“An amazing ‘discovery’
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Monday, January 8, 2024
John 1: 1-18 (Forward, p. 71) CEV p. 1100
Scholars are generally unified in their belief that the Gospel of John was written after the so-called Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and that it was written for a Gentile, that is, non-Jewish audience. Assuming this latter assertion to be true, John ‘pulls off’ a masterful stroke of cultural accommodation in today’s passage.
He could have used any number of Messianic titles to describe Jesus to his audience, terms like ‘the Lamb of God’ or ‘the Lion of the Tribe of Judah’, titles that certainly meant much to Jewish hearers. Or, he could have used more culturally neutral terms such as ‘a Dayspring from on High.’ No, much to his lasting credit, John discovered, and latched onto, a totally different word, one that would speak to a totally different group of people.
And so, he chose and used the Greek word, ‘logos’, a word that was already familiar to his pagan, Greek-speaking audience. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus had already used it around 600 BC to describe a divine reason or plan which coordinated and ruled the entire universe. And, what made this term ‘stand out’, what made it unique, was that it was not at all associated or connected with any of the other gods in the Greek pantheon. And so, there was little or no possibility that it might be mistaken for Zeus, for instance.
And so, in today’s passage, John builds on that. Here’s what John tells them, and us, about this Word:
-He (for The Word is actually a person) existed from before time.
-The Word was with God and was God.
-With the Word, God created all the things that exist.
-All living things received their life from this Word.
-The Word also gave light to the world, such that the darkness could
never put it out.
-The Word came into this world and yet His own people and nation
did not generally receive Him. And yet, to those who did receive Him
He gave the right to be God’s own children.
-And what is the crowning glory of this is that the Word became
flesh, became a human being, and dwelt, lived, temporarily among
us.
What an amazing assertion and testimony this is:
-we are not alone or helpless to muddle through our present
darkness.
-we are not bereft or orphans spiritually, but have been adopted into
The very family of God.
-and, we have a Saviour who knows what ‘it’s about’, what our lives
are about, for He has lived among us and shared our existence.
Just think about John’s ‘discovery’ of this word meant for those who read this gospel: it would have opened for them a ‘discovery’ of just how loved and precious they are in the eyes of God. Oh, what a wonderful thing this was! Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being” (verses 2-3).
“One of the joys of my life is my daily walk each morning. Even though I walk the same path most days, I always see something new: a blue heron in the water, deer quietly sauntering, or a baby snapping turtle making its way across the path. God is all around, revealing God-colours and God-sounds and God’s wonderful creations.
“All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What if we looked at the world through this lens? What if we looked at life, people, and situation through God-googles? Oh, how that would change the way we treat each other, the natural world around us, and even ourselves. May we, with great intention and humility, see the world the way God sees us.”
Moving Forward: “Look in the mirror. Imagine seeing yourself as God sees you. What changes?”