There is so much in text,
congregation decide what they want to talk about, interactive. They were asked to listen to the gospel with
the ear of their heart and notice what strikes them.
Not all of the following was talked about!
20Now among those who went up to
worship at the festival were some Greeks.
Non Jews who believe in the one
Jewish God—maybe the spiritual but not religious, or those whose faith content
is different, seekers
Where we are from matters—we judge
people by it
Outsiders/insiders…. like – or not
like – the onlookers later in story…those not engaged yet
21They came to Philip, who was from
Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
word getting out….Philip Gk name,
one like them……..also both were first to bring other Jews to Jesus (Peter,
Nathanuel)…. See, not just hear about, go beyond curiosity What about our life would make someone
curious about Jesus
22Philip went and told Andrew; then
Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
Like a committee! Not…community, not do it alone, shared
ministry…..paving the way for others to meet Jesus - act as mediators
We too need to ‘see’ who outside our
walls has spiritual needs and help them have a conversion experience, an
encounter with Jesus—especially those who seem different or who are feeling
like outsiders
Jesus knows that just seeing isn’t
believing, so he makes this a teaching moment
23Jesus answered them, “The hour
has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Very truly, I tell
you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a
single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Those who love
their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it
for eternal life.
Glorified trips us up, not a common
word….we sing it “In our lives, Lord, be glorified….” But what does it mean?
lifted up /exalted –play on words in
English and in Greek with last sentence of reading (when I am lifted up will
draw..) …glorify has an element of joy, said one of our SLB people…do our lives
lift up Jesus, exalt Jesus….do our lives reveal/show something of who GOD is?
“the hour has come” Sometimes you just know its time, the
right time for something…don’t know why Jesus or the writer saw this as the
signal for a turning point…..crisis moment that calls for change…
seed as readily understood image for
death and resurrection (singular seed:
dump in dark place, wait, trust something is happening, it changes, slowly
grows and becomes plural, more than one dernal—community))
observation from someone this week….Grain
of wheat is small, hard, narrow and self-contained!! hmmmm need to be cracked open, change
Individual and Congregation has to
be like seed: change and grow or die.
BUT
Dying is not a trait we usually give to our
saviors. Brian Stoffregen
Indeed our culture tends to be death
denying at all costs - prolong life at
all costs, live as fast as you can, do as much as you can, tuck in as much skin
as you can, be as thin as you can, dye your hair as often as you can, fix your
teeth as white as you can, run marathons as long as you can, spend as much
money on these things as you can, for as long as you possibly can
But dying and rising is the eternal
spiritual story, in many of the world faith traditions, and in a very clear way
in Christianity: no new life without
death, no faith without cross, no easter without holy week
26Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father
will honor.
Closeness of following, ongoing
presence, divine r’ship
Following Jesus and serving are intimately
linked too….and wherever Jesus goes, so go the disciples…..do we? Do we go where Jesus is or do we assume
Jesus comes to where we are?
27“Now my soul is troubled. And what
should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I
have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.”
in John Jesus seems to feel little
of the agony of suffering that we feel in other gospels, yet he is Troubled in
his soul, his psyche, his very self.
This text calls us to grapple with what our living and dying is for….and
it can be troubling
-- points to God—Jesus is here to reveal
something of God (Lenten cross liturgy says so, and we are also called to
be an antidote to the fear of death culture by living lives that reveal, or
show God)
Then a voice came from heaven, “I
have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd
standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel
has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your
sake, not for mine.
the point is so that they know Jesus
comes from God (doesn’t matter if its thunder or an angel) God is active, past
and present and future, a promise worth holding on to when your soul is
troubled.
31Now is the judgment of this world;
now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
Crisis moments, world in crisis….the
things that rule our world? They must
and can be driven out by our working with Jesus, our willingness to give up our
life/old self…self surrender, self giving….you’ve heard that often from
Chris. And it’s called for Now.
Now.
32And I, when I am lifted up from the
earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to indicate
the kind of death he was to die.
Lifted up/exalted again in English….the irony of
Christianity is that it is through a demeaning (down) symbol, cross, that we
find something worth raising up in honor…comes full circle: all people
including Greeks can “see’ Jesus but not without going through following
Jesus,
All people: insiders
and outsiders, curious and certain, those who get it and those who don’t—all
are welcome to be drawn into this Jesus way of new life…as we say at the
beginning of worship each week, God is drawing us here for a particular reason
At Simple Suppers, when asked why we are here and why
does this congregation exist, we had myriad answers, including “something
attracted me”—maybe it was the depth of spirituality in someone, or the
sacrifice of service that attracts people, but whatever it is, once you’re here
you’re called to die…to old self, to commitment to cultural standards, to
exclusive r’ships , to troubled spirits, to fear of death…only you know what in
your life needs to die
Prayer
from d365:
Holy God, you have invited us into the life and work of
Jesus. Help us have courage as we
respond, as we let go of our lives so they may become a source of love and
healing in the lives of others and as we learn that in serving close to you we
are never alone. Amen.
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