Chapter 10
Man, I was promised John didn’t get into parables, too bad! Here comes one…
He that enters into a sheepfold in any way except for the door is the same as a thief and a robber. If you enter through the door you’re the shepherd. Only to a shepherd will the door open and the sheep will recognize his voice. He’ll also know to call the sheep by name and lead them out. When he has his own sheep he will walk ahead of them and they’ll follow because they recognize his voice. They won’t follow a stranger, they’ll run because they don’t know his voice.
Ahhh, an interesting lesson on sheep, but what does it mean?
JC explains for us. He is the door of the sheep. Anyone who came before him was a thief and/or robber, but luckily the good little sheep didn’t hear them. He is the door and if anyone enters he’ll be saved and will be able to go in and out and find pasture. (Shouldn’t he be the shepherd in the metaphor, not the door… and are people really allowed to go “in and out”, what does that mean. Does that mean everyone can enter and exit heaven at their desire? How come my dad never visits then?)
More on this parable… The thief only comes to steal and kill and destroy. JC comes so his sheep can have life and that they will live abundantly. He is the good shepherd and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. (Ahh, so he’s the door and the shepherd… interesting).
Now we get involved in a new facet… the person that is a hireling and not the shepherd who is not the owner of the sheep sees the wolf coming and runs leaving the sheep unattended. The wolf then catches some of the sheep and scatters the rest. (Sheep have a lot to be worried about… murderous thieves and robbers, wolves… yipes!)
The hireling flees because he doesn’t care about the sheep. Jesus cares because he is a good shepherd and he knows his sheep and his sheep know him (I must be a sheep that belongs to another shepherd… bahhh!)
JC can’t get through a chapter without mentioning this.. he knows his dad, and you know what, his dad knows him too! So, therefore he lays down his life for the sheep (kind of a leap, but we’ll take it).
You know what though, there are other sheep too. Sheep that aren’t yet in the fold and he has to go talk to them so they can hear and recognize his voice to create one fold with one shepherd. This is why his dad loves him so much because he lays down his life only so that he can take it again (I don’t know if that means die again or live again). No one can take JC’s life from him, only he can lay it down himself. Even better once he gives it, he can just take it back up again (I guess the answer to my previous questions was “live again”). He has to do all this because that’s what papa told him to do.
In the group that he was talking to there was more division (JC seems to be a pretty divisive guy according to John). Lots of them say he was possessed (yeah, we’ve heard that before) and also is mad, they wonder why everyone’s listening to him. Others said that his miracles proved that he was not the devil.
Now we’re in Jerusalem at the feast of dedication (John loves to mention all the feasts), and it was winter. JC went to yet another temple and strolled onto Solomon’s porch. The Jews came around him and said, why are you making us doubt, just tell us plainly if you really are Christ or not.
JC said that he already told that that he does works in his Father’s name and those works bear his witness. If they don’t believe it’s because they’re not his sheep. His sheep know him. And he’s giving all his sheep eternal life. Ha! His dad who is better than anyone won’t let anyone pluck sheep from his own hand or his sons because he and his dad are one person.
This pisses the crowd off enough that they pick up stones to throw at him again. (They need to find a more civilized response to their anger, maybe they could try just walking away).
Jesus says that he has shown them all kinds of good works in the name of his papa, and wonders which of these is causing them to throw stones at him.
They say, none, dummy, it’s for blaspheming. You keep telling us that you’re God, but you’re only a man.
JC answers by saying, “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (I read this as he is asking if they think they’re gods, but read that however you want). The gospel continues by saying that if he called them gods who the word came to then the scripture can’t be broken. (Mystery to me, you’ll have to sort this whole line of thinking out yourself).
Jesus confirms with them what they’re saying. So, you’re telling me that even though my dad sanctified me and sent me into the world I’m blaspheming because I said I’m the son of god. If I don’t do my dad’s fine works then you shouldn’t believe me, but if I do them, even if you don’t believe me, believe the works. Then you can know that God is in me and I’m in him.
They disagreed and tried to take him but he escaped.
He went away, beyond Jordan where John had first baptized and he stayed there. Many talked about JC and said that John didn’t do any miracles but everything he said about this guy was true. So many in that area believed in him.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Luke Chapter 10
After these things the Lord appointed another seventy and sent in pairs before him to every city he was going to. He told them, the harvest is great, but laborers are few. Y’all should pray to the Lord of the harvest, so he’ll send more laborers to help. So go your way, I’m sending you like lambs among wolves. Don’t bring your purse, wallets, shoes and don’t salute anyone on the way.
When you enter a house say, Pease be with this house. If the son of peace is there you’re peace will rest there, if not the peace will come back to you. You should remain in their house eating and drinking whatever they offer, it’s their way of paying you for your labor. I guess that’s for the labor of bringing peace and maybe taking it away. And you should heal the people telling them the kingdom of God is near.
Whatever city you go too, if they don’t let you in, go out on to the streets and say, We’ll wipe your city dust that clings to us on you, be certain the kingdom of God is near. This city will be worse than Sodom’s bad day!
Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! If these miracles had been done in Tyre and Sidon, those folks would be repenting wearing sack cloth and ashes! When judgment comes Tyre and Sidon will have it better than you. Okay, dude, I know you were sent to save god’s chosen people, but seriously if they are so resistant and you’d have better luck in Tyre and Sidon (in Phoenicia) why don’t you include them in your preaching. Back to the preaching… And you Capernaum, who is exalted to heaven, will be cast to hell! He who hears you, hears me, and he who despises you, despises me, and he who despises me, despises the one who sent me, God!
So the seventy returned with great joy, saying Lord, wow even the devils liste to us in your name! JC tells them “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” No seriously that’s what it says. I can’t even begin to contemplate what means. Anyway JC tells them that he gives him them the power to walk on scorpions, considering he took away their shoes earlier, I think that’s nice, and over all of power of the enemy! Nothing will hurt you! Yay! But don’t rejoice in this… damn it I just rejoiced! But rejoice because your names are written in heaven… yay? I don’t really know what means, because I guess it’s good that their names are written there, but where are they going to be themselves. Tricky.
JC rejoiced in spirit that hour and thanked his dad. Thank you Dad, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things form the wise and prudent, and revealing them to the babes because in your sight dad, that seemed good. I still don’t get why hiding things form the wise and prudent is good. As the Lord wouldn’t you want that type of person in your flock. This passage is al little too…. Its okay if your dumb, you don’t need to be smart to be in our religion, you just have to believe. My dad delivers all things to me, and no man knows who the son is except for the father, and know man knows who the father is except the son and who the sun reveals that too. Exceptional JC, reveal it to everyone you see and the passing clouds. And really I don’t know that father really knows who the son is, it’s the mother we can be sure of.
Blessed are the eyes which see what you see disciples. I’m telling you that many prophets and kings, have wanted to see what you’ve seen and hear what you’ve heard but haven’t seen or heard it.
So a certain lawyer gets up and asked what should I do to get eternal life?
JC asks him what the law says. How do you read it? I guess the religious law was the law back then.
The lawyer answers, you should love God with all of your hear, soul, strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. JC tells him he got the answer right. If he does that it’s eternal life. Oh I see… I won’t get eternal life, because I don’t do that. I’m kind of alright with that. Eternity is a long time to spend with oneself. This guy totally wanted justify what he said. So he asked who his neighbor was.
JC answers with… a parable! But not just any parable… it’s the parable of the good Samaritan!
So this guy is going to Jericho from to Jerusalem, thieves steal all of his stuff even his clothes! And the beat him up wounding him and leaving him half dead. So I priest is walking by and crosses the street do he doesn’t have to deal with him. And a Levite does the same thing. But the Samaritan is full of compassion. So he cleans wounds with oil and wine and binds the guy’s wounds, and held him close and brought him to an inn to take care of him. The next day he left, and left some money for the folks at the inn to take care of him. He told the staff if they spend more than he left, he would repay them when he stopped on his way back.
So which one of these was neighbor to the poor guy going of Jericho? Our lawyer answers the one who showed him mercy. JC tells him to do likewise.
Later, JC goes someplace else and a woman named Martha has JC over her house. She had a sister named Mary (because a million girls were named Mary back then) who sat at JC’s feet to hear his word. Martha was a little annoyed with Mary because Martha had been doing all the work and serving during this visit. She asked JC to tell Mary to give her a helping hand.
JC answers her, Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about lots of stuff. But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be take from her. So I think Martha's next question was… so JC since you are so keen on Mary not doing these dishes, are you going to help?
Monday, May 30, 2011
John Chapter 9
John Chapter 9
JC passes by a man who had been blind since the day he was born (I doubt you can blame sin for that)!
Turns out the disciples are thinking just like me, and they ask Jesus if this man sinned or if it was his parents? (Or, the other option is neither, it could be biology…. Just a thought).
But Jesus is ready for them (and me, maybe) he says that neither has sinned. This man is blind so that God can be shown through him. (I might need just a tiny bit more proof than that, but I’m okay with where it’s heading. I like not blaming infants for sin, and I like not inheriting sin, that seems very unfair).
JC tells his bros that he has to work during the day, when the night comes no man can work (tell that to the third shift). As long as he is in the world, he is the light of the world (uh, so why can’t he work at night… no matter, he’s tired, he shouldn’t work 24 hours a day anyway).
After having spoken he spit on the ground and mixed his spit with dirt which he put on the eyes of the blind man (it formed a convenient clay). He told the guy to go wash in the of Siloam which the fellow happily did and when he came back… wait for it… he could SEE! Hurray Jesus!
A few of his neighbors were understandable astounded, wasn’t her, afterall, that guy who had been a blind beggar last we checked. Some didn’t believe that it was really the same fellow, but he told them that he was indeed the very man. He explained what JC had done for him and how awesome that was.
The neighbors asked where this character who could heal the blind was.
Jesus loves to piss of the Pharisees, so it turns out that he was healing on the Sabbath again. Well, the folks around brought the formerly blind guy to these Pharisees who we know have a less than excellent relationship with our friend JC. He has to tell them what JC did for him. They get all kinds of pissed. Jesus can’t be a man of god because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath, but the conundrum was how a sinner like him could perform such miracles. This caused some in-fighting amongst them.
They asked the blind man what he thought of this guy, and the healed man said they he thought JC was a prophet.
Turns out the Pharisees didn’t particularly care what the blind man had to say. Afterall, they couldn’t really confirm that he had been blind prior to the alleged miracle, so they called his parents. Well, they asked, was your son really blind from birth. If so, how is he now able to see?
The guys parents, who I’m sure were shocked to be called down to the elders for such a purpose. They told the Pharisees that they knew he was their son and that he had indeed been born blind, but they didn’t know who had healed him. They told the elders that their son was certainly old enough to speak for himself, so they should ask him not them. Turns out the parents had to be a bit cagey because they knew that the elders had already agreed that anyone who called JC “Christ” would be kicked out of the synagogue. So the parents, for emphasis, repeated that their son could speak for himself.
They told the man to give god the praise because they knew for sure that JC was a sinner.
This guy does care, and who would? He said he wasn’t in a position to judge whether or not he was a sinner, all he knew was that he was healed.
They again go over how exactly this miracle was performed, which the poor dude reiterates, spit and all. He gets a little snotty and asks why they keep pestering him, maybe it’s because they want to be JC’s disciples.
Well that about does it. They say that HE is a disciple of Jesus, they are disciples of Moses! They are certain that God spoke to Moses, but they have no idea who this dude is.
The formerly blind guy says it doesn’t matter where he’s from or anything else because he performed the miracle of restoring his sight. Since the world began no one has ever restored the sight of a blind man. Now everyone knows that god doesn’t listen to sinners but only of his own worshippers. If JC wasn’t one of god’s people there is no way he could do this.
They answered that the former blind man was born of sin and he shouldn’t presume to lecture them, so they cast him out of the synagogue.
Jesus heard about this and went to find his friend. JC inquired of the healed fellow believed in the son of god.
The guy asked who the son of god was so that he might be able to believe in him.
JC said the fellow had both met and spoken with him.
It became instantly clear to the guy and he was converted into a believer. Hurray.
JC says that he came into this work to judge (he seems to really go back and forth on that one) and to make those who are blind see and those who see he would make blind. (That’s not nice, let’s all be allowed to see).
Some of Pharisees heard this and asked if they were blind?
Jesus said if they were blind them they wouldn’t have sin, but since they do see their sin remains.
So, is the guy who used to be blind a sinner now? Is “seeing” a metaphor for inquisitiveness? If you tell the truth Jesus, it should stand up to questioning. FYI.
Well, overall, I thought this was a nice chapter compared to some of the others in John. He ends it on a nasty little note, but if you ignore that, JC’s pretty nice. Good job!
