1 John 3:11-24
A hospital chaplain I trained under years ago offered this observation: You can have a meaningful conversation with anyone, anytime, but just responding to whatever they say by saying, “That’s frustrating.” It’s not that great an exaggeration. The point, however, isn’t to have a pat response to a person’s circumstances. The point is that it is a measure of the hunger we have for anyone to respond to us and our lives and circumstances at a heart and feeling level.
God already knows our hearts, our feelings. “God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (verse 20). The context of this writing is brutal persecution. The direction to lay down life for others, and to love after the pattern and command of Jesus – this was no pat response – but the beginning of the gift the Christian community would be called to bring to the world. That is to find a different way to respond to hatred than with more hatred. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a hostage in the hands of terrorists; I have no idea what it’s like to be in the midst of war; I have no idea, for that matter, the depth of frustration that may lie at the heart of the experience of someone I will meet today. But I do know – and hope to practice – that part of what my Lord calls me to do is to acknowledge that frustration as sensitively and genuinely as I can, and keep on loving when another’s frustration affects me adversely. Let’s each take a moment just to pray that it be so.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Difference
1 John 2:28-3:10
A sign of the ‘last hour’ (2:18) is the distinction between the true ‘children of God’ (3:2) and those of the world. The difference will be clear at Christ’s coming. Meanwhile, Christians should understand that this does not make us better than others. The difference is not of nature, but of conduct, according to what John goes on to say here. The difference in nature and being is between Christ and the world, not Christians and the world. We are enabled to live and demonstrate a different way only because of Christ in us. We ourselves remain sinful, but redeemed (meaning bought out of slavery by Christ). Our life as children of God depends on having made that once-for-all decision to welcome Jesus as Lord within us, and daily renewal in him.
Prayer:
Lord, let me never think of myself as better than anyone, but let me be more like Jesus today in his way of service. In him, Amen.
A sign of the ‘last hour’ (2:18) is the distinction between the true ‘children of God’ (3:2) and those of the world. The difference will be clear at Christ’s coming. Meanwhile, Christians should understand that this does not make us better than others. The difference is not of nature, but of conduct, according to what John goes on to say here. The difference in nature and being is between Christ and the world, not Christians and the world. We are enabled to live and demonstrate a different way only because of Christ in us. We ourselves remain sinful, but redeemed (meaning bought out of slavery by Christ). Our life as children of God depends on having made that once-for-all decision to welcome Jesus as Lord within us, and daily renewal in him.
Prayer:
Lord, let me never think of myself as better than anyone, but let me be more like Jesus today in his way of service. In him, Amen.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Welcome to the Last Hour
1 John 2:18-27
This section reflects the belief that before the end of the world, there will be an intensification of evil forces coming to personification in a great antichrist. Leading up to that time there will be lesser antichrists, whose role it will be to lead people away from the truth of Christ. We are in that time. The “last hour” (verse 18) was kicked in with the coming of Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God in personal form (John 1:14), and will end with his return.
What is the implication for us? It is to know the one who has come and is coming, through the anointing of his Spirit. We then ‘know’ him with a knowledge that includes knowing with learning and understanding, but is much deeper. It is a bond established by his grace, and our welcoming. More specific understanding comes as a result of that relationship; it is not a precondition, as those to whom this was written seem to have thought, and as much conventional church life presupposes.
The term ‘anointed’ is loaded with meaning, since ‘Christ’ is the Greek version of the Hebrew title, ‘Messiah’, which means ‘anointed one.’ Jesus is the one through whom we have life in and beyond a world that will pass. We have life by receiving the anointing of his love and grace. How? Just say, “I want to know you, Jesus; I want to love you as you love me; come into my life – be my life; take anything ugly in my past or present and transform it.” Then seek Christian friends and an outreach-oriented church with which to share your best news ever, grow in him, and never look back.
This section reflects the belief that before the end of the world, there will be an intensification of evil forces coming to personification in a great antichrist. Leading up to that time there will be lesser antichrists, whose role it will be to lead people away from the truth of Christ. We are in that time. The “last hour” (verse 18) was kicked in with the coming of Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God in personal form (John 1:14), and will end with his return.
What is the implication for us? It is to know the one who has come and is coming, through the anointing of his Spirit. We then ‘know’ him with a knowledge that includes knowing with learning and understanding, but is much deeper. It is a bond established by his grace, and our welcoming. More specific understanding comes as a result of that relationship; it is not a precondition, as those to whom this was written seem to have thought, and as much conventional church life presupposes.
