Psalms 69: 1-23(24-30)31-38 * 71; Esther 1:1-4,10-19 or Judith 4:1-15; Acts 17:1-15; John 12:36b-45The Gospel writer we call John gets a bit preachy today. Jesus is off away from the folks he just told that he was going to be killed We are told Jesus is actually hiding from them. And then the writer tells us Jesus is fulfilling Isaiah's prophesies and ends with But because of the Pharisees they (those who believed in Jesus) did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue, for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.
Preachy, but not in a bad or obnoxious way: just truthful. Are we any different today? Jesus' radical message of inclusion, and readjustment of our priorities to serve others in need, of pushing back against the status quo, of not taking guff from those who would rather keep their own power, prestige and possessions is as fresh and needed today as it was when he first was leading the charge.
Realistically, can we change everyone to this unpopular focus of how we should lead our lives? No. Can we take small steps toward living into this new reality? Yes. Will it be easy? Absolutely not. Small steps are better than no steps and are worth taking.
jfd+
Copyright 2010, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.
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