JC passes by a man who had been blind since the day he was born (I doubt you can blame sin for that)!
Turns out the disciples are thinking just like me, and they ask Jesus if this man sinned or if it was his parents? (Or, the other option is neither, it could be biology…. Just a thought).
But Jesus is ready for them (and me, maybe) he says that neither has sinned. This man is blind so that God can be shown through him. (I might need just a tiny bit more proof than that, but I’m okay with where it’s heading. I like not blaming infants for sin, and I like not inheriting sin, that seems very unfair).
JC tells his bros that he has to work during the day, when the night comes no man can work (tell that to the third shift). As long as he is in the world, he is the light of the world (uh, so why can’t he work at night… no matter, he’s tired, he shouldn’t work 24 hours a day anyway).
After having spoken he spit on the ground and mixed his spit with dirt which he put on the eyes of the blind man (it formed a convenient clay). He told the guy to go wash in the of Siloam which the fellow happily did and when he came back… wait for it… he could SEE! Hurray Jesus!
A few of his neighbors were understandable astounded, wasn’t her, afterall, that guy who had been a blind beggar last we checked. Some didn’t believe that it was really the same fellow, but he told them that he was indeed the very man. He explained what JC had done for him and how awesome that was.
The neighbors asked where this character who could heal the blind was.
Jesus loves to piss of the Pharisees, so it turns out that he was healing on the Sabbath again. Well, the folks around brought the formerly blind guy to these Pharisees who we know have a less than excellent relationship with our friend JC. He has to tell them what JC did for him. They get all kinds of pissed. Jesus can’t be a man of god because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath, but the conundrum was how a sinner like him could perform such miracles. This caused some in-fighting amongst them.
They asked the blind man what he thought of this guy, and the healed man said they he thought JC was a prophet.
Turns out the Pharisees didn’t particularly care what the blind man had to say. Afterall, they couldn’t really confirm that he had been blind prior to the alleged miracle, so they called his parents. Well, they asked, was your son really blind from birth. If so, how is he now able to see?
The guys parents, who I’m sure were shocked to be called down to the elders for such a purpose. They told the Pharisees that they knew he was their son and that he had indeed been born blind, but they didn’t know who had healed him. They told the elders that their son was certainly old enough to speak for himself, so they should ask him not them. Turns out the parents had to be a bit cagey because they knew that the elders had already agreed that anyone who called JC “Christ” would be kicked out of the synagogue. So the parents, for emphasis, repeated that their son could speak for himself.
They told the man to give god the praise because they knew for sure that JC was a sinner.
This guy does care, and who would? He said he wasn’t in a position to judge whether or not he was a sinner, all he knew was that he was healed.
They again go over how exactly this miracle was performed, which the poor dude reiterates, spit and all. He gets a little snotty and asks why they keep pestering him, maybe it’s because they want to be JC’s disciples.
Well that about does it. They say that HE is a disciple of Jesus, they are disciples of Moses! They are certain that God spoke to Moses, but they have no idea who this dude is.
The formerly blind guy says it doesn’t matter where he’s from or anything else because he performed the miracle of restoring his sight. Since the world began no one has ever restored the sight of a blind man. Now everyone knows that god doesn’t listen to sinners but only of his own worshippers. If JC wasn’t one of god’s people there is no way he could do this.
They answered that the former blind man was born of sin and he shouldn’t presume to lecture them, so they cast him out of the synagogue.
Jesus heard about this and went to find his friend. JC inquired of the healed fellow believed in the son of god.
The guy asked who the son of god was so that he might be able to believe in him.
JC said the fellow had both met and spoken with him.
It became instantly clear to the guy and he was converted into a believer. Hurray.
JC says that he came into this work to judge (he seems to really go back and forth on that one) and to make those who are blind see and those who see he would make blind. (That’s not nice, let’s all be allowed to see).
Some of Pharisees heard this and asked if they were blind?
Jesus said if they were blind them they wouldn’t have sin, but since they do see their sin remains.
So, is the guy who used to be blind a sinner now? Is “seeing” a metaphor for inquisitiveness? If you tell the truth Jesus, it should stand up to questioning. FYI.
Well, overall, I thought this was a nice chapter compared to some of the others in John. He ends it on a nasty little note, but if you ignore that, JC’s pretty nice. Good job!
Luke Chapter 9
JC calls his posse of twelve together, and gave them the power to cure diseases and cast out devils. He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. He tells them not to take anything with them on their journey, rods wallets, bread, money, and whatever you do don’t take two coats each. Very clear on that. Whatever house you enter, stay there and then leave. If they won’t receive you, when you leave shake the dust off of your feet for a testimony against them. The disciples went on their way preaching the gospel and healing all over the land.
Herod Tetrarch (that’s to say Herod Antipas) hear about JC’s adventures. He was perplexed because some people were saying John had risen from the dead. Others said he was Elias, others said he was one of the old prophets risen again. Herod was all but I beheaded John! Who is this guy? Herod wanted to meet him.
When the apostles came back they told him what had happened. He took them to aside, privately to a place near the city of Bethsaida. The people followed JC and he spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed the folks too. As the day grew later, JC’s posse of twelve asked him to send the multitude away so they could get some food in the towns and eat. JC told them they could all share the five loaves of bread and the two fish they had. But there were five thousand people. Not problem for JC, he has everyone sit down and blesses the food and broke it up into baskets and everybody ate until the were full and there was still more food left over.
JC asks them who people think he is? Some people say John the Baptist, Elias, or an old prophet risen again. JC asks who do you say I am? Peter answers The Christ of God. JC commands them not to tell anyone. He tells them the Son of man has to suffer many things, he has to be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes and be slain and rise on the third day. If any man comes after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Whoever saves his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Ooo great line coming up. What good is it if a man gains the world and loses himself? No good friends, no good! Great line. I’ll be honest, there are some standing here who won’t taste death until they see the kingdom of God.
After this he took his besties, Peter, John and James, and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he prayed he started to look different, his clothes were glistening white. Then Moses and Elias appeared in their glory and talked about his demise which should happen in Jerusalem. Pete and the boys were really sleepy but they saw the three figures in all of their glory. Peter asked JC if he should make them three tabernacles, which are tents, one for each JC, Moses, and Elias. All of a sudden a big cloud came and overshadowed them. They were afraid as they entered into the cloud. Then there was a loud voice said this is my beloved son, listen to him. When the voice had passed, JC was alone. And the the boys didn’t tell anyone about the things they had seen until much later.
The next day some people met them as they were coming down the hill. I man asked him to look at his only son. A spirit had taken him, and he was wild and crazy and foaming at the mouth. Your disciples couldn’t cast out the demons. JC gets a little annoyed and asks them “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you?” Bring him to me. As the boy was coming the devil took him again but JC cast him out, no problem.
The people were amazed. JC told them to listen. The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men. They didn’t know what he meant but were afraid to ask. Shift in topic they wondered who was the greatest among them. JC took a child and said whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives the one who sent me, he who is least among you shall be great. I don’t know about that. Least is a relative term.
John tells him that they saw a guy casting out devils in JC’s names, but forbid him because he wasn’t one of us. JC’s tells them not to do that. If they aren’t against us, they are with us.
JC decided it was time to move one, so he send messengers to a Samaritan village tell people he was coming. But they wouldn’t receive him so it was on to Jerusalem. James and John were pretty indignant about this. They ask JC if he was going to rain fire on them, like Elias did. JC scolded them, saying you don’t know what you are talking about. The Son of man didn’t come to destroy men’s live, I’m here to save them. And they went to the next village.
Later the meet a certain man who tells JC, Lord, I will follow you anywhere you go. JC tells him Foxes have dens, birds have nests, but the Son of man has no place to rest his head. Oh poor JC! JC tells another guy to follow him. He wants to but he just needs to bury his dad. JC tell him to let the dead bury the dead. GO and preach the kingdom of God. JC I know you don’t seem to respect the mortal family because you are more concerned with God. But I still think it’s terrible to not let a guy buy his dad. He might need that closure. He loved the guy. Another guy tells JC he wants to follow him but he wants to say goodbye to his family. JC tells him that no man who has plowed and looked back is fit for the kingdom of heaven. What? You know there’s a but of a mixed message here. You want people to follow you and give up their lives but when someone volunteers that but wants to give his family closure too, that’s a problem? And he won’t make it into the kingdom of God. Okay why won't her make it into the kingdom of heaven? He loved his family too much?
Sunday, May 29, 2011
John Chapter 8
John Chapter 8
JC goes to Mt. Olives. Early in the morning he went to temple with a big crowd to teach. The scribes and Pharisees brought him an adulterous woman and shoved her in front of him. They told him that they caught her in the act! (Yikes, scandalous!)
Moses law commanded that she should be stoned, what does JC have to say, they want to know. They were trying to tempt him so they could accuse him (of what, I don’t know), but Jesus acted as though he didn’t hear a word they’d uttered. He bent down and wrote on the ground. They continued to pester him and JC gave them one of everyone’s favorite lines in the whole bible (and one that even I can get behind), “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (I’ve always heard it as, Let he that is without sin cast the first stone, which has a more lyrical tone, but that’s just translation).
JC then bends to the ground and starts scribbling away again. Well, everyone that heard it from the eldest to the very last of them was convicted by their own conscience and went out one by one. Go JC! You show them what compassion means!
When Jesus stood up no one but the woman was around. He asked her where he accusers went and if no one had condemned her.
She says nope (and as an interesting side note, he refers to her as “Woman” which JC is wont to do, and she does actually refer back to him as “Man”… as in No man, nobody accused me… this being in answer to my earlier criticism about only women being referred to strictly by their gender). JC says that he also doesn’t condemn her but she should go and sin no more.
Jesus turns to whoever remains in the crowd and says that he’s the light of the world and whoever follows him won’t walk in darkness but will get the light of life.
The Pharisees (some of whom stuck around, I guess) retorted that JC bears witness of himself and that’s not a true record.
Jesus goes on again about how he knows where he comes from and so on. You guys have heard it before.
He then tells them that they judge the flesh, but he judges no man. Wait, last chapter you told us you were here to judge us mere mortals, this is like listening to a politician. Wait, here it comes… But, if he happens to judge, his judgment is true cause is papa is backing him up.
Also, it’s written in your own law Pharisees that the testimony of two men is true. And further more JC bears witness of himself and his daddy bears him witness.
They asked where his daddy was, if he’s so great.
JC tells them that they don’t know him or his dad, if they knew one then they’d surely know the other.
He told them all this in the treasury and taught in the temple. No one laid a hand on him though because his time had not yet come. He taunts them by saying that he’s going to go away and they’ll look for him, but they won’t be able to find him because they can’t go where he’s going. (Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all before).
The Jews asked themselves he might be talking about killing himself (which he kind of does since he goes willing to his own death… although I don’t think it technically counts).
He says that they’re from beneath and he’s from above. They’re from this world and he’s not. He tells them that they’ll die in their sins because they don’t believe in him.
And they ask (incredulously, I imagine), who ARE you?
JC replies that he is who he’s been saying, son of god and all that. He tells them that he has lots of things to say and to judge them for (I thought he judged no man), he repeats how his dad sent him and that’s the truth. He continues on saying that when they’ve lifted up the son of man then they’ll know that he is who he said. He’ll do nothing himself, he’ll only teach what he learned from his daddy. And p.s. his dad hasn’t left him alone so he always does things that make him happy.
A lot of the folks around believed, so he turned his attention to those folks. If they continue to follow what he preaches then they were excellent disciples. They’ll know the truth and the truth shall make them free. (Another excellent biblical quote, “the truth shall make you free”).
They don’t love this line the way I do, they’re more confused by it. They are after all Abraham’s children and have never been in bondage to any man (hold up… what? Jews have never been in bondage? That’s not the Old Testament I’m familiar with). Anyway, they wonder how they can be set free when they feel like they’re already free.
Jesus tells them that sinners are the servants of sin. Further the servant can’t live in the house forever, but you know who can? That’s right, the son! (Not in modern times pal, we like our kids to go make it on their own, not live in our houses forever… but different era, I guess). Therefore the son will make you free, you’ll be free indeed (that’s not my sarcasm, that’s the actual bible). JC tells them that he knows they’re Abraham’s seed but they’re also trying to kill him because they don’t believe his word. (I guess he’s turned his attention back to the non-believers… it’s so hard to know who JC is addressing).
He goes on about how he does what his Father does and they do what their dad’s do.
They’re like… ummm, okay. Abraham’s our father.
