise in the way I live, or in the message I communicate. However tempted I may feel, I never want to dilute your gospel to make it more acceptable to the hearers. ”Great is thy faithfulness”. O Lord, grant that I may have a great faithfulness towards you and your truth.