The term ‘anointed’ is loaded with meaning, since ‘Christ’ is the Greek version of the Hebrew title, ‘Messiah’, which means ‘anointed one.’ Jesus is the one through whom we have life in and beyond a world that will pass. We have life by receiving the anointing of his love and grace. How? Just say, “I want to know you, Jesus; I want to love you as you love me; come into my life – be my life; take anything ugly in my past or present and transform it.” Then seek Christian friends and an outreach-oriented church with which to share your best news ever, grow in him, and never look back.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Be Strong
1 John 2:12-17
Not too much should be made of the different age groups addressed in verses 12-14. I mean, would John not want all ages – and both sexes for that matter (we’re still dealing with a patriarchal culture here) – to grasp that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ’s name (verse 12), because they know him who is from the beginning (verse 13), etc.? The points made come to a climax with writing to ‘young men’ about what real strength is. I think this gets at the stylistic role of the groups mentioned. Young men are thought to be strong. What better group to bounce off in order to point out that real strength is a matter of having the Word of God within, and, by this, overcoming the evil one (verse 14). The truth applies to everyone but the point is made all the more effectively as it addressed to those thought to be strong because of youth and physical vigor.
The style of addressing different groups is then dropped as the last point about strength is expanded in teaching about Christians and the world (verse 15-17). Those who have the Word of God in them, and do it (verse 17), have already overcome the world of false strength that is passing away. It is false in the sense that it is passing away, not in any sense that we can ‘spiritualize’ the real suffering that exercise of power – or brute force – can bring in this world (witness hundreds of people killed in truck bombings Wednesday in Iraq). It is false in comparison to the strength that will endure when it is matter of doing the Word. That is the hope for effectiveness in our daily lives, when the forces that seem to overwhelm threaten to get the better of our spirit.
Prayer:
God, let no false humility get in the way of you making me strong and effective in this world. Let your Word make us strong for your sake. Amen.
Not too much should be made of the different age groups addressed in verses 12-14. I mean, would John not want all ages – and both sexes for that matter (we’re still dealing with a patriarchal culture here) – to grasp that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ’s name (verse 12), because they know him who is from the beginning (verse 13), etc.? The points made come to a climax with writing to ‘young men’ about what real strength is. I think this gets at the stylistic role of the groups mentioned. Young men are thought to be strong. What better group to bounce off in order to point out that real strength is a matter of having the Word of God within, and, by this, overcoming the evil one (verse 14). The truth applies to everyone but the point is made all the more effectively as it addressed to those thought to be strong because of youth and physical vigor.
The style of addressing different groups is then dropped as the last point about strength is expanded in teaching about Christians and the world (verse 15-17). Those who have the Word of God in them, and do it (verse 17), have already overcome the world of false strength that is passing away. It is false in the sense that it is passing away, not in any sense that we can ‘spiritualize’ the real suffering that exercise of power – or brute force – can bring in this world (witness hundreds of people killed in truck bombings Wednesday in Iraq). It is false in comparison to the strength that will endure when it is matter of doing the Word. That is the hope for effectiveness in our daily lives, when the forces that seem to overwhelm threaten to get the better of our spirit.
Prayer:
God, let no false humility get in the way of you making me strong and effective in this world. Let your Word make us strong for your sake. Amen.
Monday, August 13, 2007
A Personal Beginning
1 John 2:1-11
At the opening of the John’s Gospel, it’s “in the beginning” (John 1:1). At the opening of this letter, it was “from the beginning” (1 John 1:1). This led to the observation that in the letter John’s point of departure was the immediacy of the experience of the risen Christ. Now in verse 7 of chapter two, it is “since the beginning.” I take this to refer to the beginning of the time of Christ being present in the individual believers John is addressing; since the beginning of their new creation. If that new creation is real, there will be a difference to life that the light will reveal. Our love, or not, for our brother/sister is a sign of whether or not we are in the light.
Prayer:
Open my eyes and my heart today, Lord, so as to see someone more as you see him/her. In Christ. Amen.
At the opening of the John’s Gospel, it’s “in the beginning” (John 1:1). At the opening of this letter, it was “from the beginning” (1 John 1:1). This led to the observation that in the letter John’s point of departure was the immediacy of the experience of the risen Christ. Now in verse 7 of chapter two, it is “since the beginning.” I take this to refer to the beginning of the time of Christ being present in the individual believers John is addressing; since the beginning of their new creation. If that new creation is real, there will be a difference to life that the light will reveal. Our love, or not, for our brother/sister is a sign of whether or not we are in the light.
Prayer:
Open my eyes and my heart today, Lord, so as to see someone more as you see him/her. In Christ. Amen.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Fellowship and Self-Perception
1 John 1:5-10
We can see from our own observations and experience that truth about ourselves depends a lot on our interconnectedness with others. Social isolation can result in poor self-perception. We need social interaction to stay in touch with reality, especially about ourselves. How much more true is that of fellowship with God, which necessarily involves also fellowship with others (see previous post). And so we can see intuitively, I think, the truth that walking in the light (verse 7) involves also growth in fellowship with others, together with honesty about ourselves that leads to renewal and freedom that comes from forgiveness from God (verse 9).
Prayer:
Keep me connected, Lord, in every way that matters. Through Christ. Amen.