JC says that if Abraham was really their father they would do his works, but instead they try to kill him, even though he tell them the truth. That’s not like what Abraham would do. (I appreciate the point, but he seems to be denying a lineage he just confirmed a few lines ago). He continues that they do the deeds of their father. (I have no idea who their father is at this point, the devil?)
They say that they’re not born of fornication, they have only one Father God. (Yeah, I guess they’re just trying to use JC’s line right back at him, although I’m not sure how either party is really justifying that claim).
Jesus doesn’t like that (he likes being a spoiled only child, I’m willing to guess). He says that if God was really their father then they would definitely love him because his dad sent him! Then he gets a little whiney and asks why they can’t understand him? He guesses it’s because they can’t hear his word (I’m guessing this is the special word that is god and light and so on).
He tells them that their father is the devil (woo hoo, I got that one right earlier… at least, I think I did) and so these people will follow the devil’s lusts. The devil was a murderer from the beginning and he did not live in the truth because there was no truth with him. The devil is the father of lies!
Because JC is telling them the truth, well, that’s why they don’t believe it. (Flawless logic cult leader, flawless).
He asks which of them convinced him of sin? (I don’t think anyone even claimed that). Then he asks why they don’t believe the truth (well, duh, you just told us, because they’re all devil children).
He tells them that only those that are of God hear god’s word, so if you can’t hear them (or don’t believe them) then you must not be of god. (If I may re-phrase, don’t ask me for proof, either believe in me or perish)!
The Jews respond that they are pretty sure that they’re right when they say he’s a Samaritan and is possessed by a devil. (If he gave me a speech like the one he just gave them, I’d think the same thing. In fact, reading it, I’m right on board. This is by far the most disturbing gospel to me, and the least in keeping with the others. I wonder why the Council of Trent made sure to Canonize it with the rest?)
JC again says that he’s not of the devil but does honor for his dad and those that don’t believe dishonor him. He doesn’t seek his own glory. There is one that does seek and does judge (his dad, maybe?)
Just hit the repeat button for the millionth time as he goes on about those who believe get eternal life, etc…
The Jews think they’ve got him here. Hold up, they say, now we know you’re possessed because Abraham and the prophets are all dead and YOU SAID that if someone follows God then they’ll never taste death. Hah. Gotcha. Or so they think! They continue baiting him, asking if he is greater than Abraham and the prophets who he made himself.
JC again repeats that he doesn’t honor himself (methinks thou dost protest too much), only his daddy honors him, and that is the man these people say is their god, he reminds them.
They don’t know his dad, but he does! (We get it, quit bragging). Jesus says if he said he didn’t know his dad then he’d be a liar like them. He tells them that their father Abraham (oh, what? So the devil’s not their dad anymore?) was super glad to see Jesus day come.
Now the crowd is really annoyed. What are you talking about, you’re not even fifty and you’re saying you’ve seen Abraham?
Jesus says that before Abraham existed he was around (presumably not on Earth, but I guess you never know with this version of JC).
Well, that’s enough for the crowd, they’ve had enough of his braggardly double talk, so they started throwing stones at him! (Eep, I don’t think that was very nice, but I’ve had enough of this version of him, myself. I miss my JC from Mark, he was much more level headed. I think I might have judged him to harshly. I’ll re-evaluate when I go back to read these a second time).
JC hides and goes out of the temple going through the midst of them, but passing by.
JC goes to Mt. Olives. Early in the morning he went to temple with a big crowd to teach. The scribes and Pharisees brought him an adulterous woman and shoved her in front of him. They told him that they caught her in the act! (Yikes, scandalous!)
Moses law commanded that she should be stoned, what does JC have to say, they want to know. They were trying to tempt him so they could accuse him (of what, I don’t know), but Jesus acted as though he didn’t hear a word they’d uttered. He bent down and wrote on the ground. They continued to pester him and JC gave them one of everyone’s favorite lines in the whole bible (and one that even I can get behind), “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (I’ve always heard it as, Let he that is without sin cast the first stone, which has a more lyrical tone, but that’s just translation).
JC then bends to the ground and starts scribbling away again. Well, everyone that heard it from the eldest to the very last of them was convicted by their own conscience and went out one by one. Go JC! You show them what compassion means!
When Jesus stood up no one but the woman was around. He asked her where he accusers went and if no one had condemned her.
She says nope (and as an interesting side note, he refers to her as “Woman” which JC is wont to do, and she does actually refer back to him as “Man”… as in No man, nobody accused me… this being in answer to my earlier criticism about only women being referred to strictly by their gender). JC says that he also doesn’t condemn her but she should go and sin no more.
Jesus turns to whoever remains in the crowd and says that he’s the light of the world and whoever follows him won’t walk in darkness but will get the light of life.
The Pharisees (some of whom stuck around, I guess) retorted that JC bears witness of himself and that’s not a true record.
Jesus goes on again about how he knows where he comes from and so on. You guys have heard it before.
He then tells them that they judge the flesh, but he judges no man. Wait, last chapter you told us you were here to judge us mere mortals, this is like listening to a politician. Wait, here it comes… But, if he happens to judge, his judgment is true cause is papa is backing him up.
Also, it’s written in your own law Pharisees that the testimony of two men is true. And further more JC bears witness of himself and his daddy bears him witness.
They asked where his daddy was, if he’s so great.
JC tells them that they don’t know him or his dad, if they knew one then they’d surely know the other.
He told them all this in the treasury and taught in the temple. No one laid a hand on him though because his time had not yet come. He taunts them by saying that he’s going to go away and they’ll look for him, but they won’t be able to find him because they can’t go where he’s going. (Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all before).
The Jews asked themselves he might be talking about killing himself (which he kind of does since he goes willing to his own death… although I don’t think it technically counts).
He says that they’re from beneath and he’s from above. They’re from this world and he’s not. He tells them that they’ll die in their sins because they don’t believe in him.
And they ask (incredulously, I imagine), who ARE you?
JC replies that he is who he’s been saying, son of god and all that. He tells them that he has lots of things to say and to judge them for (I thought he judged no man), he repeats how his dad sent him and that’s the truth. He continues on saying that when they’ve lifted up the son of man then they’ll know that he is who he said. He’ll do nothing himself, he’ll only teach what he learned from his daddy. And p.s. his dad hasn’t left him alone so he always does things that make him happy.
A lot of the folks around believed, so he turned his attention to those folks. If they continue to follow what he preaches then they were excellent disciples. They’ll know the truth and the truth shall make them free. (Another excellent biblical quote, “the truth shall make you free”).
They don’t love this line the way I do, they’re more confused by it. They are after all Abraham’s children and have never been in bondage to any man (hold up… what? Jews have never been in bondage? That’s not the Old Testament I’m familiar with). Anyway, they wonder how they can be set free when they feel like they’re already free.
Jesus tells them that sinners are the servants of sin. Further the servant can’t live in the house forever, but you know who can? That’s right, the son! (Not in modern times pal, we like our kids to go make it on their own, not live in our houses forever… but different era, I guess). Therefore the son will make you free, you’ll be free indeed (that’s not my sarcasm, that’s the actual bible). JC tells them that he knows they’re Abraham’s seed but they’re also trying to kill him because they don’t believe his word. (I guess he’s turned his attention back to the non-believers… it’s so hard to know who JC is addressing).
He goes on about how he does what his Father does and they do what their dad’s do.
They’re like… ummm, okay. Abraham’s our father.
JC says that if Abraham was really their father they would do his works, but instead they try to kill him, even though he tell them the truth. That’s not like what Abraham would do. (I appreciate the point, but he seems to be denying a lineage he just confirmed a few lines ago). He continues that they do the deeds of their father. (I have no idea who their father is at this point, the devil?)
They say that they’re not born of fornication, they have only one Father God. (Yeah, I guess they’re just trying to use JC’s line right back at him, although I’m not sure how either party is really justifying that claim).
Jesus doesn’t like that (he likes being a spoiled only child, I’m willing to guess). He says that if God was really their father then they would definitely love him because his dad sent him! Then he gets a little whiney and asks why they can’t understand him? He guesses it’s because they can’t hear his word (I’m guessing this is the special word that is god and light and so on).
He tells them that their father is the devil (woo hoo, I got that one right earlier… at least, I think I did) and so these people will follow the devil’s lusts. The devil was a murderer from the beginning and he did not live in the truth because there was no truth with him. The devil is the father of lies!
Because JC is telling them the truth, well, that’s why they don’t believe it. (Flawless logic cult leader, flawless).
He asks which of them convinced him of sin? (I don’t think anyone even claimed that). Then he asks why they don’t believe the truth (well, duh, you just told us, because they’re all devil children).
He tells them that only those that are of God hear god’s word, so if you can’t hear them (or don’t believe them) then you must not be of god. (If I may re-phrase, don’t ask me for proof, either believe in me or perish)!
The Jews respond that they are pretty sure that they’re right when they say he’s a Samaritan and is possessed by a devil. (If he gave me a speech like the one he just gave them, I’d think the same thing. In fact, reading it, I’m right on board. This is by far the most disturbing gospel to me, and the least in keeping with the others. I wonder why the Council of Trent made sure to Canonize it with the rest?)
JC again says that he’s not of the devil but does honor for his dad and those that don’t believe dishonor him. He doesn’t seek his own glory. There is one that does seek and does judge (his dad, maybe?)
Just hit the repeat button for the millionth time as he goes on about those who believe get eternal life, etc…
The Jews think they’ve got him here. Hold up, they say, now we know you’re possessed because Abraham and the prophets are all dead and YOU SAID that if someone follows God then they’ll never taste death. Hah. Gotcha. Or so they think! They continue baiting him, asking if he is greater than Abraham and the prophets who he made himself.
JC again repeats that he doesn’t honor himself (methinks thou dost protest too much), only his daddy honors him, and that is the man these people say is their god, he reminds them.
They don’t know his dad, but he does! (We get it, quit bragging). Jesus says if he said he didn’t know his dad then he’d be a liar like them. He tells them that their father Abraham (oh, what? So the devil’s not their dad anymore?) was super glad to see Jesus day come.
Now the crowd is really annoyed. What are you talking about, you’re not even fifty and you’re saying you’ve seen Abraham?
Jesus says that before Abraham existed he was around (presumably not on Earth, but I guess you never know with this version of JC).
Well, that’s enough for the crowd, they’ve had enough of his braggardly double talk, so they started throwing stones at him! (Eep, I don’t think that was very nice, but I’ve had enough of this version of him, myself. I miss my JC from Mark, he was much more level headed. I think I might have judged him to harshly. I’ll re-evaluate when I go back to read these a second time).
JC hides and goes out of the temple going through the midst of them, but passing by.
Luke Chapter 8
After all of that, JC went to a lot of cities and villages with his twelve disciples, preaching and showing the glad tidyings of the kingdom of God. And that’s when he meets Mary Magdalene who had seven devils in her! JC cast them out, I think the devils might have been the seven deadly sins.
Joanna, who was Herod’s stewart Chuza’s wife, Susanna and others served JC. And when a big bunch of people were gathered, he told them wait for it… a parable! Of praise the lord a parable!!! Sorry folks, I have not enjoyed a great number of the parables I’ve recounted. And joy, it’s the parable of the sower, which in Mathew was repeated at least twice!
A sower goes out to so his seeds, and get your mind our of the gutter he’s a farmer type of guy spreading plant seeds. Some of them fell by the way side and people stepped on them, and the birds ate some. Some fell on the rock and as soon as it spouted it withered because it was dry. Some fell in the brambles and got choked out by the thorns. And finally some fell on the good earth and grew to produce a lot of fruit! After JC told them that he shouted “He that Hath ears to hear , let him hear”
Oh course his dopey disciples didn’t get it and asked him what was the parable? Well kids you just listened to it, it’s a type of analogy. Anyway, JC tells them that they will be given the mysteries of the kingdom of God but everyone else get parables, because they might not understand the strait talk. So JC explains to them.
The seeds are the word of God, the seed that fell by the wayside, are the people who hear but then the devil takes the word right out of their hearts, so they won’t be saved. The seeds on the rocks are the folks that hear the word with joy, but quickly fall to temptation. The seeds that fell into the thorns are the folks that hear the word, but the word gets choked out with cares, and riches and the pleasures of life. I think I fall into that category . The seed that fall on the good earth, are the good honest people who hear the word and keep, bringing forth the fruit with patience.
When you light a candle, You don’t cover it with a vessel or but it under a bed. Put it in a candlestick so everyone can see the light. Every secret, everything hidden will get revealed in time. That’s certainly true, secrets rarely stay secret. Oh and by the way… to he who has will be given and to he has not shall be taken even that which has.
