A proverb, Cervantes said, is a short sentence based on long experience. This verse certainly fits. It commands our attention. But listening today is a declining art. So we need to be reminded to practice this vital skill.

Politicians have their talking points.

At first they did not understand.

But they went ahead and did the right thing anyways.

The story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is familiar to us—the cries of praise and welcome, the breaking off and waving of palm branches,

Aslan, the Christ-figure of CS Lewis’s Narnia tales, is a good lion but not a safe lion. Some Greeks discovered Jesus is likewise good but not safe. They came expecting an intriguing conversation and instead were told to give up their lives and serve him wherever he goes.

Jesus wasn’t interested in meeting people to satisfy their curiosity.

A narrative analysis of John’s gospel shows that chapter 12 is a climactic high point. It records the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry and his thoughts about the people’s reaction to him. Today’s reading is especially important because it is also the literary ‘bookend’ to the book’s prologue (John 1:1-18).

In the prologue, light is a metaphor for Jesus.

With his ministry over and all the miracles and teaching done, Jesus’ (paraphrased) challenge is, “You have all the evidence. Now, make your choice!”

Indeed, what more do you need to choose Christ?

Fresh miracles today won’t do. Jesus fed 5,000 people with two loaves of bread and two fish.

Isaiah knows cows. He knows the habits of oxen and donkeys too. The ox, the emasculated version of an adult cow, knows its master and its stall.

From personal experience I know the truth of Isaiah’s words. I grew up on a farm and every one of our twenty milk cows knew exactly where their stall was. When the barn door opened, they all filed in and walked directly to their stall – their particular place – their assigned place.

We all walk through seasons of our life which are stormy. We understand how the disciples may have felt in Matthew 8:23-27. While they were at sea a fierce storm rose and they were panicked. Fear gripped their hearts, though Jesus was right there! They thought he was not paying attention.

The writer in this portion of Psalm 119:97-120, while acknowledging his great love for the Word of God, is suffering terribly.