Be Still and Know

You Are My Witness This week’s reading may sound familiar. Last week we read in John about Jesus’s  first appearance to the disciples, today we turn to the Gospel of Luke to read what the doctor has to say about this same event.  Now at first glance this may seem repetitive.  After all there are nearly four thousand verses in the Gospels, why have back to back weeks with essentially the same reading?   This repetitive reading must point to something of great importance. And it does.  In fact, Luke 24:36b-48, tells us everything we need to know about Jesus.  It is a summary of the key truths of Jesus that  the early Church struggled with.   While John and Luke may have used a traditional earlier account of what happened, these two very similar readings are useful.  They point to an event of great importance in our faith.  Jesus had repeatedly told his disciples of what was to happen to him.  The Gospel passages tell us that prophecy ...

My Lord and My God The disciples were gathered behind locked doors in fear and confusion.  Fear of the Jewish religious authorities and confusion about what had happened.  They had either seen for themselves or had been told that the tomb was empty.  Where is Jesus? Would they all soon see him?  He did say he would rise after three days and now it’s past that.  Where is Jesus? I think all of us at some point in our lives find ourselves behind locked doors.  Often that is accompanied by a feeling of fear and confusion.  The locked doors can be either physical or mental.  We ask ourselves that same question; “Where is Jesus”. The disciples gathered in that room soon had an answer to that question.   “Peace be with you”. In today’s reading Jesus uses this phrase three times.  Why that many?  Imagine if you can the feeling of that locked room.  To say tensions were running high would be an understatement. Upon the arrest of Jesus, ...

On The Road It was all over. The disciples of Jesus had such high hopes. Jesus had showed them a new way of living. He was the Messiah, the one the prophets of time past spoke of. But now he was in a tomb, dead.  I can’t imagine how the disciples and followers of Jesus felt at this point.  Their despair and sadness must have been  overwhelming. All of us have experienced the death of a family member or friend that devastates us. We are lost, bereft, angry. The women walking slowly to Jesus’s tomb certainly felt all those emotions.   They were to prepare his body.  Yet when they arrived at the tomb they found it vacant. Imagine being there with them. The shock of an empty tomb would only compound the intense feeling of sadness.  Then two men appeared “in dazzling apparel” and reminded them of a very important point that Jesus had told them. “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but risen. Remember how he told you while he was still in Ga...

The Sheep Will Be Scattered The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels.  To say Mark moves along quickly is an understatement.  Throughout Mark, Jesus teaches, both his disciples and the people of Israel, but for the most part he is quickly traveling from place to place, healing, exorcising demons, feeding the multitudes and even raising the dead.  To get a sense of the speed of Mark, let’s take a look at the word “immediately”.  This word is found only four times in the Old Testament.  In the Gospels alone, “immediately” is found fifty-eight times, forty-one of those instances in the Gospel of Mark.  The Gospel of Mark is the Gospel of action. This pace though is slowed down dramatically for the story of Jesus’ passion.  The Passion is in fact the climax of the Gospel.  A more slower, deliberate pace is necessary and most appropriate.   Lectionary readings are usually limited to a few sentences.  The Bible packs a lot into e...

Father Glorify Your Name I think it is safe to say that the four Gospels tells us the story of Jesus Christ. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the Bible realizes there are differences in the four books.  There is a reason behind this.  The four authors wrote their gospels with a particular perspective and to a particular audience.  Over the centuries much bigger minds than mine have poured over the words of the Gospels. Their findings and commentaries continue to guide us to this day. Not to make light of their work, but the Gospels can be summarized as follows; Matthew-Jesus is the Son of David, Mark-Jesus is the Son of Man, Luke-Jesus is the Son of Adam, and John-Jesus is the Son of God. At the very beginning of his Gospel, John tells us that the Word was God.  He was not saying that Jesus was identical with God, he is telling us though, that Jesus is so perfectly the same as God in mind, heart and in being that in him (Jesus) we see God. The Gospel of John i...

How Can This Be? In our reading today, we immediately realize that we have started listening to a conversation late. Our reading, John 3:14-21 tells us about a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. In fact they are half way through it.  Nicodemus is mentioned only in the Gospel of John.  Nicodemus ben Gurion was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. Acknowledging that God must have sent Jesus because of all the miraculous signs he has performed, Nicodemus seeks out Jesus for clarification or proof.  He wasn’t  seeking to entrap Jesus but he was genuinely wanting answers to his questions. Nicodemus in fact, is sympathetic to Jesus.  He reminds his Sanhedrin colleagues that the law requires that a person be heard before being judged, and helps Jospeh of Arimathea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial. During their conversation, Nicodemus asks a question we still hear and ask ourselves today. “How can this be?” John is not so much the Gospel of John but r...