So Mary, JC’s mom, showed up with his brothers, but there was such a big crowd they couldn’t get close. Someone told JC that his family was there waiting to see them. JC let’s them know that everyone who hears his words and do God’s work, are his mom and brothers. Still not convinced that’s the right thing to do JC. I mean honor your mother and father right? God has some strange ideas about family.
On a certain day, way to be specific there Luke, JC went onto a boat with his disciples to cross the lake. As they fell asleep, a storm came and the boat started to fill with water and they were all in jeopardy. So they woke up JC who must sleep like the dead to not notice the storm, and told him they were sure to perish in this storm. JC got up and rebuked the wind and water and everything was calm. JC must have been a little cranky, because he turned on his disciples asking where is your faith? That scared the disciples, they wondered what kind of man can command the wind and water?
On to Gadarenes which is next to Galilee. Where they met a naked man filled with devils who lived in the tombs. When he saw JC he fell down crying don’t torment me Jesus son of God! JC had commanded the spirit to come out, because it was making the guy crazy and people kept having to chain this guy up but he’d break free. JC asks him his name and he gets all spooky and calls himself Legion because there we so many devils inside of him. They asked JC not to banish them to the deep, instead they asked him to cast them into the herd of pigs. Actually I thought it was a sounder of pigs. JC was happy to oblige the devils and cast them into the pigs. Who went crazy and ran violently down a steep place and into the lake where they choked. Poor pigs. I guess JC didn’t like pigs, he probably kept kosher. When the folks who feed the pigs saw what happened they ran to tell everyone in the city and in the country.
Folks came out to see what had happened. So they saw the naked crazy man sitting with JC but now he was clothed and sane. This terrified the people. They found out how JC healed him so they asked him to leave because he scared them, casting out devils into pigs that run pell mell into the lake. I don’t blame them that seems like a really dangerous guy to have around. So the not-crazy clothed man asks JC if he can come with him. But JC says no. Go home, show everyone what great things God has done for you. He went home and told everyone what great things JC did. So in time when JC came back the people were happy to see him, in fact they were all waiting for him.
Jairus, was the ruler of synagogue and he fell at JC’s feet and asked him into his house. His 12 year old daughter was dying. The people thronged JC. There was a woman who spent all of her money on her blood issues for the last twelve years, but the physician couldn’t help. She came up behind JC and touched his clothes and her blood issues were over.
JC asks who touched him. Everybody denied it, and Peter and the gang ask him what does he mean who touched him? He was being thronged; a lot of people touched him. JC knows someone touched him because he knew that virtue had left him. So the woman comes out, trembling and falling down before him. She told him she touched him, and that he healed her. JC told her rest assured your faith has make you whole, go in peace. Yay JC! That was super nice of you!
While JC was speaking, someone came out of the ruler of synagogue’s house came out saying to him the daughter is dead don’t trouble the master. JC tells him not to be afraid, only believe and she’ll be made whole. When JC went into the house, he only let Peter, James, John and the girl’s parents come with him. Everyone wept and wailed. JC told them not to cry she is only sleeping. They laughed scornfully, because they knew she was dead. Her spirit came again and rose and JC commanded them to give hear meat. Her parents were astonished. JC told them not toell anyone what happened.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
John Chapter 7
John Chapter 7
JC walked into Galilee and wouldn’t walk near the Jewry (I wonder if that’s like a nunnery) because those folks really wanted to kill him.
The Jewish feast of tabernacles was at hand. That sounds like fun, maybe it’s a big party under a lot of different tents. As we learned in previous gospels tabernacles are tents.
JC’s brethren told him to leave immediately and go into Judaea so everyone could see his great works. They told him that no man does things in secret (uh, I’m pretty sure that’s faulty logic, I think a lot of people do things in secret), but they say that anyone would want to be known for what Jesus could do. They told him that if he really does these things, he should show the world. Hmmm, I thought that’s what he was doing, but maybe I’m wrong. These relatives of him didn’t believe in him, according to John’s gospel.
Jesus told them that his time had not yet come, but their time is always ready. The world can’t hate them, but it does hate JC because he’s always pointing out the works that are evil. He tells them to go to their feast, he won’t go yet, why? Because his time hasn’t come yet. (Funny, I thought he’d feasted earlier in these chapters, and does their really need to be a your time and a my time for feasting… I say let’s ALL party!)
JC was still living in Galilee when he was chatting with his brothers. When they went up to the feast he decided to sneak in. Well, good thing he did, because the Jews were there (isn’t he a Jew?) and they asked his brothers where he was. It caused a minor uproar at the party with some people saying he was a good man and some people saying he was a deceiver. But, for all their murmuring no one would speak openly because they were afraid of these Jews (even though presumably most of the people at the party are also Jewish since it is a Jewish feast… just trying to keep it clear. I’m not a fan of anti Semitism, but I’m getting the felling that John the author is).
Right in the midst of the festival JC trotted up to the temple and began to teach. The Jews were mystified, he knows so many letters for someone who never learned. (How they know his education level is beyond me). Of course, Jesus lets them know that it’s his daddy’s doctrine that he’s talking about. He also informs them that if anyone wants to do god’s will he ought to know the doctrine whether it’s from his dad or whether he speaks it himself. To justify this showy little display of learning, JC tells the crowd that if you speak of yourself you’re just seeking glory (and that’s bad!), but if he seeks glory for god so there’s no unrighteousness in him. Okay JC, thanks for keeping it clear for us.
He asks them why they don’t keep Moses’ law? (I’m sure it was quite a shock to many to find out that they weren’t). Then he fairly asks them why they’re going around trying to kill him.
The people answer him that he has a devil in him and they question who is going around trying to kill him? (Oh, that’s an interesting twist, so IS JC just being paranoid, or are they being really sneaky?)
He tells them that he has done one work (which one counted as the one, I wonder), and all of them marveled. Then he gets into a strange talk about circumcision (yuck! Now, there’s a practice I just can’t understand, genital mutilation is pretty darn creepy to me). Moses therefore gave them circumcision (wow, what a gift), but it wasn’t because it was from Moses, but rather because it was of the ancestors that they circumcise men (hopefully babies… for men it seems even worse) on the Sabbath. If a man on the Sabbath receives a circumcision then the law of Moses isn’t broken. So, why are they angry at JC because he’s made a man whole on the Sabbath day? He tells them not to judge by the appearance, but by righteousness. I interpret that to mean use the intent of the law, not the letter.
Then some of the folks in Jerusalem seem to remember that someone does want to kill JC and they ask, is this THAT guy? But, that’s weird because he says some pretty bold stuff and they say nothing back to him. To the rulers know that this is Christ? They’re confused that they know where Jesus comes from, but when Christ comes they think that they won’t know where he’s from.
Jesus gets really upset and cries out to them that they know both! They know him and where he’s from and that he came from God and they don’t know God, but it’s all true! He’s knows his dad, he’s knows that’s where he comes from, and his dad sent him.
They wanted to take him in to trial, but no one laid hands on him. You see, gentle reader, his time had not yet come.
Of those that weren’t trying to kill him, some believed in him and asked if the Christ was going to do more miracles than this man whenever he decided to show up.
The Pharisees were getting darn tired of all the hoopla so they sent some officers to take him.
Jesus stopped them and told them that he was going to be with them a little while longer and then he would go back to his dad. He said that they would try to seek him but wouldn’t be able to find him because where he was going they couldn’t come. Nah nah, nah nah!
The Jews asked themselves where he would go that they wouldn’t be able to find him (even though, he’s made it abundantly clear that he is going up to heaven with his dad, people in this book aren’t really awesome at putting clues together). Will he go to the Gentiles and teach them? Why did he say that about us not being able to go where he was going?
In the last day of the feast Jesus yelled to everyone that anyone who was thirsty should come to him and drink. (I guess the officers were just cool with letting him go because he was going to leave fairly soon anyway). He tells them in they believe they’ll have rivers of living water in their bellys… hee hee, that makes me giggle. (John tells us… Jesus was talking about the Spirit that the believers would receive, because the Holy Ghost was not yet given and Jesus was not yet glorified… whoa, whoa, whoa… what? Aren’t the Spirit and the Holy Ghost the same thing? And Jesus is God’s only son, right? Isn’t that like glorious enough… oh yeah, right, he’s got to die for the sins of the world…. Yeah).
Well, some people were impressed, and some people were curious if Christ was really going to come from Galilee. They thought that Christ was supposed to come from the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem.
The priests came to the group and asked the officers what was going on, apparently they’d actually been hanging out listening to him talk. Why haven’t y’all brought him to us, they asked.
The officers tell them that they’ve never heard anyone talk like this. The Pharisees basically asked if JC had tricked them into buying his nonsense. They said that none of the rulers or Pharisees believe him. But these people who don’t know the law are cursed.
Our old friend Nicodemus returns. He asks if their laws judge any man before hearing him.
They asked if he was also of Galilee, because no prophet comes from Galilee.
Then everyone went home.
Huh, a strange ending to be sure.
JC walked into Galilee and wouldn’t walk near the Jewry (I wonder if that’s like a nunnery) because those folks really wanted to kill him.
The Jewish feast of tabernacles was at hand. That sounds like fun, maybe it’s a big party under a lot of different tents. As we learned in previous gospels tabernacles are tents.
JC’s brethren told him to leave immediately and go into Judaea so everyone could see his great works. They told him that no man does things in secret (uh, I’m pretty sure that’s faulty logic, I think a lot of people do things in secret), but they say that anyone would want to be known for what Jesus could do. They told him that if he really does these things, he should show the world. Hmmm, I thought that’s what he was doing, but maybe I’m wrong. These relatives of him didn’t believe in him, according to John’s gospel.
Jesus told them that his time had not yet come, but their time is always ready. The world can’t hate them, but it does hate JC because he’s always pointing out the works that are evil. He tells them to go to their feast, he won’t go yet, why? Because his time hasn’t come yet. (Funny, I thought he’d feasted earlier in these chapters, and does their really need to be a your time and a my time for feasting… I say let’s ALL party!)
JC was still living in Galilee when he was chatting with his brothers. When they went up to the feast he decided to sneak in. Well, good thing he did, because the Jews were there (isn’t he a Jew?) and they asked his brothers where he was. It caused a minor uproar at the party with some people saying he was a good man and some people saying he was a deceiver. But, for all their murmuring no one would speak openly because they were afraid of these Jews (even though presumably most of the people at the party are also Jewish since it is a Jewish feast… just trying to keep it clear. I’m not a fan of anti Semitism, but I’m getting the felling that John the author is).
Right in the midst of the festival JC trotted up to the temple and began to teach. The Jews were mystified, he knows so many letters for someone who never learned. (How they know his education level is beyond me). Of course, Jesus lets them know that it’s his daddy’s doctrine that he’s talking about. He also informs them that if anyone wants to do god’s will he ought to know the doctrine whether it’s from his dad or whether he speaks it himself. To justify this showy little display of learning, JC tells the crowd that if you speak of yourself you’re just seeking glory (and that’s bad!), but if he seeks glory for god so there’s no unrighteousness in him. Okay JC, thanks for keeping it clear for us.
He asks them why they don’t keep Moses’ law? (I’m sure it was quite a shock to many to find out that they weren’t). Then he fairly asks them why they’re going around trying to kill him.
The people answer him that he has a devil in him and they question who is going around trying to kill him? (Oh, that’s an interesting twist, so IS JC just being paranoid, or are they being really sneaky?)
He tells them that he has done one work (which one counted as the one, I wonder), and all of them marveled. Then he gets into a strange talk about circumcision (yuck! Now, there’s a practice I just can’t understand, genital mutilation is pretty darn creepy to me). Moses therefore gave them circumcision (wow, what a gift), but it wasn’t because it was from Moses, but rather because it was of the ancestors that they circumcise men (hopefully babies… for men it seems even worse) on the Sabbath. If a man on the Sabbath receives a circumcision then the law of Moses isn’t broken. So, why are they angry at JC because he’s made a man whole on the Sabbath day? He tells them not to judge by the appearance, but by righteousness. I interpret that to mean use the intent of the law, not the letter.
Then some of the folks in Jerusalem seem to remember that someone does want to kill JC and they ask, is this THAT guy? But, that’s weird because he says some pretty bold stuff and they say nothing back to him. To the rulers know that this is Christ? They’re confused that they know where Jesus comes from, but when Christ comes they think that they won’t know where he’s from.
Jesus gets really upset and cries out to them that they know both! They know him and where he’s from and that he came from God and they don’t know God, but it’s all true! He’s knows his dad, he’s knows that’s where he comes from, and his dad sent him.
They wanted to take him in to trial, but no one laid hands on him. You see, gentle reader, his time had not yet come.