We can see from our own observations and experience that truth about ourselves depends a lot on our interconnectedness with others. Social isolation can result in poor self-perception. We need social interaction to stay in touch with reality, especially about ourselves. How much more true is that of fellowship with God, which necessarily involves also fellowship with others (see previous post). And so we can see intuitively, I think, the truth that walking in the light (verse 7) involves also growth in fellowship with others, together with honesty about ourselves that leads to renewal and freedom that comes from forgiveness from God (verse 9).
Prayer:
Keep me connected, Lord, in every way that matters. Through Christ. Amen.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Making Joy Complete
1 John 1:1-4
Open Journal resumes with a launch into the letters of John. John is believed to have been writing to Gnosticizing Christians – who denied the physical, historical reality of Jesus Christ. So he begins by emphasizing just what a real, direct experience he and others had had of Jesus.
The beginning of this letter is very similar to the beginning of John’s Gospel, but now he speaks not of the one who was “in the beginning” (John 1:1), but he who is “from the beginning.” The former is poetic language about the pre-existence (before his earthly life as a man) of Christ. Now he begins his witness from the direct experience.
John craves a fellowship centered on the experience of the living Christ. He concluded his Gospel by noting that such experience, and such fellowship, does not depend on everyone having had first-hand experience of Jesus as he walked this earth. See the dramatic encounter of Jesus with Thomas in John 20:24-31 and especially verse 29 in that passage.
Joy in that fellowship is made “complete” (1 John 1:4) because true fellowship, such as today we seek especially in a church whose life and very structure is based on small groups, brings together the horizontal and vertical dimensions of relationships, i.e., it combines human relationships and the divine-human encounter in such a way that we live our faith life in full recognition that one aspect is not “complete” without the other. In belonging to Christ we belong to one another. Fellowship that begins and ends with this recognition will be lost in the perpetual energy and joy of seeking to know, love, serve and share Jesus Christ more fully every day, with one another; full of passion to enlarge the experience exponentially, increasing the joy until it finally will be made complete in that fellowship to come, of which all other true Christian fellowship is anticipation.
Prayer:
Lord, increase our appetite for real fellowship in which we learn more about you, honour you with worship in simple fellowship settings, are moved to serve you by serving others, wrapping it all up with a deep and abiding concern for others similarly to be fed and enlivened. Encourage the disaffected. Embolden the hurting not to wait for someone to notice their hurt, at the same time we all seek out where those and others are hurting and ask how we can help. How has someone been offended? Am I withholding some hurt and nursing it? Am I withholding what you have given me to share of myself, afraid of being hurt, again? Am I holding material resources that could be used to grow fellowship that seeks completion in its dimensions resembling the shape of the cross itself? So many questions, so many needs. No one of us can address them all for even one other. Let us be a fellowship that seeks completion in you, and truly grows, together. In Christ. Amen.
Open Journal resumes with a launch into the letters of John. John is believed to have been writing to Gnosticizing Christians – who denied the physical, historical reality of Jesus Christ. So he begins by emphasizing just what a real, direct experience he and others had had of Jesus.
The beginning of this letter is very similar to the beginning of John’s Gospel, but now he speaks not of the one who was “in the beginning” (John 1:1), but he who is “from the beginning.” The former is poetic language about the pre-existence (before his earthly life as a man) of Christ. Now he begins his witness from the direct experience.
John craves a fellowship centered on the experience of the living Christ. He concluded his Gospel by noting that such experience, and such fellowship, does not depend on everyone having had first-hand experience of Jesus as he walked this earth. See the dramatic encounter of Jesus with Thomas in John 20:24-31 and especially verse 29 in that passage.
Joy in that fellowship is made “complete” (1 John 1:4) because true fellowship, such as today we seek especially in a church whose life and very structure is based on small groups, brings together the horizontal and vertical dimensions of relationships, i.e., it combines human relationships and the divine-human encounter in such a way that we live our faith life in full recognition that one aspect is not “complete” without the other. In belonging to Christ we belong to one another. Fellowship that begins and ends with this recognition will be lost in the perpetual energy and joy of seeking to know, love, serve and share Jesus Christ more fully every day, with one another; full of passion to enlarge the experience exponentially, increasing the joy until it finally will be made complete in that fellowship to come, of which all other true Christian fellowship is anticipation.
Prayer:
Lord, increase our appetite for real fellowship in which we learn more about you, honour you with worship in simple fellowship settings, are moved to serve you by serving others, wrapping it all up with a deep and abiding concern for others similarly to be fed and enlivened. Encourage the disaffected. Embolden the hurting not to wait for someone to notice their hurt, at the same time we all seek out where those and others are hurting and ask how we can help. How has someone been offended? Am I withholding some hurt and nursing it? Am I withholding what you have given me to share of myself, afraid of being hurt, again? Am I holding material resources that could be used to grow fellowship that seeks completion in its dimensions resembling the shape of the cross itself? So many questions, so many needs. No one of us can address them all for even one other. Let us be a fellowship that seeks completion in you, and truly grows, together. In Christ. Amen.
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