“Witnesses to the truth”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Tuesday, August 16, 2022

John 5:30-47 (Forward, p. 18) CEV p. 1106

I guess that it cannot be helped, but our perceptions and opinions are invariably influenced by what news we pay attention to or what conversations we have. And so, when I read this passage from John’s gospel that deals with the matter of witnesses and truth, I cannot help but think of the judicial proceedings presently taking place in our sister nation to the south. Jesus makes some assertions that certainly apply to that situation:

a) He mentions that some people refuse to believe the actual events of what has happened. In the January 6 Capital insurrection, the camera footage is pretty clear about the events, but some refuse to ‘take them in’ or count them as valid. In Jesus’ case, some people refuse to pay attention or accept His signs and wonders, His miracles, which have entirely been according to the will of His Father and through His power. In his book, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell speaks of the evidence that points to Jesus, but then mentions those who either refuse to examine that evidence or follow where it leads. In other words, no amount of evidence, no matter how convincing, is going to sway them because they refuse to deal with it.

b) Jesus goes on to mention that some people also refuse to take seriously what has been said. Again, that has also happened in the US. There are hours and hours of recorded interviews from many folks, and much of it is very, very clear in terms of what they are suggesting. In the case of Jesus, many have refused to listen to what He has said, even though His words resonate with the Scriptures and actually fulfill them. Again, though, it is like the old adage that you can’t convince someone whose mind is already made up.

c) Jesus also mentions that some of them have rejected any legitimate authority and have come entirely on their own, and on the basis of their own beliefs and agendas or on the basis of authorities that are somewhat questionable or dubious. Again, the parallels with the American political scene are all too obvious. In the case of Jesus, He came, not on His own authority, but entirely at the bidding of His Father and by His authority. But, then, His critics refused to accept that.

d) Jesus concludes His remarks by commenting on those who desire and strive for the praise and approval of their ‘friends’, rather than wanting the approval of Almighty God. Once again, the parallels with much of the political system, pretty well the world over, are quite evident. Politicians of pretty well every stripe are often more concerned with what the media or their constituents want to hear than what is right or what serves the common good, which is what, I believe, that God ultimately wants.

Coming back to Jesus for a moment: we really do need to take seriously what He says and what He has done. What He ordered or commanded is none other than the will of God and what He has taught is none other than the full and absolute truth. And so, whether we ‘happen’ to like either or not, we need to take them seriously, and hopefully, adhere to them. Amen.

Forward notes: “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (verses 39-40).

“I love the prayers, music, and sermons in church on Sunday. Sometimes, though, when I’m distracted, all I hear are words, not meaning. I’m like a student struggling to learn a new language. Words, after all, are more than letters arranged neatly in a row; they have context, history, and significance.

“’You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life,’ says Jesus to those persecuting him because he broke sabbath laws by healing the sick and lame. The point is not that we shouldn’t study the words of the Bible; after all, these words testify to who he is. Rather, Jesus is saying that if we go to the Word itself, to him, we will feel his presence and see his works.

“If we want life, not merely words, we need to ask Jesus to abide in us. Only in that way can we understand the Word and find eternal life.”

Moving Forward: “How can you keep the words of Jesus from going in one ear and out the other? How can you truly live into the Word of God?”