Of those that weren’t trying to kill him, some believed in him and asked if the Christ was going to do more miracles than this man whenever he decided to show up.
The Pharisees were getting darn tired of all the hoopla so they sent some officers to take him.
Jesus stopped them and told them that he was going to be with them a little while longer and then he would go back to his dad. He said that they would try to seek him but wouldn’t be able to find him because where he was going they couldn’t come. Nah nah, nah nah!
The Jews asked themselves where he would go that they wouldn’t be able to find him (even though, he’s made it abundantly clear that he is going up to heaven with his dad, people in this book aren’t really awesome at putting clues together). Will he go to the Gentiles and teach them? Why did he say that about us not being able to go where he was going?
In the last day of the feast Jesus yelled to everyone that anyone who was thirsty should come to him and drink. (I guess the officers were just cool with letting him go because he was going to leave fairly soon anyway). He tells them in they believe they’ll have rivers of living water in their bellys… hee hee, that makes me giggle. (John tells us… Jesus was talking about the Spirit that the believers would receive, because the Holy Ghost was not yet given and Jesus was not yet glorified… whoa, whoa, whoa… what? Aren’t the Spirit and the Holy Ghost the same thing? And Jesus is God’s only son, right? Isn’t that like glorious enough… oh yeah, right, he’s got to die for the sins of the world…. Yeah).
Well, some people were impressed, and some people were curious if Christ was really going to come from Galilee. They thought that Christ was supposed to come from the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem.
The priests came to the group and asked the officers what was going on, apparently they’d actually been hanging out listening to him talk. Why haven’t y’all brought him to us, they asked.
The officers tell them that they’ve never heard anyone talk like this. The Pharisees basically asked if JC had tricked them into buying his nonsense. They said that none of the rulers or Pharisees believe him. But these people who don’t know the law are cursed.
Our old friend Nicodemus returns. He asks if their laws judge any man before hearing him.
They asked if he was also of Galilee, because no prophet comes from Galilee.
Then everyone went home.
Huh, a strange ending to be sure.
Luke Chapter 7
On to Capernaum! Where JC meets a centurion who’s favorite servant was sick and dying. When the centurion heard that JC was in town, he sent the elders of the Jews to ask JC to com heal the servant. The elders told JC that the servant was worthy, because he loves our nation and built a synagogue! So JC followed them. Not far from the house the centurion send friends to tell JC not to trouble himself, because he’s not worth of even having him under his roof. Well centurion you might of thought about that before you sent for JC! If he comes to your house because you asked him to you should invite him in, or you should never have sent for him. Right… back to the story. The centurion tells him just say a word and my servant will be healed. Because as a centurion, I have authority, you know I tell one soldier to go and he goes, another to come, and he comes. My servants do ad I’m told. JC thought this was marvelous! This man has more faith anyone in Israel. When they went inside the servant had been healed!
Off to the city of Nain with his disciples and many more. When they came to the gate a dead man was being carried out, the only son of a widow. The Lord had compassion for her and told her not to Weep. And why is Weep capitalized? Is the holy Weeping? He touches the bier (that’s what you put the corpse on) and people carrying him stood still. JC told the man to Arise. The dead man stood up and began to speak. He went to his mom. Spooky stuff! It’s not just me everybody was afraid! They glorified God, saying there is a great prophet that God sent to visit us!
That new spread all through Judea. John the Baptist’s disciple went to share the news with him. John send two disciples to JC asking if he was the one they were looking for. In that hour JC healed the sick and cast out evil spirits and cured the blind. He told them to tell John what they had seen, and heard, how the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers clean, the dead raised and gospel preached to the poor.
Once John’s messengers left JC started to talk to the people about his second cousin (remember John was Mary’s cousin Elizabeth’s son). What did you go into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? What did you go out to see? A man in soft clothes? The people in the gorgeous clothes live in well , in the kings courts. What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and much more than a prophet! This is the one it’s been written about. I sent my messenger so you can see, who will prepare your way for you. There is no greater prophet who was born to a woman than John the Baptist. But even the least of the kingdom of God is greater than John. All the people who heard him and the publicans (who you remember are the roman tax collectors and contractors, seen as less than human), and justified God being baptism with the baptism of John. I’m not sure what that means. It could mean that that God, in the form of JC was baptized by John. I don’t know.
The Lord said, what are the men of this generation like? They are like children in the marketplace and calling to each other, saying we’ve piped, sang, danced and mourned for you but you haven’t wept. J the B came and didn’t drink wine or eat bread and you say he has a devil. The son of Man comes and eats and drinks and he’s a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of the publicans and sinners! Yay! I want to eat food and drink wine and be friends with the sinners too! Wisdom is justified of all her children. Okay!
One of the Pharisees wanted JC to eat with him. So JC went to his house to eat. A woman who was a sinner knew that JC was going to be there so she came with her alabaster box or ointment. She stood at JC’s feet and cried and beganto wash his feet with tears and wipe them with her hair and kissed his feet anointing them with oil. Eeeew! That is gross on so many levels! Okay she had to crying really hard to wash two whole feet or they would just get nasty. And hair to dry them, all the hair would just stick. And gross about the kissing the feet with the hair and the dirt! I think JC should have stopped her.
When the Pharisee who invited JC over saw this display and thought, If this guy was a prophet, he’d know what kind of woman that was touching him. She’s a sinner! JC told Simon he had something to say to him.
There was a creditor to whom two people owed money. One owed five hundred pence, the other 50. Neither could pay him back and he forgave both of them. Who will love him more.? Simon answered that it was guy with the five hundred pence debt. JC told him he was right. See this woman? I came into your house, and you didn’t give me water for me feet. But she washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Simon you didn’t kiss me, but this move hasn’t stopped kissing my feet. JC tell her to stop! You don’t anoint my head but she has anointed my feet! Her sins are many, but she’s forgiven because she loved much. But for those who only love a little, little is forgiven. Those who sat at dinner with him asked who this guy was forgiving sins. JC told the woman, your faith has saved you, go in peace.
Yay! So if you love a lot you can sin and be forgive. I can handle that!
Friday, May 27, 2011
John Chapter 6
John Chapter 6
After this JC went over the sea of Galilee which is also known as the sea of Tiberias. (That’s an interesting little historical geography lesson). Another huge throng of people followed them because they saw JC’s miracles, particularly with regard to curing the sick.
JC went up to the mountains with his disciples when the Passover feast was coming. Jesus looked up and saw a huge crowd was going to see him and he asked Philip where they should buy bread so everyone could eat. (Turns out, the author tells us, this is just a test for Phil because JC already knows exactly what he’s going to do).
Philip tells him that even two hundred pennyworth of bread isn’t enough, even if everyone only takes a little. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother said that there was a kid with five barley loaves and two small fishes, but he worried that this meant nothing in such a crowd.
Jesus had them direct the crowd of men to sit of the grass and it turned out that there were five thousand (I know, I know, we’ve heard this one a few times before, but we’re still going to go through it. Sorry).
JC gives thanks for the loaves and fishes and hands them to his disciples who eat first. After they are full they gather up the crumbs and filled twelve baskets with the fragments and passed them out to the crowd and everyone was satiated. Wooooo! Amazing.
The men in the crowd were oh so impressed and knew that he must be a true prophet. Jesus then grew afraid that they would take him by force and make him a king so he departed to a different mountain all alone.
In the evening his disciples when back to the sea and headed over to Capernaum (fickle jerks, they couldn’t even wait for the guy they’re supposed to be following). The sea rose up from a mighty wind. When they had rowed about 25-30 furlongs out into the water they saw JC just sauntering across the sea and they got all types of scared.
You remember how this goes… He tells them not be afraid because it’s only him, who they know. Well they happily receive him on their ship and the ship is magically transported to land (that’s a new piece of the puzzle).
The next day, the people stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there except the one that disciples entered onto without Jesus, but they knew the disciples had gone. Other boats from Tiberias had come to the place where they ate bread. (If you’re confused so am I, I have no idea where they boats are, or where the disciples and Jesus are, or why it matters that other boats were there, but I’m just going to keep plugging away).
When they saw that Jesus wasn’t there and neither were the disciples, the crowd also sailed to Capernaum to look for old JC. (I guess JC sent the boat back to the mountain empty???) When they found him, they asked him when he had arrived.
He tells them that they are not seeking him because they saw miracles but because they ate and were filled. He tells them that they should not work for the meat the perishes, but for meat that endures in everlasting life which the Son of man will give them and God has sealed. (He’s really really into this everlasting life thing... I don’t think it’s supposed to be as terrifying to me as it really really really is).
These folks ask him what they should do so that they can do God’s work.
He tells them that they really need to believe in him (that’s what all the cult leaders say).
They ask him for a sign so they can believe.
He tells them that their ancestors ate manna from heaven (a fabulous scene from the old testament), and as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. He then sort of amends this by saying that Moses didn’t give bread from heaven, but his dad gives the true bread from heaven. This bread… well, what do you think it does… it gives eternal life.
Then the crowds tells him to give them this special bread.
Jesus says that he is the bread and whoever comes to him will never hunger or thirst. Holy Pete and repeat! It goes on for a few more verse about how he’s giving everlasting life to believers, anyone who doesn’t believe will be damned, he’s doing his dad’s will, not his own, if you give him something, or give up something for him you’ll get it back in the “last day”.
Well, the Jews get to murmuring with each other, did this guy just say he is bread from heaven? Isn’t he Jesus, Joseph’s son? Don’t we know his mom and dad, so how can he come from heaven then?
Jesus tells them to stop murmuring. He goes on another long rant about being saved if you believe in him. Then he gets a little nasty and says that their fathers ate manna in the wilderness and are dead, now. Then there’s more about eating his special bread which is actually his flesh (ahhh, that’s where Catholics got that idea, after Matthew and Mark I was wondering, it seemed so clearly figurative) and getting everlasting life.
The Jews ask each other how he can give them his flesh to eat.
He goes on a really gruesome tirade about the wonderful meat that his flesh is and the amazing drink that his blood is, of course coming back to the point that what happens… you get everlasting life if you eat and drink and believe in all of it.
He said these things in the synagogue just as he had taught them in Capernaum. His disciples were a little put off by this talk and said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?”
JC asked them if they were offended. He tells them they should wait and see when he ascends to heaven, where he used to live. It’s the spirit that rises, he lets them know, not the flesh (really, then where does his body go?). The words he speaks are spirit and life.
JC tells them that there are some amongst them who don’t believe, because he knew right from the beginning who believed and who would betray him (He’s talking to you Judas Iscariot). He tells them that this is why he told them that no man should come to him unless God had told them to. From that time a lot of the disciples quite following him. But, guess how many remained? Did you guess twelve? You’re right!
He asks them if any of them want to go too. Simon Peter answers that there is no one else to go to because only JC has the words of eternal life and they believe and are sure that JC is Christ.
Jesus tells them that he chose the twelve but one of them is a devil! He was talking about Judas because he was the one that would betray him. Thanks for the preview. Boy, they like to give that little tidbit away up front.
After this JC went over the sea of Galilee which is also known as the sea of Tiberias. (That’s an interesting little historical geography lesson). Another huge throng of people followed them because they saw JC’s miracles, particularly with regard to curing the sick.
JC went up to the mountains with his disciples when the Passover feast was coming. Jesus looked up and saw a huge crowd was going to see him and he asked Philip where they should buy bread so everyone could eat. (Turns out, the author tells us, this is just a test for Phil because JC already knows exactly what he’s going to do).
Philip tells him that even two hundred pennyworth of bread isn’t enough, even if everyone only takes a little. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother said that there was a kid with five barley loaves and two small fishes, but he worried that this meant nothing in such a crowd.
Jesus had them direct the crowd of men to sit of the grass and it turned out that there were five thousand (I know, I know, we’ve heard this one a few times before, but we’re still going to go through it. Sorry).
JC gives thanks for the loaves and fishes and hands them to his disciples who eat first. After they are full they gather up the crumbs and filled twelve baskets with the fragments and passed them out to the crowd and everyone was satiated. Wooooo! Amazing.
The men in the crowd were oh so impressed and knew that he must be a true prophet. Jesus then grew afraid that they would take him by force and make him a king so he departed to a different mountain all alone.
In the evening his disciples when back to the sea and headed over to Capernaum (fickle jerks, they couldn’t even wait for the guy they’re supposed to be following). The sea rose up from a mighty wind. When they had rowed about 25-30 furlongs out into the water they saw JC just sauntering across the sea and they got all types of scared.
You remember how this goes… He tells them not be afraid because it’s only him, who they know. Well they happily receive him on their ship and the ship is magically transported to land (that’s a new piece of the puzzle).
