AfterWords: Breaking the Rules--Enemies

 

John 4:46-54

Today, we encounter another “sign” in John’s Gospel…and a sign always point to something about God we need to see and understand. While the themes of this reading are many and meaningful, today we focus on Jesus’ response to an enemy.

At first glance, we may not think the “royal official” an enemy, but when we take apart the social world of 1^st Century Judea, we discover that a “royal official” of any sort reports directly to one of the sovereigns placed and sustained in power by the Roman occupiers of the day. This particular royal official probably reports to Herod Antipas, and he and all this court stand in the way of the dreams and hopes of all Jews—self-rule, freedom from Rome, relief from the onerous burden of taxes. If there are any Zealots in Jesus’ following on this day, they want only to kill this traitor.

But, Jesus moves beyond the labels and politics when he speak to this fellow. We discover that he is a father…and he’s the father of a child who is dying. Jesus knows who this fellow is…yet, he is able see beyond the surface to the simple and beloved humanity beneath. And, as God does, so does Jesus—he responds to the real human need of the moment. He heals the official’s son.

What about our enemies? How do we respond to our enemies? I know how we want to respond. We want to get even. We want to dish out what we’ve been served. We want very much to embrace the reigning response of our culture—“an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 

But, Scripture calls us in a different direction. Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds his readers: “‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:20-21). And, Jesus himself tells us straight up: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45a).

In this passage, Jesus lives exactly what he preaches and teaches—he shows this enemy of the people, this traitor, loving kindness…he heals his son. The impact of that act of grace is profound because we learn that “he and his whole household believed” (John 4:53b).

Now, we must determine to live as Jesus lived and as he calls us to live, to respond to our enemies in kind. While we are not guaranteed that everything will turn around because of our actions, we do know that we are called to be faithful no matter what. Can we trust God to take care of revenge and vengeance issues as Scripture promises? Can we trust that Jesus is showing us the right way to live and respond? If we are followers of Jesus, we must live this way. Now, how will you respond to your enemies?

Sunday, February 8, 2026
Breaking the Rules: Enemies
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Breaking the Rules--Women

 

John 4:1-9

Jesus breaks the rules, crosses a line, knocks down a boundary…Jesus changes everything.

In today’s reading, Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman. Samaritans are personas non grata in 1st Century Judea. Jews at that time remained acutely aware of the perceived impurity and “unclean” nature of the Samaritans—Israelites of the former Northern Kingdom who had intermarried with “foreigners,” who had built their own temple. Yet, Jesus breaks the rules and engages this Samaritan in conversation.

Probably only a notch above Samaritans were women in general during this time period. In Jesus’ world, women had no public voice, could not own land, were not to be taught, and should even be ignored in public. Women in this time period were considered little more than property.

Jesus changes the life of this Samaritan woman and for all women (potentially) ever after. Jesus treats women as human beings, as persons of worth. He asks their opinions and thoughts. He tells parables in which women are the heroes. Jesus’ approach to women confronts head-on the cultural assumptions of the Jews, the Romans, and the Greeks. You see, Jesus is willing to break the rules…that others might have life.

Jesus asks for a drink that he might tell this unnamed woman about the “living water… a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:11-13). Jesus recognized the thirst in her life, the same thirst in our lives—a thirst for life…for purpose, for meaning, for healing, for relationship, to be valued, to be seen, to be known, to be loved. King David wrote about this thirst in our lives—“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…” (Ps.42), and the great African theologian, Augustine, declares—“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You” (Confessions). Jesus offers her and us what will quench that thirst, address that restlessness within.

Just as Jesus breaks the rules for this Samaritan woman, God breaks the rules for us—crosses time and space to enter our world, engages us—unclean and unworthy as we are—to offer us living water…a spring within us that leads to eternal life, real life, abundant life. Do you as a deer pant for living water? Is your heart restless…seeking and searching, ill at ease? Jesus offers us living water…life…through faith today. That living water, that rest, is as close as a prayer.

Sunday, February 1, 2026
Breaking the Rules: Women
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Making the Way Straight - Seeing and Believing

 

John 3:1-16

This dialogue between Nicodemus and Jesus is wonderful…a banter of puns. Jesus tells Nicodemus (Nick) that being “born again” is important…but that phrase in the Greek has a double meaning: Born anōthen can mean born “again” or born “from above.” Nick latches on to the double meaning presuming that Jesus actually means “from above,” and he intentionally takes it as “again” and makes that ridiculous suggestion that he crawl back in his mom’s womb to be born “again.”

