I’ve been asked by our Methodist Circuit do produce video reflections for Holy Week.
By recording in chunks and with the help of my beloved I have managed to do so. So sharing them here.
Today’s reading is one with a familiar phrase, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground, it remains a single grain”. What can that mean for us in our faith life?
20 Some Greeks had gone to Jerusalem to worship during Passover. 21 Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee was there too. So they went to him and said, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.”22 Philip told Andrew. Then the two of them went to Jesus and told him.
23 Jesus said:
The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory. 24 I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat. 25 If you love your life, you will lose it. If you give it up in this world, you will be given eternal life. 26 If you serve me, you must go with me. My servants will be with me wherever I am. If you serve me, my Father will honor you.
27 Now I am deeply troubled, and I don’t know what to say. But I must not ask my Father to keep me from this time of suffering. In fact, I came into the world to suffer. 28 So Father, bring glory to yourself.
A voice from heaven then said, “I have already brought glory to myself, and I will do it again!” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some of them thought it was thunder. Others thought an angel had spoken to Jesus.
30 Then Jesus told the crowd, “That voice spoke to help you, not me. 31 This world’s people are now being judged, and the ruler of this world[c] is already being thrown out! 32 If I am lifted up above the earth, I will make everyone want to come to me.” 33 Jesus was talking about the way he would be put to death.
34 The crowd said to Jesus, “The Scriptures teach that the Messiah will live forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you for only a little longer. Walk in the light while you can. Then you won’t be caught walking blindly in the dark. 36 Have faith in the light while it is with you, and you will be children of the light.”
I want to meet Jesus.
But which Jesus is that?
The sweet,
apparently blissful
child in the manger?
The man who told good stories?
The one who was
the life and soul of parties?
He who made people’s lives better?
The one who challenged the status quo?
Who asked people to think again,
especially in terms
of what they thought religion is about?
Who challenges us about what love is
– really?
Or the one
who is going to give up
everything he has?
The one who will die
so that many can have life?
The one willing to suffer,
that no one else ever has to?
The one for whom
being lifted up,
is not about prestige
and super-stardom,
but offering
and sacrifice?
The one
whose life is poured out
to give me life
in all its fullness?
Is that the Jesus I want to meet?
To worship?
To follow?
Can I do it?
Will I
not just meet him,
but follow,
and live in his light
and life?
20Some Greeks had gone to Jerusalem to worship during Passover. 21Philip from Bethsaida in Galilee was there too. So they went to him and said, “Sir, we would like to meet Jesus.” 22Philip told Andrew. Then the two of them went to Jesus and told him.
23Jesus said:
The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory. 24I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat. 25If you love your life, you will lose it. If you give it up in this world, you will be given eternal life. 26If you serve me, you must go with me. My servants will be with me wherever I am. If you serve me, my Father will honor you. 27Now I am deeply troubled, and I don’t know what to say. But I must not ask my Father to keep me from this time of suffering. In fact, I came into the world to suffer. 28So Father, bring glory to yourself.
A voice from heaven then said, “I have already brought glory to myself, and I will do it again!” 29When the crowd heard the voice, some of them thought it was thunder. Others thought an angel had spoken to Jesus.
30Then Jesus told the crowd, “That voice spoke to help you, not me. 31This world’s people are now being judged, and the ruler of this world is already being thrown out! 32If I am lifted up above the earth, I will make everyone want to come to me.” 33Jesus was talking about the way he would be put to death. 34The crowd said to Jesus, “The Scriptures teach that the Messiah will live forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”
35Jesus answered, “The light will be with you for only a little longer. Walk in the light while you can. Then you won’t be caught walking blindly in the dark. 36Have faith in the light while it is with you, and you will be children of the light.”
After Jesus had said these things, he left and went into hiding.
I so wanted to meet Jesus. I had heard so much about him, the things he was doing, the way he was living. I wanted to encounter him for myself. To see what it was all about.
It was Passover time in Jerusalem. Lot’s of people were there for the celebration, well commemoration really. A time to remember and rehearse what God had done for them in rescuing them from slavery and bringing them to the place of promise. They had been in deep trouble and he had saved them.
Jesus started talking about wheat. He’s right you know. A seed is just a seed if you sit with it in your hand, or leave it in the packet; if you’re precious about it and want to keep it. But if you plant that seed, if you let it go, take a risk and bury it, you get so much more. One seed becomes a whole plant and produces so much more.
Life is like that he says. Sometimes you have to let go to get back. You have to be willing to give things up to receive. And the same applies to following him.
To serve God, may mean having to give some things up – maybe our lifestyle, maybe our life view… but wow what we can receive in letting them go!
Lord
help me to appreciate
that some things need to be let go of,
I need to take a risk,
that small things may grow
to big things,
small action
can have huge reactions
in your hands.
And then he started talking about himself. And about suffering. What is Jesus going to have to give up? What is he going to let go of?
I’m not quite sure what that’s all about. Surely there’s nothing more he can give up? He’s showing us the way?