The next day, the people stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there except the one that disciples entered onto without Jesus, but they knew the disciples had gone. Other boats from Tiberias had come to the place where they ate bread. (If you’re confused so am I, I have no idea where they boats are, or where the disciples and Jesus are, or why it matters that other boats were there, but I’m just going to keep plugging away).
When they saw that Jesus wasn’t there and neither were the disciples, the crowd also sailed to Capernaum to look for old JC. (I guess JC sent the boat back to the mountain empty???) When they found him, they asked him when he had arrived.
He tells them that they are not seeking him because they saw miracles but because they ate and were filled. He tells them that they should not work for the meat the perishes, but for meat that endures in everlasting life which the Son of man will give them and God has sealed. (He’s really really into this everlasting life thing... I don’t think it’s supposed to be as terrifying to me as it really really really is).
These folks ask him what they should do so that they can do God’s work.
He tells them that they really need to believe in him (that’s what all the cult leaders say).
They ask him for a sign so they can believe.
He tells them that their ancestors ate manna from heaven (a fabulous scene from the old testament), and as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. He then sort of amends this by saying that Moses didn’t give bread from heaven, but his dad gives the true bread from heaven. This bread… well, what do you think it does… it gives eternal life.
Then the crowds tells him to give them this special bread.
Jesus says that he is the bread and whoever comes to him will never hunger or thirst. Holy Pete and repeat! It goes on for a few more verse about how he’s giving everlasting life to believers, anyone who doesn’t believe will be damned, he’s doing his dad’s will, not his own, if you give him something, or give up something for him you’ll get it back in the “last day”.
Well, the Jews get to murmuring with each other, did this guy just say he is bread from heaven? Isn’t he Jesus, Joseph’s son? Don’t we know his mom and dad, so how can he come from heaven then?
Jesus tells them to stop murmuring. He goes on another long rant about being saved if you believe in him. Then he gets a little nasty and says that their fathers ate manna in the wilderness and are dead, now. Then there’s more about eating his special bread which is actually his flesh (ahhh, that’s where Catholics got that idea, after Matthew and Mark I was wondering, it seemed so clearly figurative) and getting everlasting life.
The Jews ask each other how he can give them his flesh to eat.
He goes on a really gruesome tirade about the wonderful meat that his flesh is and the amazing drink that his blood is, of course coming back to the point that what happens… you get everlasting life if you eat and drink and believe in all of it.
He said these things in the synagogue just as he had taught them in Capernaum. His disciples were a little put off by this talk and said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?”
JC asked them if they were offended. He tells them they should wait and see when he ascends to heaven, where he used to live. It’s the spirit that rises, he lets them know, not the flesh (really, then where does his body go?). The words he speaks are spirit and life.
JC tells them that there are some amongst them who don’t believe, because he knew right from the beginning who believed and who would betray him (He’s talking to you Judas Iscariot). He tells them that this is why he told them that no man should come to him unless God had told them to. From that time a lot of the disciples quite following him. But, guess how many remained? Did you guess twelve? You’re right!
He asks them if any of them want to go too. Simon Peter answers that there is no one else to go to because only JC has the words of eternal life and they believe and are sure that JC is Christ.
Jesus tells them that he chose the twelve but one of them is a devil! He was talking about Judas because he was the one that would betray him. Thanks for the preview. Boy, they like to give that little tidbit away up front.
Luke Chapter 6
On the second Sabbath JC and his disciples went into the corn fields and started to pick, eat and rub the corn in their hands. What’s that practice. The Pharisees were upset about and told them it was against the law. JC tells them how David broke the law when he was hungry, and ate the bread right out of the house of God. Only the priests can eat that bread. JC tells them the Son of man is the Lord of the Sabbath too.
On another Sabbath, JC taught at the synagogue. There was a guy with a withered hand. The scribes and Pharisees, were just waiting to see if JC would heal on the Sabbath. I mean that would go against god, healing on his holy day and all. As the man with the withered hand stepped up JC asked the folks, is it legal to do good or evil on the Sabbath? Should you save a life or destroy it? JC healed the hand. Oh the Pharisees and Scribes were pissed off. They talked about what they might do to JC. Normally I think the Pharisees are just an inquisitive lot, but come on guys, healing on the Sabbath is your big issue with this guy? He's being nice when he does that.
JC goes to the mountain to pray and prayed all night. In the daylight, he chose twelve of his disciples and made them his Apostles. Simon who he named Peter, his brother Andrew, James and John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alpaeus, his brother Judas, Simon called Zelotes, and the traitor Judas Iscariot. He came down from the mountain with his disciples and a big crowd from, Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, came to see JC so they could be healed. And he healed them. Everyone wanted to touch JC because the virtue was just flowing him out him. Woo hoo free virtue! And he healed them all.
Oh snap! I’ve stumbled into the sermon on the plain, it’s the sermon on the mount all over again.
Blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of God is theirs. Blessed are the hungry, for they will be full. Blessed are those who weep, for they will laugh. Blessed are those who men hate, when they leave and reproach them and cast out their names as evil for the Son of man’s sake. Okay break in formula how where they blessed? The crying laugh, the hungry are full, the poor get the kingdom of God and the those who are hated get… reproached and their names cast out? Nice reward.
Woe to the rich, they have received their comfort. Woe to the full, you’ll hunger. Woe to those who laugh for you will cry! Who to those who men speak well of, so did their fathers to the false prophets. What if you are a nice rich person who gives to the poor? What about God’s precious hero King David, I doubt he was poor.
Love your enemies, be good to those who hate you, bless the ones who curse you, pray for those who use you. If someone slaps you turn the other cheek and offer them the other and let him steal your cloak and coat! Wait what? Hypothermia serious, keep you cloak and coat if it’s really cold out. Don’t listen to JC on this one. Give to everyone who asks, and ask those who take your goods not to do it again.
If you love those who love you what do you have? I know! I know! You have love and it’s wonderful! Sinners also love those who love them. Yay sinners get love too! Oh wait JC says it like it’s a bad thing. If you do good to the folks you love what do you have? The satisfaction of helping the people you love! Yay! Hurray for love! Sinners do the same. Yay sinners aren’t all bad! Oh snap JC says that likes it’s a bad thing too. If you lend to people with the hope you will receive something what do you have? The hope that someday someone returns the favor? Sinners do that too. Oh wait. I get. I’m a sinner!
But if you love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing and your reward will be great, and you will be the children of Highest, because he is kind to the unthankful and evil. Right he loves the unthankful and evil but frowns on those who love the people who love them. So try to be as merciful as your Father. Don’t judge and you won’t be judged, don’t condemn and you won’t be condemned, forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you. However generous you are, that’s how generous it will be given back to you. Um that’s cool but you just frowned on people lending with the idea of getting something in return. Whatever.
Ooo a parable! Can the blind lead the blind? Or will they both fall in the ditch? Blind people aren’t idiots folks, and blind people often teach blind people how to do things blind. The disciple isn’t above the master, but if you are perfect you be as the master. You might see a speck in yout brother’s eye but not the big beam in your eye. You are a hypocrite, pull the beam out of your eye before you offer to pull the speck out of his eye.
A good tree has good fruit and a bad tree has bad fruit, you won’t find good fruit on a bad tree and vise versa. Every tree is known by his fruit. Figs don’t have thorns, and you can’t get grapes form a bramble bush. But yummy raspberries grow on thorny brambly bushes! I don’t know that they knew about raspberries at that time.
A good man brings the good treasure out of his heart, and the evil an brings evil treasure out of his heart. We speak from the heart. Why do you call me Lord and you don’t do as I say. If you come to me and hear what I say, and doe as I say… let me show you what I am talking about. He’s like a man who built a house, dug a deep foundation on a rock. When flood rose up his house house was nice and strong. But the person who hears me and doesn’t listen is like a house without a foundation. When the water hit that house it collapsed.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
John Chapter 5
Chapter 5
After feasting JC went on up to Jerusalem where there was a pool near the sheep market. This pool has five porches and is called Bethesda (funny, I always thought that was a town). In the water lay a large number of people who were sick, some were blind, some were halt (whatever that may be), some were withered and some were just waiting for the water to move.
At some time in the past an angel had gone down and disturbed the water which gave it the mystical power to heal the sick of whatever disease they might have. Hey, I have hot springs like a half an hour from my house that are supposed to do that. I wonder if an Angel did that too! (I’ve been to them but I wasn’t sick, they did make me feel pretty good though!)
One of the infirm who was trying to get into the pool had been sick for thirty eight years. Poor guy! JC saw him lying by the side, not in the water and asked him if he would like to be healed. That was nice of JC.
The invalid answered that he didn’t have a servant to help lower him into the water and every time he tries himself someone steps in front of him. Man, that’s happened to me at crowded pools before and it stinks! And I wasn’t even trying to be healed, so imagine how much more it stinks for this guy.
Jesus tells him to “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” And you know what? He does just that. It happened to be the Sabbath, so although the Jews were impressed that he was cured, they told him it wasn’t lawful for him to carry his bed.
This poor fellow (who I feel must have been much abused in his life) says, um, but the guy who cured me told me to pick it up. Yeah, if someone cured me I’d probably listen to a simple instruction like that too.
They asked him who this guy was so they could have a chat with this fella.
But, the newly healed gentleman didn’t know who it was because after healing him JC had taken off, not being interested in the crowded bath.
Later, Jesus found his new friend in the temple and said something to the effect of, well look at you. You’re looking much better. Now, don’t sin anymore or something worse than that disease could happen. (It’s a little snide for my taste, but I still think it was nice of JC to help him in the first place so I won’t be too hard on him).
The man departed and found the Jews and now told them who it was that had healed him.
The Jews decided that Jesus should be slain because of what he did on the Sabbath. Apparently they had gone to the temple to let him know or something (John doesn’t mention where they are at this point, but they’re close enough that JC is able to respond). JC tells them that his Father works now and so does he.
Well, that infuriated the Jews even more because not only did he break the Sabbath, but he also said that God was his father… and that ain’t cool.
He tells them that a son can do nothing but what he sees his father do (must not apply to daughters because I do a lot of things that are far different from my parents… much to their chagrin, I’m sure). Well, the Father loves the son and shows him all the things he does and the Son will show even greater works than these so everyone can marvel. Terrific! I love great works, but did Jesus just say he could do better than God?
As the Father raises the dead, the son can also raise up whoever he wants. Yuck! I hate talk of raising the dead. I imagine people die for a reason and that’s where they should stay. I don’t think people should mess too too much with the natural order of things, but maybe that’s just me, and maybe it’s just because I’m afraid of zombies.
The Father doesn’t judge man, but lets his Son judge them. I doubt that I need to comment on why I think that’s a bad plan.
All men should honor the Son just like they honor the Father. He that refuses is also refuses to honor the Father. Okay, count me in, most likely, I doubt I could honor either sufficiently for the liking of these texts.
Now, hear JC and believe that God sent him so you can have everlasting life and not damnation.
I really don’t like how John’s version of Jesus is always going on and on about this eternal life. It’s too terrifying for me to even think about. Okay, just a few more verses Beth, you can get through it.
Back to the story…
Jesus says… the hour is coming, nope, actually the hour is now when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and whoever hears it will live. Just as God can give life so can his boy and he has also imbued him with the authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man. Why does that give him the ability to execute judgment? Not sure. Don’t bother to marvel at this, the hour is coming when all those dead people are going to hear his voice. Those that have done good will get resurrected and live, but those that have done evil will get resurrected and be damned. Eeep!
Jesus can’t do anything himself, he hears, he judges, but don’t worry, he let’s us know that his judgment is just because I doesn’t seek his own will, but the will of his dad.
If he bears witness of himself it’s not true. (Of course, there seem to be a lot of people who he will not accept witness from). There’s John who bore witness to the truth, but Jesus won’t receive testimony from man. But he’ll tell you a few more things so you can be saved… John was a burning and shining light, and all of you were happy to have him for a time. But, Jesus has a greater witness than John and that is the works that his Father commanded him to finish and the works that he will be. Okay, so only JC’s works bear him witness, kind of an actions speak louder than words type thing? I can get into that. I wish he would have said it a little earlier, but I’ll take it.
Of course JC’s daddy also bears him witness, but JC understands that his audience has never heard God’s voice or seen his shape. Also, none of them have his word living in them because they don’t believe in JC. He tells them to search the scriptures because in them they think they have eternal life, also the scriptures will testify of him.
He then asks them, Won’t you come to me so that you can have life? I don’t know where this comes from, but for no real reason he says that he does not receive honor from men. He knows that the folks he chatting with do not have the love of God in them. He tells them that he has come in his father’s name, but they are not receiving him. If someone else came in their own name, they would receive him. So he asks, how can you believe in someone that receives honor from other men, but not believe in someone who receives honor from God?