Nick does this because ‘born anōthen’ is the phrase Jews use of those Gentile proselytes who convert to Judaism. In effect, Nick takes issue with Jesus suggesting that he—Nick, Pharisee, member of the Sanhedrin—would need what Gentiles need, would be equated with the Gentiles. So, he takes the ridiculous spin on the word and throws it back at Jesus.

Jesus is unphased and tosses in his own play on words. In the Greek, the word for “wind” and “spirit” is the same word: pneuma. So, per Jesus, “The wind/Spirit blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit/wind.” Interestingly, the Hebrew equivalent—ruach—works exactly the same way. Nick is left wondering what’s what after this…and maybe we are, too!

Being born from above or born again or born of the Spirit (all three in Jesus’ dialogue) enable the same thing: to see the kingdom/reign of God, to enter into the kingdom/reign of God. This new birth, rebirth, spiritual birth brings us into the reign and realm of God.

Nick reacts like we do: “How can this be?” or “What does this mean?” or “Whatyoutalkingabout?”

Jesus then shifts the narrative away from talk and imagery of birth to something very familiar to Nick…and to himself. The story of the serpents in the OT as the Hebrew people make their way across the wilderness to the Promised Land (Numbers 21) was well known to Nick. In that story, if the people were bitten by the venomous serpents, they only had to look to the bronze serpent on a staff that Moses had crafted and they would be saved. We cannot help but wonder if this story in Jesus’ dialogue serves as a bridge between the serpent of Genesis that precipitates the sin and rupture between God and humanity…and his own act of being lifted up on the cross. Those of us who are poisoned by sin, whose lives have been bitten by the power of sin now look not to a bronze serpent on a staff but to the “Son of Man” nailed to a cross.

John wraps up this incident with commentary that begins, “For God so loved the world….” We find in this whole passage the three primary themes of John’s Gospel: Light, life, and love (agape). John’s commentary points to the way to these three—to finding light in the darkness of this world, to finding real life (more than merely being alive), to encountering the love (agape) God has for us and that we are to show towards others. We find these through belief, faith, trust, confidence in who Jesus is, what he says, how he lives…in his life and death and resurrection. In and through this Jesus, we find birth from above…new birth…spiritual birth. The call today in John’s Gospel? Believe, trust, have faith, put your confidence in Jesus that we may know this birth into new life.

Sunday, January 25, 2026
Making the Way Straight: Seeing and Believing
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Making the Way Straight--A Place for All

 

John 2:13-25

Many of us have heard about Jesus’ clearing the Temple, but we haven’t always been clear on why. Was it just about the issue of commerce in the Temple? Is that why we’re reluctant to put a real coffee shop in the foyers and narthexes of our churches? Could it have been something more?

Historians and archeologists tell us that the moneychangers and sellers of doves, sheep, and cattle had taken up residence in an area of the Temple called “The Court of the Gentiles.” The inner part of the Temple was for the priests and Jewish men. An outer court was for the Jewish women. Outside of that was “The Court of the Gentiles.” While the moneychangers and sellers of sacrificial animals had a designated area outside the city walls on the Mount of Olives, over time they had slowly wandered inside the walls and had filled the Court of the Gentiles. This scene is what Jesus happened upon in today’s reading. Yet, before that, Khety came to the Temple.

Khety was a trader from Egypt. He often came to Judea to purchase olives and wine. On one of his visits, he met Yosef—a kind man from Galilee. Yosef had invited Khety to eat with his family after they had conducted their business—olives. Khety was so taken by Yosef’s kindness and joy that he asked him why he was this way. Yosef explained that their faith in a good and gracious God made the difference in his life. Yosef told Khety all about his practice of faith and even invited him to meet him in two weeks in Jerusalem for Passover. “You will see our Temple, and you can worship our God there!” Khety decided to finish his business the following week in Jericho and then go up to Jerusalem.

When Khety arrived in Jerusalem, he could tell that it was a special time—the streets were full, and there seemed to be a press of people moving towards the gleaming white building with gold trim. He was fairly carried along with the crowd, and he looked forward to learning more of this God Yosef had told him about. As he neared the beautiful Temple, guides were directing everyone where to go—Jewish men to go through the inner court; Jewish women to gather in the inner court; Gentiles (Greeks, Egyptians, Syrians) to stay in the outer court.

