Life, Faith & Vegetables

Tag: Lent Readings 2025 (Page 4 of 4)

Lent Reflection Day 9, 14th March

March 14, 2025 /

John 5:31-47

In Jewish law self-testimony is not valid, there have to be other witnesses to Jesus. Jesus says there are several of these;

  1. His father in heaven is his primary witness,
  2. John the Baptist whom they knew is also a witness, and Jesus says if they had listened to him they would be saved,
  3. Jesus teachings and miracles are a witness
  4. The scriptures are a witness. The Jews believed study would bring eternal life, but they fail to recognise the one that it is written about. Jesus says that Moses wrote about him, but they didn’t get it.

Jesus criticises the leaders for the fickleness of their attitude and their unwillingness to accept him:

  1. They don’t see Jesus in the scripture
  2. They reject him and his works and teaching
  3. They accept those who promote themselves and engage in mutual honouring of one another but reject Jesus and don’t love God.

In wanting the praise of people, they missed the praise of God.

This is a warning to us, especially in these days, where many can promote themselves and their message on a global stage. We need discernment to know when we are being pointed to Jesus and the right interpretation of scripture or pointed to someone’s own desire for honour. Careful discernment will protect us from disappointment and being led astray. Even intense study of scripture will not help us if it doesn’t keep us focused on Jesus. The Jewish leader’s obsession with the observation of the law had missed the grace, truth and mercy of God which Jesus came to reveal to us.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 8, 13th March

March 13, 2025 /

John 5:1-30

Here we see Jesus taking the initiative to heal a man who has been invalided for 38 years, waiting at the pool of Bethesda (house of mercy) for the water to stir and be healed. Did the man know who Jesus was? Was he hoping Jesus would help him into the water?

Jesus speaks a word of command (vv 8-9) and the man must have felt something change in his body because he does as instructed. Doing the very thing he couldn’t do he stands and walks, carrying his mat. Then we learn it is the Sabbath, and he has broken the Sabbath Law. The Jewish leaders are furious, and the man deflects blame onto Jesus. When Jesus finds him again, he’s warned not to sin lest something worse happens. Interpreting this is tricky, it may not mean that his disability was sin related but simply be a warning to live a righteous life lest he face eternal judgement (v 24).

Jesus infuriates the Jewish leaders even more by declaring that he is one with the Father (and therefore can work on the Sabbath) and involved in the work of the Father in two ways:

1)to be a giver of life to those who believe (v 21)

2) to judge all peoples (v 22)

This is possible because of the love between Father and Son, and the obedience of the Son in only doing what he sees the Father doing (he is not acting independently). The language speaks of apprenticeship, Jesus is following what he sees with the expectation that there are greater things to come.

Whilst in no way do we have a relationship to the Father like the Son we can learn something from Jesus of what it is to be a disciple and follow the guidance of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent Reflection Day 6, 11th March

March 11, 2025 /

John 4:1-30

Today we meet a Samaritan woman who has found herself treated very badly by life and society, but finds herself in conversation with the Messiah himself, discussing ‘living water’.

Everything about this interaction is wrong. To be in Samaria is risky, to stop to talk to a Samaritan is not culturally acceptable. Worse than that, she is a Samaritan woman who is alone. The disciple’s reaction in 4:27 shows us how surprising this was. She has come at noon to collect water, the worst time of day, perhaps because she is an outcast and her life circumstances are reviled.

None of that matters to Jesus, who gets straight to the point and challenges her need for living water (John 7:37-39). She doesn’t understand to start with, but she is desperate and in compassion Jesus draws her need out of her and then reveals himself as the answer to her pain. As he does so we learn that places, either Jerusalem or Gerizim, are not important when it comes to the worship of God. What matters is what is happening in our hearts. As soon as she knows who he is she puts aside any social difficulties there may be to tell her neighbours about what has happened. It seems that they too are desperate for answers and come running to meet him.

Jesus approach to this woman may feel a little uncomfortable in our modern society with its anxiety not to offend, but Jesus knows the kindest thing he can do is break past our defences to draw us to the father.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

Lent 2025 Reflections on John’s Gospel

March 5, 2025 /

Introduction

This series of reflections for Lent are going to take us on a journey through John’s gospel. It is a gospel I have always loved, maybe, dare I say it, more than the synoptics. Each gospel has its own strengths, and they are all incredibly important in giving us a full picture of Jesus’ life and ministry.  John does not attempt to tell us everything, he says as much at the end, but he carefully curates what he is going to draw from Jesus’ life so that we might understand, believe and so find eternal life. He creates wonderful imagery with his seven ‘I am’ sayings of Jesus, and the miraculous signs that explain who Jesus is. John is the ‘beloved disciple’ of this gospel, a young man at the time of Jesus’ ministry, he had many years to reflect on his faith before writing this beautiful gospel. It is likely that it was written in Ephesus around AD 80-90. Traditionally he is believed to be the son of Zebedee, the brother of James.

Lent runs for 40 days up to Easter Saturday , but does not include Sundays.

Lent Reflection Day 1,  5th March

John 1:1-28

John starts his gospel at the beginning of time with Jesus’ pre-existence as the eternal Word. He tells us of his involvement in creation, with language that is reflective of Genesis 1. Jesus is the source of life and light, the light that overcomes the darkness. He is the one who is full of grace and truth, and his glory has been revealed to us through Jesus. The meaning of ‘Word’ in this passage is of an idea that finds a concrete expression. Jesus is the culmination of God’s revelation to humanity. He is the revelatory word in human form, the absolute expression of God, his nature and salvation plan, and the means of rescuing humanity.

Everything that has happened from Genesis 1 to now has been about this: God’s heart for the salvation and redemption of humanity. He has revealed God’s glory to us so that we might be saved. This glory, grace, truth, and light is about to be revealed in this person, who is the son of God. John is not bothered to retell the stories of Jesus’ birth; it is more important for him that we understand the magnitude of who he was and what he has done for us. When Christ comes into the world something utterly stupendous is happening the ramifications of which will never end.

Response: After each reading choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.

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