Don’t worry though, Jesus assures the group, he won’t accuse them to his daddy (he’s no tattle tale), but someone who they trust will! OMG, it’s Moses! JC says that Moses had written of him and if they had believed Moses they would believe in him. But, if they don’t believe in his writings how will they believe his words?
Well played JC, although, you could let those guys get a word in edgewise. I’m not sure I really buy into Moses words, which is perhaps why I don’t buy into JC’s. Sorry, nothing has really stirred the feeling of truth in me that I always look for in any type of religious writing. Oh well, we’ll press on and see what we find. So far, all I’ve found in a guy with a very high opinion of himself and very little proof on his side.
After feasting JC went on up to Jerusalem where there was a pool near the sheep market. This pool has five porches and is called Bethesda (funny, I always thought that was a town). In the water lay a large number of people who were sick, some were blind, some were halt (whatever that may be), some were withered and some were just waiting for the water to move.
At some time in the past an angel had gone down and disturbed the water which gave it the mystical power to heal the sick of whatever disease they might have. Hey, I have hot springs like a half an hour from my house that are supposed to do that. I wonder if an Angel did that too! (I’ve been to them but I wasn’t sick, they did make me feel pretty good though!)
One of the infirm who was trying to get into the pool had been sick for thirty eight years. Poor guy! JC saw him lying by the side, not in the water and asked him if he would like to be healed. That was nice of JC.
The invalid answered that he didn’t have a servant to help lower him into the water and every time he tries himself someone steps in front of him. Man, that’s happened to me at crowded pools before and it stinks! And I wasn’t even trying to be healed, so imagine how much more it stinks for this guy.
Jesus tells him to “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” And you know what? He does just that. It happened to be the Sabbath, so although the Jews were impressed that he was cured, they told him it wasn’t lawful for him to carry his bed.
This poor fellow (who I feel must have been much abused in his life) says, um, but the guy who cured me told me to pick it up. Yeah, if someone cured me I’d probably listen to a simple instruction like that too.
They asked him who this guy was so they could have a chat with this fella.
But, the newly healed gentleman didn’t know who it was because after healing him JC had taken off, not being interested in the crowded bath.
Later, Jesus found his new friend in the temple and said something to the effect of, well look at you. You’re looking much better. Now, don’t sin anymore or something worse than that disease could happen. (It’s a little snide for my taste, but I still think it was nice of JC to help him in the first place so I won’t be too hard on him).
The man departed and found the Jews and now told them who it was that had healed him.
The Jews decided that Jesus should be slain because of what he did on the Sabbath. Apparently they had gone to the temple to let him know or something (John doesn’t mention where they are at this point, but they’re close enough that JC is able to respond). JC tells them that his Father works now and so does he.
Well, that infuriated the Jews even more because not only did he break the Sabbath, but he also said that God was his father… and that ain’t cool.
He tells them that a son can do nothing but what he sees his father do (must not apply to daughters because I do a lot of things that are far different from my parents… much to their chagrin, I’m sure). Well, the Father loves the son and shows him all the things he does and the Son will show even greater works than these so everyone can marvel. Terrific! I love great works, but did Jesus just say he could do better than God?
As the Father raises the dead, the son can also raise up whoever he wants. Yuck! I hate talk of raising the dead. I imagine people die for a reason and that’s where they should stay. I don’t think people should mess too too much with the natural order of things, but maybe that’s just me, and maybe it’s just because I’m afraid of zombies.
The Father doesn’t judge man, but lets his Son judge them. I doubt that I need to comment on why I think that’s a bad plan.
All men should honor the Son just like they honor the Father. He that refuses is also refuses to honor the Father. Okay, count me in, most likely, I doubt I could honor either sufficiently for the liking of these texts.
Now, hear JC and believe that God sent him so you can have everlasting life and not damnation.
I really don’t like how John’s version of Jesus is always going on and on about this eternal life. It’s too terrifying for me to even think about. Okay, just a few more verses Beth, you can get through it.
Back to the story…
Jesus says… the hour is coming, nope, actually the hour is now when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and whoever hears it will live. Just as God can give life so can his boy and he has also imbued him with the authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man. Why does that give him the ability to execute judgment? Not sure. Don’t bother to marvel at this, the hour is coming when all those dead people are going to hear his voice. Those that have done good will get resurrected and live, but those that have done evil will get resurrected and be damned. Eeep!
Jesus can’t do anything himself, he hears, he judges, but don’t worry, he let’s us know that his judgment is just because I doesn’t seek his own will, but the will of his dad.
If he bears witness of himself it’s not true. (Of course, there seem to be a lot of people who he will not accept witness from). There’s John who bore witness to the truth, but Jesus won’t receive testimony from man. But he’ll tell you a few more things so you can be saved… John was a burning and shining light, and all of you were happy to have him for a time. But, Jesus has a greater witness than John and that is the works that his Father commanded him to finish and the works that he will be. Okay, so only JC’s works bear him witness, kind of an actions speak louder than words type thing? I can get into that. I wish he would have said it a little earlier, but I’ll take it.
Of course JC’s daddy also bears him witness, but JC understands that his audience has never heard God’s voice or seen his shape. Also, none of them have his word living in them because they don’t believe in JC. He tells them to search the scriptures because in them they think they have eternal life, also the scriptures will testify of him.
He then asks them, Won’t you come to me so that you can have life? I don’t know where this comes from, but for no real reason he says that he does not receive honor from men. He knows that the folks he chatting with do not have the love of God in them. He tells them that he has come in his father’s name, but they are not receiving him. If someone else came in their own name, they would receive him. So he asks, how can you believe in someone that receives honor from other men, but not believe in someone who receives honor from God?
Don’t worry though, Jesus assures the group, he won’t accuse them to his daddy (he’s no tattle tale), but someone who they trust will! OMG, it’s Moses! JC says that Moses had written of him and if they had believed Moses they would believe in him. But, if they don’t believe in his writings how will they believe his words?
Well played JC, although, you could let those guys get a word in edgewise. I’m not sure I really buy into Moses words, which is perhaps why I don’t buy into JC’s. Sorry, nothing has really stirred the feeling of truth in me that I always look for in any type of religious writing. Oh well, we’ll press on and see what we find. So far, all I’ve found in a guy with a very high opinion of himself and very little proof on his side.
Luke Chapter 5
Luke Chapter 5
Jesus was by the lake of Gennersaret when the people came to hear the word of God. He saw two ships by the late, the fishermen had left the boats and were washing their nets. JC asks Simon if they could go out on the lake and he would teach the people from his boat. When he was done speaking to the people he gives Simon a little fishing advice. Try fishing in the deep part of the lake. Simon tells JC, we’ve been at it all night, and we caught nothing, but I’ll give it a go. So when they pull up the nets, they full to point of bursting, they have so many fish that they invite the other boat to help them. Soon both boats are so full they are sinking under the weight of the fish. It was astonishing!
When Simon Peter saw it, oh so it is Peter, he fell on his knees and asked JC to leave because he’s such a sinful man. Simon’s partners, those sons of Zebedee, James and John, also felt amazed and unworthy. But JC told them not to worry from now on, they won’t catch fish but men. Yay! Needless to say when they got to shore they abandoned everyone to follow JC.
They go to a city where a leper sees JC and falls on his face, I hope he didn’t injure himself, he asked JC, Lord, if you wouldn’t mind, you could make me clean. JC touched him and he was clean. But he told him not to tell anyone, but make sure he goes to be cleaned by the priest. Word got out that JC could heal and soon the crowds were asking to be healed. JC was overwhelmed and went to the wilderness and prayed.
One day when he was teaching the Pharisees and doctors of the law we sitting with the folks of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was there to heal them. There was a man with the palsy in a bed, but they couldn’t find a way to get him in the building, so they went up onto the housetop and lowered him through the tiling on his couch! When JC saw their faith, or determination, he forgave their sins.
And the scribes and Pharisees got all upset because “Who can forgive sin, but God alone?” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and asked them why they thought that in their hearts. Then it’s back to is easier to the say I forgive your sins or rise up and walk. You may know that the Son of man has the power to forgive sins, like the palsy, so get up fellow and go to your house. Dude I didn’t think palsy was a sin. I had a palsy and I don’t think that’s cool. Anyway, the guy got up to glorified god. And everyone was amazed, they glorified God, and were filled with fear. They had seen strange things that day.
After this, they saw a publican name Levi collecting taxes and JC told him to follow him, so he did. Wait a minute I thought that guy was Matthew not Levi? Did Matthew steal Levi’s story? Does Luke not like Matthew? Is this another Simon called Peter thing?
Levi invited them all to his house where he had a feast, and a lot of tax collectors came toe to eat. The Scribes and Pharisees, were upset that JC was eating with those disgusting publicans! JC tells them these people are sick, but don’t need a doctors to heal them. I’m not calling the righteous here, but the sinners. Probably good advice if you are having a party. But why do you eat when the disciples of John often fast. we Pharisees fast.
JC talks about how it would be ridiculous for the children of the bridechamber das while the bridegroom is with them. I guess that is just crazy talk. On day the bridegroom will be taken from them and they will fast. JC also tells them that you shouldn’t patch and old garment with fabric from a new garment, because the patch won’t agree with old fabric and you’ll have ruined the new garment. Well, that makes a little more sense that the version in Matthew l and Mark. Don’t put new wine in old bottles, they will burst and them you won’t have wine or bottles! Put the new wine in the new bottles. Preserve the wine folks! And everyone knows old wine is tastier than new.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
John Chapter 4
John Chapter 4
The Pharisees heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, although Jesus himself did not baptize anyone, only his disciples did. Hmm, what’s the matter JC, too good to baptize us mere mortals. I thought John the Baptist prophesied that he would baptize with the holy spirit whereas he could only baptize with lousy water.
Again, something that probably doesn’t matter, but really needles me.
Jesus left Judaea and to go to Galilee but he had to go through Samaria first. They reach the city of Sychar near the land parcel that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. But, of course. Jacob’s well was on this section of the land and JC was feeling a bit tired from his journey so he took a break and sat on the well. I was around the sixth hour. Either they get up really early or they’re saying it was six at night or the eighteenth hour of the day according to our modern standards. I can’t be certain.
He was all alone because his disciples had gone into the city to buy meat. A woman from Samaria approached to the well to draw water and Jesus said, “Give me to drink.” This to my ears sounds like he’s saying he’d like to become an alcoholic, but, I think, we are meant to interpret as he would like her to draw him a bit of water. Of course, we’ve already see how he talks to his mother, so you can bet he wouldn’t say something civil like, “I’m so tired, would you mind sharing some of your water?” No, give me to drink, is all we get.
The woman is confused and says so. You’re a Jew and I’m a Samarian, Jews never deal with us. What’s up with you?
Jesus in his infinite understanding and compassion for the world around him says, If you knew the gift of God, and who just asked you for a drink, you would have asked him instead and he would have given you living water. Okay JC.
The woman is now completely befuddled, um, sir, you don’t have anything to use to get water from the well, and it’s very deep (meaning simply using your hands is out), so how do you think you’d get this…uh… “living” water. Are you greater than our father Jake who gave us the well, and even used it himself, in fact, not just him, but his children and his cattle, too. Wow! Cattle, too!
Jesus says that whoever drinks from this well will never thirst again. Even better whoever drinks of the water that I give with never thirst again, either. BUT, the water I give him will be a well inside of him that springs up into everlasting life. Woo hoo.
Well, the Samaritan seems only partially concerned with the everlasting life deal, what she really wants is a solution to her everyday practical problem of having to constantly draw water from this well. She says to JC, give me this magic water so I don’t ever get thirsty again, and equally importantly so that I don’t have to come here to get it.
Jesus is rarely overly concerned with the ladies so he tells her to go get her husband and come back. She tells him that she doesn’t have a husband. Well it turns out that it was a word trap that JC had lain for her, well said he tells her. JC knew that she had had five husbands and she was with a man now who was not her husband.
Amazing. The woman perceives that he is a prophet. She says that the fathers of Samaria worship in the mountains but she thinks that Jesus tells people to worship in Jerusalem.
JC says (after referring to her no by her name, but as Woman. I don’t like how it’s fine for them to refer to women that way, but he never goes around talking to his disciples like that. Man, I’m going turn this one loaf into enough bread for the twelve of you. Maybe he just doesn’t want to sound like a surfer… I doubt it, but maybe) that the hour is coming when you’ll worship the Father neither in the mountains or in Jerusalem. He tells her that she doesn’t even know what she worships because salvation is of the Jews. The hour is coming and in fact is now when the true believes will worship in spirit and in truth, the place presumably does not matter. He tells her that those are the types of people his dad is looking for.