Khety approached the outer court…hearing the cries of moneychangers, sellers of animals, the yells, mooo’s, baaaa’s, coooo’s…the smell of manure and animal urine…the press of pilgrims. How was he supposed to worship here?! The shouts, the press of the people, the smells…what kind of god was this?! He immediately thought of the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari back in Egypt -- quiet, honorific, awe-inspiring. Yes, time to go home…to leave this madness. Yosef could have this god….

Jesus stepped in to clear the Temple of distractions and to ensure that ALL people could come to worship the One True God. Jesus cleared the space for all of the future Khetys that might come to Jerusalem to learn something of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus spoke for those who had no voice in this Temple—Khety and all the Gentiles. And Jesus steps into our lives today in the same way to clear away the distractions that keep us from coming to God, from hearing God, from being in God’s presence.

Have we allowed a thousand distractions to fill our lives that now keep us from God and from the peace of God? Have we inadvertently been a distraction for others, an impediment to anyone who might have had an interest in God?

By prayer, we invite Jesus into our lives to clear away the cacophony of distraction. By prayer, we ask God to show us if we have stood in the way of anyone seeking God. By prayer, we find our way to God, to God’s presence, to God’s peace. May we take that small, simple step of prayer today…and every day. Jesus makes a way for us all.

Sunday, January 18, 2026
Making the Way Straight: A Place for All
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: Making the Way Straight -- Ordinary to Extraordinary

 

John 2:1-11

In John’s Gospel, we find seven “signs.” These signs are miracles or acts on the part of Jesus that are supposed to show us something about God that we might miss or overlook. In today’s reading, we find the first of those seven signs: Jesus turns water into wine. Jesus creates 150 gallons of wine…750 bottles of wine…3000 glasses of wine. Really? This is the sign? Feeding 5000, raising to life a little girl, helping the blind to see—these we understand, but bringing about barrels of wine? How is this a sign, and what does it point to about God?

To understand this sign, we need to understand what it meant for Jesus to be at a “wedding.” For us, a wedding is 30–40-minute ceremony in which two people profess and affirm their love to one another by way of vows and an exchange of rings. That is our 21st Century, North American understanding of a wedding—and this is nothing like what Jesus and his disciples were a part of in 1st Century Judea.

A wedding in the first century was really the coming together of two families. When a couple married there may or may not have been love involved, but this was definitely a business arrangement and a restructuring of families. The families would become a part of each other’s business. This was not two people stepping away from their families to begin a new one. Rather, this was two families coming together in a huge way.

While you and I may drive 30 minutes to attend a wedding or travel half a day by air on occasion, in Jesus’ day the family and friends may have travelled up to three days—three hard days to get to the wedding celebration. If they were traveling that far and that long, we can be sure that a 30–40-minute ceremony was not what was awaiting. Rather, wedding celebrations often lasted two-to-three days (and nights). And, the host families were expected to provide food and drink for all those attending.

To run out of wine would be a serious afront to all the attendees. To run out of anything would be a faux pas on a grand scale. To not be able to provide for the attendees would be a cause of shame and years of social repercussions. So, when Jesus steps in to turn water to wine, Jesus saves the day. Jesus saves the night. Jesus saves the family from shame and pain.

How is this a sign? What does this point to about God? This act of divine love reveals that God is not interested in just saving our souls for some future eternal reality but is also interested in our daily lives. God wants to be invited into the ordinary, and God wants to act on those “little” everyday elements of our lives. While we don’t want to “bother” God with anything but life and death issues, God longs to be invited into the everyday, ordinary issues of our lives. When we invite God into the ordinary of our lives, we begin to see the extraordinary goodness of God. God steps into the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary. This is God’s good news for us in this story from John’s Gospel.

Sunday, January 11, 2026
Making the Way Straight: Ordinary to Extraordinary
Watch/Listen: HERE

Making the Way Straight: Come and See

 

John 1:43-51

After his encounter with Jesus, Phillip runs into his friend, Nathanael, and tells him about Jesus—“Jesus of Nazareth.” Nathanael is skeptical about a Nazarene Messiah.

