Needs surround us. Needs invade us. They can overwhelm us, or they can motivate us to take action. Those with eyes to see perceive not only their own needs, but also those of other needy people around them.
Read More sin, forgiveness, Son of Man, needsNo one enjoys hanging out with the wrong crowd, whatever crowd that may be. Different people do not mix easily, even when occupying the same space.
No one would choose a tax collector to befriend the Jewish populace.
Read More forgiveness, change, sin, friendsPhotographers and film-makers know how crucial it is to focus on the right object to get the right picture. Unless done intentionally, blurred pictures do not communicate well. The Pharisees sent priests and temple helpers (Levites) to John the Baptist, thinking they needed a clearer picture about him, since the people took him to be a prophet. John’s answer was as cryptic as it was plain: “I am neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor even the prophet Moses spoke about. Instead, I am the voice preparing for the Lord’s coming.”
Read More revelation, Only Son, John the BaptistI enjoy a good book, written in such a way as to whet my appetite, making me eager to discover more and more and the story unfolds.
The future apostles Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael slowly discovered Jesus’ identity. They found out that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the one that Moses and the prophets wrote about.
Read More revelation, glory, nowJesus changing water into wine is said to be a sign by which Jesus manifested his glory. As a result, the disciples believed in him. As we read this passage in John’s portrayal of Jesus, we are left wondering what exactly happened.
Read More Future, signs miraclesTemples. Holy places. Sacred spaces. We multiply shrines and worshipping places throughout the world in order to commune with the divine. Unfortunately, they often substitute for a true way to God.
Read More authority, glory, Temple, fellowship“You must be born again.” This well-known saying, as any one-liner, needs a wider context to communicate its true meaning.
Nicodemus came to see Jesus by night—one of many temporal references in John, probably meant here as a subtle allusion to Nicodemus’ spiritual state.
Read More Eternal life, new birth, born from aboveCounting the number of “likes” on your postings? Seeking to find more friends on social media? Most of us like being centre stage, if not in real life, then in our imaginary world.
When John’s disciples reported to him, seemingly at their dismay, that people were going to Jesus (rather than coming to him), John showed no eagerness to remain centre stage.
Read More John the Baptist, Eternal life, Jesus onlyTwo topics are often off-limits when meeting new people: politics and religion. People have their own opinion, and true exchanges of ideas are quite rare. After all, religions only divide people, right?
In today’s text, a Samaritan woman comes by herself to draw water at the well, much later than other women.
Read More Jews, Samaritans, Messiah, Unity