Wait, wait, it bears repeating, there are so few things that don’t… God is a spirit and everyone that worships him must do so in spirit and truth. Thank you John (the author) we really did get it already.
The lady’s like, I know that the Messiah’s coming and I heard he’s going to tell us everything when he gets here.
Jesus is like… yeah, uh… p.s. that’s me!
Then his disciples came traipsing along and they were sure surprised to find him chit chatting with this chica, but they didn’t ask what he was doing.
The woman left her waterpot and went to the city to find some men. Of course, what good are women? She invited them to come see a man who told her all the things she ever did. (Uh, well, he told her she’d been married a few times, is that really “all the things she ever did”?) She tells them she’s pretty sure this guy is the Christ that they’ve all heard so much about.
All the dudes go and find JC.
In the mean time, JC’s disciples were encouraging him to eat. But, he says that he has meat to eat that they don’t know anything about.
I think this is going to be just like the water situation… what do you all think? And by the way, don’t you think it was kind of annoying of Jesus to ask for a glass of water then proceed to lecture that woman. I don’t care for people like that.
Anyway, the disciples are confused and ask each other who might have brought meat to him.
Jesus clarifies by telling them that his meat is to do the will of his father and finish his work. He says, don’t tell me there are four months until harvest. I say the fields are already in harvest. He that reaps will receive wages and gather fruit into eternal life (I can be a migrant laborer forever? Wow, thanks). Not just that, but he that plants fruit and he that picks it can celebrate together. Hurray farmers! Oh yeah, this is a metaphor for believing and converting, I should point out.
More on sowing and reaping…
Here’s a saying that’s true says JC, one sows and one reaps. (And never the twain shall meet???)
He sent you to harvest things that you did not labor for, other men labored and you are the beneficiaries of that. Fabulous, I guess.
Many of the Samaritans believed him and now believed that unnamed woman. They asked him to stay awhile with them, so he hung out for two days. Many more were converted. They came to the woman and said, wow, you sure were right.
After two days he went to Galilee. Jesus testified that “a prophet hath no honor in his own country.” Now we know from Matthew and Mark that he’s referring to the way the people he grew up with treated him in Nazareth, but Author John doesn’t put that in any context for us.
The Galileans received him at a grand feast and again JC made some water into wine. Yeay! That’s my favorite magic trick!
There was a nobleman whose son was sick in Capernaum. He found JC and begged him to come and heal his son who was near death. Jesus said, you won’t believe in me unless you see these signs.
This poor guy tells him that his kid is dying. Please help!
Jesus can’t be bothered so he just tells him to get out of here, his kid will be fine. And the man believed in Jesus, and must have taken his word that his son was healed. I took that a little more harshly, but I have to say the Jesus of John is even less friendly than the JC of Matthew, Mark and probably Luke.
Well, it turns out the guy’s servants came running to tell him that the kid was okay. He asked them when it happened and they told him it was the seventh hour which was the same time he’d petitioned Jesus so now he REALLY believed it.
That was JC’s second miracle when he came out of Judaea and into Galilee. Thanks for keeping track of that for us Johnny.
The Pharisees heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, although Jesus himself did not baptize anyone, only his disciples did. Hmm, what’s the matter JC, too good to baptize us mere mortals. I thought John the Baptist prophesied that he would baptize with the holy spirit whereas he could only baptize with lousy water.
Again, something that probably doesn’t matter, but really needles me.
Jesus left Judaea and to go to Galilee but he had to go through Samaria first. They reach the city of Sychar near the land parcel that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. But, of course. Jacob’s well was on this section of the land and JC was feeling a bit tired from his journey so he took a break and sat on the well. I was around the sixth hour. Either they get up really early or they’re saying it was six at night or the eighteenth hour of the day according to our modern standards. I can’t be certain.
He was all alone because his disciples had gone into the city to buy meat. A woman from Samaria approached to the well to draw water and Jesus said, “Give me to drink.” This to my ears sounds like he’s saying he’d like to become an alcoholic, but, I think, we are meant to interpret as he would like her to draw him a bit of water. Of course, we’ve already see how he talks to his mother, so you can bet he wouldn’t say something civil like, “I’m so tired, would you mind sharing some of your water?” No, give me to drink, is all we get.
The woman is confused and says so. You’re a Jew and I’m a Samarian, Jews never deal with us. What’s up with you?
Jesus in his infinite understanding and compassion for the world around him says, If you knew the gift of God, and who just asked you for a drink, you would have asked him instead and he would have given you living water. Okay JC.
The woman is now completely befuddled, um, sir, you don’t have anything to use to get water from the well, and it’s very deep (meaning simply using your hands is out), so how do you think you’d get this…uh… “living” water. Are you greater than our father Jake who gave us the well, and even used it himself, in fact, not just him, but his children and his cattle, too. Wow! Cattle, too!
Jesus says that whoever drinks from this well will never thirst again. Even better whoever drinks of the water that I give with never thirst again, either. BUT, the water I give him will be a well inside of him that springs up into everlasting life. Woo hoo.
Well, the Samaritan seems only partially concerned with the everlasting life deal, what she really wants is a solution to her everyday practical problem of having to constantly draw water from this well. She says to JC, give me this magic water so I don’t ever get thirsty again, and equally importantly so that I don’t have to come here to get it.
Jesus is rarely overly concerned with the ladies so he tells her to go get her husband and come back. She tells him that she doesn’t have a husband. Well it turns out that it was a word trap that JC had lain for her, well said he tells her. JC knew that she had had five husbands and she was with a man now who was not her husband.
Amazing. The woman perceives that he is a prophet. She says that the fathers of Samaria worship in the mountains but she thinks that Jesus tells people to worship in Jerusalem.
JC says (after referring to her no by her name, but as Woman. I don’t like how it’s fine for them to refer to women that way, but he never goes around talking to his disciples like that. Man, I’m going turn this one loaf into enough bread for the twelve of you. Maybe he just doesn’t want to sound like a surfer… I doubt it, but maybe) that the hour is coming when you’ll worship the Father neither in the mountains or in Jerusalem. He tells her that she doesn’t even know what she worships because salvation is of the Jews. The hour is coming and in fact is now when the true believes will worship in spirit and in truth, the place presumably does not matter. He tells her that those are the types of people his dad is looking for.
Wait, wait, it bears repeating, there are so few things that don’t… God is a spirit and everyone that worships him must do so in spirit and truth. Thank you John (the author) we really did get it already.
The lady’s like, I know that the Messiah’s coming and I heard he’s going to tell us everything when he gets here.
Jesus is like… yeah, uh… p.s. that’s me!
Then his disciples came traipsing along and they were sure surprised to find him chit chatting with this chica, but they didn’t ask what he was doing.
The woman left her waterpot and went to the city to find some men. Of course, what good are women? She invited them to come see a man who told her all the things she ever did. (Uh, well, he told her she’d been married a few times, is that really “all the things she ever did”?) She tells them she’s pretty sure this guy is the Christ that they’ve all heard so much about.
All the dudes go and find JC.
In the mean time, JC’s disciples were encouraging him to eat. But, he says that he has meat to eat that they don’t know anything about.
I think this is going to be just like the water situation… what do you all think? And by the way, don’t you think it was kind of annoying of Jesus to ask for a glass of water then proceed to lecture that woman. I don’t care for people like that.
Anyway, the disciples are confused and ask each other who might have brought meat to him.
Jesus clarifies by telling them that his meat is to do the will of his father and finish his work. He says, don’t tell me there are four months until harvest. I say the fields are already in harvest. He that reaps will receive wages and gather fruit into eternal life (I can be a migrant laborer forever? Wow, thanks). Not just that, but he that plants fruit and he that picks it can celebrate together. Hurray farmers! Oh yeah, this is a metaphor for believing and converting, I should point out.
More on sowing and reaping…
Here’s a saying that’s true says JC, one sows and one reaps. (And never the twain shall meet???)
He sent you to harvest things that you did not labor for, other men labored and you are the beneficiaries of that. Fabulous, I guess.
Many of the Samaritans believed him and now believed that unnamed woman. They asked him to stay awhile with them, so he hung out for two days. Many more were converted. They came to the woman and said, wow, you sure were right.
After two days he went to Galilee. Jesus testified that “a prophet hath no honor in his own country.” Now we know from Matthew and Mark that he’s referring to the way the people he grew up with treated him in Nazareth, but Author John doesn’t put that in any context for us.
The Galileans received him at a grand feast and again JC made some water into wine. Yeay! That’s my favorite magic trick!
There was a nobleman whose son was sick in Capernaum. He found JC and begged him to come and heal his son who was near death. Jesus said, you won’t believe in me unless you see these signs.
This poor guy tells him that his kid is dying. Please help!
Jesus can’t be bothered so he just tells him to get out of here, his kid will be fine. And the man believed in Jesus, and must have taken his word that his son was healed. I took that a little more harshly, but I have to say the Jesus of John is even less friendly than the JC of Matthew, Mark and probably Luke.
Well, it turns out the guy’s servants came running to tell him that the kid was okay. He asked them when it happened and they told him it was the seventh hour which was the same time he’d petitioned Jesus so now he REALLY believed it.
That was JC’s second miracle when he came out of Judaea and into Galilee. Thanks for keeping track of that for us Johnny.
Luke Chapter 4
At this time Jesus was full of the Holy Ghost who led him into the wilderness, where his spent forty days being tempted by the devil. JC didn’t eat anything for those forty days so when they ended he was really hungry. The devil asked JC, if you’re the Son of God, why you don’t make this stone into bread? Jesus told him, it’s written that man will not live on bread alone but by every word of God.
The Devil took JC up onto a mountain and took a moment to show him all the kingdoms in the world. The devil tells him, he’ll give JC all of this power and glory of JC will worship him. If you will worship me and be mine. Ooo that’s sounded kind of dirty. JC is all you get behind me Satan, it’s written that you should only worship the Lord!
So he puts his up on the pinnicle of a temple saying, if you are the Son of God, figure out how to get down. It’s written that God told his angels to protect you and they will lift you anytime you would get hurt. JC tells him that it also says, don’t tempt the Lord. JC it’s the devil, he wants you to worship him, he’s got a little something against God he might not listen to those rules. Well, the devil quit tempting JC and left him alone for a season.
The Spirit directed JC back to Galilee, where he became famous through the region. He taught at the synagogues, and was glorified by everyone. He came to Nazereth, where he grew up and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath to read. They gave him the book of prophet Esaias, he opened and read where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he’s anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he’s sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach freedom to the captive, to heal the blind and the bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Uh what? The heck is the acceptable year of the Lord?
JC closed the book, gave it to the minister and sat down. Everybody in the synagogue watched. He told them today the scripture is fulfilled. Everybody wondered at his gracious words, and asked isn’t that Joseph’s son? You will no doubt remind me of this proverb ”Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.” I’m not actually familiar with that proverb. No prophet is accepted in his own country. Why is that?
I’ll tell you the truth, there were many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when heaven was shut for three years and six months and there a great famine in the land. Elias wasn’t sent to any of them except to the city of Sarepta to a widow there. There were many lepers in Israel in Eliseus the prophet, but only Naaman the Syrian was saved. When they heard these things in the synagogue, they were filled with anger. They rose up and threw him out of the city, so they could throw him headfirst down the big hill there city was built on. JC passed through the middle of them and went in his way.
Wow so heaven was closed for three and half years? How does that work? Actually I’m not sure I know how heaven works at all. JC’s a little threatening with that story about the prophets only saving a few people.
JC goes down to Capernaum in Galilee to teach them on the Sabbath days. They were astonished at what he was saying and the power behind his words. In the synagogue there was a guy who was possessed by an unclean devil who cried out in a loud voice saying, Leave us alone Jesus of Nazareth! I know who you are! Holy One of God! Ooo burn devil guy, good one! No wait, that wasn’t even an insult. JC rebukes him and tells him, hold your peace and come out of him. And the devil obeyed JC coming out without hurting the guy. This amazed the people. He commanded the unclean spirits and they came out! So they went to tell everyone.
Next JC goes to Simon’s house, where Simon’s mother in law was sick with a bad fever. JC took care of that, which was great because then she then she could get ups and take care of them. As the sun was setting, a bunch of sick people came and JC healed them. The devils came out crying “You are Christ, the Son of God!” and JC silenced them, because they knew he was Christ. JC went back to the desert and the people followed saying he shouldn’t leave them. JC told hem I’ve got to go preach about the kingdom of God, in other cities where I’m sent. So he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.
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