In our postmodern world, people are skeptical about almost anything that relates to religion or faith or God. A number of writers and thinkers have produced an amazing body of literature to convince others of the truth and reality of God. This exercise in argumentation is called “apologetics.” Perhaps you like I have been shaped by some of the best apologists of the 20th and 21st Centuries—C.S. Lewis, N.T. Wright, and others. Phillip was probably knowledgeable of the writings of prophets, and he probably could have joined in a lively, argumentative discussion with Nathanael about how Jesus could be the long-awaited Messiah. Instead, he takes a more practical, impactful approach—“Come and see.”

We, too, will run into people who question our faith. They are going to say things like, “Oh, I would never go to church—they’re all a bunch of hypocrites.” Don’t try to change their minds; tell them to come and see. Others will say, “Prayer is useless!” Don’t try to change their minds; invite them to pray. “Read Scripture? That old book?” Don’t argue; invite them to read. A real encounter with God and with others speaks so much more than what we will ever say. This is why we invite people over and over and over to come and be a part of our ministry and mission—visit a Bible study, help in the Manna Food Pantry, join in a ramp build, assist in leading worship, be one of our Communion servers. Come and see.

Nathanael does come and see…and he is transformed. John’s relating of the moment seems rather anticlimactic, even puzzling: “Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel’” (Jn. 1:48b-49). Fig trees were common places to sit and pray and meditate. Nathanael had been praying under the cool shade of a fig tree…so, Jesus’ declaration—“I saw you…”—is more than a statement of ‘location.’ Jesus saw and heard the prayers, dreams, and hopes Nathanael was pouring forth to God. This is good news for Nathanael and for us—it means that Jesus hears us, that God hears us. And, we know this is true because of what Jesus says next.

“Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open...” (Jn. 1:51). Jesus is going to open the door that separates us from God and God from us. Jesus opens the door through his life and teachings, and then he props that door open forever through his death and resurrection. So, God sees us and hears us at kitchen tables, on back decks, on long walks, in the silence of our cars, as we lie on our beds…and longs to bring life to us. John confirms this is in his Gospel: “…These [words] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name”

Do you crave this life that God offers? Do you know others who crave this life? The Gospel today, the Good News, invites us: Come and see that we might find life through Jesus.

Sunday, January 4, 2026
Making the Way Straight: Looking Forward (Come and See)
Watch/Listen: HERE

Making the Way Straight: A Voice in the Wilderness

 

John 1:19-34

We begin a journey through the Gospel of John…an odd Gospel in some ways—no parables, and the miracles are often called “signs.” John has a peculiar perspective, but it’s a perspective that will help us know and understand Jesus better. Are you ready?

One of the most important things we need to know from the beginning is why John writes his Gospel. Unlike the other Gospel writers, he tells us explicitly why he is writing: “…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31). John’s hope is three-fold: That readers might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, that readers might believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that readers might have life (real life!) through these beliefs. Let’s recall this all through our reading of John’s Gospel.

In the first part of today’s reading, the focus is on the past. The messengers of the priests and scribes come out to John the Baptizer (not to be confused with John the writer!) to find out if he is the Messiah…or Elijah or “the Prophet.” John assures them he is not any of these. The priests and scribes focus on the past. While we don’t need to dwell there, at this time of the year we might do well to stop and consider how well (or badly) we have lived this year. Did we do things well? Are we ending the year where we hoped? Did we make some glaring mistakes? How did the resolutions or plans go this year? Just as John takes a moment to allow his Gospel to look backwards, we, too, need to take a time to look back over the days past.

But, like John, we don’t need to park there. In the next section of today’s reading, everything turns around and faces forward, faces the future. That should not surprise us since God is a future-facing God. The One who created time—something that always moves forward—invites us to look forward…and move forward. So, John the Baptizer turns the conversation towards the future, towards “one who will come after me,” who will be “revealed to Israel,” who “will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” All of this language is future focused. And that is as it should be and as we should be—future-focused.

All through the Advent season, we took some time to look backwards to the words of the prophets. In those words, we found what God wants us to have as we live forward. In the coming of the Promised One, God longs for us to have hope, peace, joy, and love. These are the things God wants us to find in the One born in the manger. As we follow the Gospel story in John in the coming weeks, we find that these things give us that life that God longs for us to have, the life that belief in Jesus brings to us. May we listen, learn, and live as we journey together into the New Year. Amen.

Sunday, December 28, 2025
Making the Way Straight: A Voice in the Wilderness
Watch/Listen: HERE