Author: admin

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Gospel: John 8: 21-30

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come.”
So the Jews said,
“He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”
He said to them, “You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins.”
So they said to him, “Who are you?”
Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world.”
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
“When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him.”
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“You will die in your sins.”

That’s a grim promise. 

But Jesus is reading the hearts of the men standing before him. They do not see Jesus as “the way” to God; as “the way” to happiness; or as “the way” to anything good.

Rather, they see Jesus as “in” the way.

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Jesus is “in” the way of their religion.

He’s “in” the way of their egos.

He’s “in” the way of their convenient lifestyles.

He’s upsetting their plans, flipping tables, and turning their belief system upside down, while dining with tax collectors, forgiving sinners, and breaking the Sabbath.

He’s an obstacle that needs to be removed from their path – a path that cannot lead to God – which is why they will, “die in their sins.”

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Christians, on the other hand, never see Jesus as “in” the way of anything; rather, he’s “the” way to life in abundance. As it’s written in the Psalms, “Your Word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path.”

The more we discern His will, the happier we become.

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Still, everyone must decide for themselves who Jesus is.

“The” way … or, “in” the way.

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May our actions speak for themselves.

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Image credits: (1) Church Leaders (2) StevenGoodwinBlog, WordPress (3) PosterMyWall

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Gospel: John 8: 12-20

Jesus spoke to them again, saying,
“I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.” 
So the Pharisees said to him,
“You testify on your own behalf,
so your testimony cannot be verified.”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,     
because I know where I came from and where I am going.
But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone.
And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid,
because I am not alone,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.
Even in your law it is written
that the testimony of two men can be verified.
I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me.”
So they said to him, “Where is your father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father.
If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
He spoke these words
while teaching in the treasury in the temple area.
But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Throughout this week, the Gospels will paint a picture of Jesus in very tense discussions with the religious leaders of Israel. 

Though he claims to be the Son of God, or the “light of the world” as he says in today’s Gospel, the scribes and Pharisees are convinced that he’s a heretic – a crazy imposter who needs to be put to death because of his blasphemous claims.

This tension between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day takes a dramatic turn on Sunday when he enters Jerusalem for a final time, clashing with the scribes and Pharisees who will put him to death.

Interestingly enough, Jesus knows what will happen. He knows that his claims of being God’s Son will lead to his death.

How does he do it? How does he not retreat in fear or change his mind?

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He knows that he will rise again. 

In the meantime, he finds the strength he needs by praying to his Father, who alone can comfort him in these incredibly tense moments.

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How many of us, like Jesus, have faced a difficult or uncertain future?

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In these moments the Lord invites us to turn to him for comfort. He’s been there. He’ll always give us the strength we need to move forward in our lives – one day, one step at a time.

As he tells us plainly, “Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” 

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Image credits: (1) Bill Osborne Studios (2) Paolo Veronese, Finding in the Temple (3) LDS Scripture of the Day

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Gospel: John 8: 1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The slap heard around the world.

I’m sure many of us saw a replay this week of what happened when Will Smith confronted Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars. 

It was a humiliating moment for each of them in different ways. 

Perhaps Will Smith described the incident best when, 45 minutes later, he returned to the stage to receive the award for Best Actor, his very first – and perhaps his last – Oscar.

In his speech, he said tearfully, “At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.”

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Smith is right – the devil can strike us at our highest high … or at lowest low. 

That’s what the devil does – he pits us against each other; he divides and humiliates us; he leads us to make decisions we later regret.

Can I think of a time when I also found that to be true?

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We see the same divisive dynamics unfolding in today’s Gospel: deceit, humiliation, and regret. People pitted against each other.

A woman is caught in the act of adultery and dragged before Jesus, surrounded by seething men bearing stones. They’re eager to put her to death, but they want to pressure Jesus into making the call.

It’s a harrowing scene. 

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Instead of entering into an unwinnable debate, Jesus simply bends down and begins to write on the ground with his finger.

What’s he writing?

Some scholars suggest Jesus was buying time; he’s doodling in the dust to collect his thoughts. Most say he was writing an account of the scribes and Pharisees’ own sins. 

Jesus uses this woman’s humiliating situation as a mirror, reminding the scribes and Pharisees that they, too, are guilty of sin. They, too, are in need of God’s forgiveness.

But instead of taking the opportunity to repent, they close their eyes in frustration, drop their stones, and wander off, plotting another scheme to trap Jesus, with the ultimate goal of putting him to death.

As we celebrate Palm Sunday next week, we will see their evil plans come to fruition.

So, the devil continues to wreak havoc in their hearts, pitting the scribes and Pharisees against their neighbors and even against God himself.

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How many of us are left wondering, “What happened to this woman’s partner? Where was he when all of this was happening? Why didn’t the scribes and Pharisees drag him into the temple area, too?” He was just as guilty.

Meanwhile, the compassion of Christ is revealed. “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? … Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

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Over the years, popular culture has embraced a phrase from today’s Gospel – “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” 

And, by extension, “Only God can judge me.”

While these are both true, we must take those lines with a grain of salt, considering the entire context.

Yes, this woman is forgiven. But Christ also says to her: 

“Go, and sin no more.” Meaning, don’t go back to where you were; don’t continue the conversation with that man; don’t make another decision you’ll later regret.

Keep the devil at bay.

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Like this woman, in what ways is the Lord extending his forgiveness, while also calling me to reform my life? 

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The devil can strike at our highest high … at our lowest low… or really any day in between. Sadly, many saw this truth unfolding on live television.

But when the devil rears his ugly head, we turn to Jesus, who says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.”

With God’s grace, all things are possible.

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Image credits: (1) NPR (2) The Ministry of Jesus (3) blog.peacebewithu.com