Gospeling Your Life ~ Abiding

 

Read John 1-2 ~ John doesn’t start with birth narrative of Jesus in a little town of Bethlehem.  No, John goes all the way back to Genesis 1.  If you open another Bible to Genesis 1 alongside John 1, the two echo each other.  John says, “In the beginning,” which is exactly where the Hebrew Scriptures begin.  John says there was the Word or in Greek – logos – which can mean wisdom/truth/life.  Logos is about the Holy’s presence.  One of John’s favorite words is “abide”.  Think of that great hymn, “Abide with me fast falls the evening tide, the darkness/night deepens, God with me abide”.  We need God’s presence.  So, this word/wisdom/truth/life of God comes to us in the flesh.  And John tells us from the start while this mystery is a miracle, it will be a tragedy too (spoiler alert that you already know from the other three Gospels, Jesus will face death on a cross).  We won’t get Jesus.  Eugene Peterson translates John 1:14 as God moves into your neighborhood, right next door.  God shows up disguised as your life.  God abides still today, and the question is are we awake and aware and alert to what God is doing? 

John jumps from a cosmic opening to…poof…Jesus is an adult.  That is a big leap.  And John the Baptist, a street preacher and prophet, not down by the riverside, but along the roads of life points out to his followers Jesus walking/waltzing past.  “That’s him!!,” John shouts making a scene.  And John’s disciples leave him, go to Jesus and say, “Where are you staying.”

That is an odd question.  Unless, the disciples are not asking about Jesus’ hotel arrangements or his sleeping quarters, but where he stands.  “Where are you staying,” could be translated, “Where do you stand?”  Here we are a month out from the election, and we want to know where candidates stand on issues.  People sometimes ask you what you believe.  Or someone may knock on your door and want to know who you are voting for.  We constantly want to compartmentalize and categorize other people, even when we believe that we don’t fit neat and tidy into a box because we are complex like a Rubix Cube. 

 

Come and see, Jesus says, not just to the disciples then and there, but you right now.  Remember, John’s question is how do we live/abide in joy?  How do we, amid the stress and strain, live out our sacred image?  Come and see, Jesus says.  The remaining 20 chapters of John are going to show you how John understands God’s love in the flesh.

 

What questions do you have for Jesus if he came waltzing/walking past?   Here you are winding down, in the last Gospel, what do you want to know more about?  Write your questions down. 

 

Finally, in chapter 2, Jesus offers his first sign by turning water into wine, even if that act was a bit coerced, reluctantly done.  You can almost hear Jesus saying, “Aww ma do I have to?”.  Remember, God in the flesh, abiding with us, loves moments of celebration.  God, in the flesh, is showing up in ways we may not comprehend or realize.  I often wonder if the bridal party ever knew of this hospitality crisis, because it would have been a major social faux pas to run out of wine.  The stigma would have stayed/stuck with the family for years.  How might you celebrate today with the One who is still saying to you, “Come and see” this day?  Amen.