“A question of origins”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, February 3, 2024
John 7: 14-36 (Forward, p. 5) CEV p. 1110
In a couple of the latest episodes of the British serial, ‘The Duchess of Duke Street’, the proprietor of the swank London hotel, the Bentinck, Louisa Trotter, and her doorman, Starr, have their present lives threatened and their successes undone by revelations from their not-so-lily white pasts. And certainly, that can likewise be said of a myriad of well-known figures, especially those running for public office. And with the onset and prevalence of social media such revelations become even more possible.
It is this question of His past that arises to haunt Jesus at this early stage in His career. People think that they know where He comes from (that is, Nazareth) (see verse 27), but in actuality they know very little about Him, and certainly do not know about His virgin birth.
Given this basic lack of knowledge and misunderstanding, both the crowds and the authorities simply cannot get the ‘drift’ of what Jesus means when He speaks of ‘the one who sent me.’ He is, of course, speaking of His heavenly Father, but they don’t get it. And then, for this same reason, they miss out on the significance of Jesus’ words when He says that He speaks only the words His Father gives Him (see verse 16, and John 12:49) and does only the works that the Father does or commands (John 5:19). And so, they are either perplexed, as in the case of the crowds, or threatened, in the case of the authorities. Either way, most of them miss out.
So, where does this put us today, especially we who are friends and followers of Jesus? Well, we know for a certainty where Jesus came from and what was the origin of His words and works. And so, that means that we are without excuse. We know that His commands are from God, and so, does that not behove us to be even more scrupulous and careful to obey them? Indeed, we should. May that, then, be our resolve as we enter into this new season of Lent. Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “Then Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine but his who sent me” (verse 16).
“The crowd in this passage sounds so much like Americans today—at least, the adults. We require degrees and credentials in order to trust a
source. Teenagers, however, don’t have the same requirements. Perhaps because they don’t yet have higher formal education, they are more open to different kinds of teachings. Teenagers are authentic to themselves, which allows them to be close to how the Spirit is moving and what the Spirit is asking of us. And they can sniff out hypocrisy in seconds!
“So much wisdom comes out of our teens and our youth groups. These passages challenge us to listen to people who do not typically have voices in our church, especially as we strive to figure out what our church will look like in the future. Teenagers, so close to the Holy Spirit, will show us the way.”
Moving Forward: “Consider volunteering for a youth group activity. Open your mind to what you might learn.”
A concluding note: The author of today’s Forward Movement meditation does have a point, but I’m afraid that she is overstating her case. Teenagers, as evidenced by the recent social media testimony, can be led astray and be far from the truth just as easily as anyone else. And because they are so impacted by their peers and what they read on the social media, perhaps even more so. And so, while it does us well to listen to them, it also behoves us to take their ‘word’ with a grain of salt, just as we would with anyone else.