He said what?

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:

What did I like about today's passage?

If you’ve been a Christian for more than a few weeks, you can probably explain what your faith is about. If, like me, you have been following Jesus for years, you might be pretty confident that you could answer a lot of awkward questions about it too. Have you ever imagined what it would be like to meet Jesus and have a good old chat about it?

I love that whenever I spend time with Jesus in Gospel stories, and especially John’s Gospel, I’m reminded that it might not be as cosy and comfy an experience as I would like. To be clear, I am very much looking forward to meeting Jesus face to face one day, but these chapters remind me that it’s an awesome thing to be in God’s presence. I have not yet got my head around faith, the kingdom of God and everything he wants for us and the world.

Look at what happened when the learned, senior, leading Pharisee Nicodemus came out to bump fists and see how they would get on together. Jesus undid his assurance of understanding with a few words. What do you mean, we must be “born again”? That’s such a humbling challenge to anyone who has spent their life building wisdom and respect.

On the other hand, when Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman who seemed far from God by every measure (“Jews do not associate with Samaritans”, let alone women with questionable love lives), his words drew her into faith and empowered her as a witness so that her whole town came to believe they had a Saviour, the Saviour of the world.

And as amazing as that was, John didn’t count it as a miraculous sign, but his story of Jesus healing a child from a distance with only his word certainly did count. It wasn’t just a nice thing that happened to one family, but a sign that we can all believe in a power and a new reality which is far beyond the business as usual which keeps us comfy. So, do we believe?

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

Jesus did not live to affirm to religious people that they are doing all the right things, keep going. Nor did he live to reinforce the barriers anyone had built in their heads between who is right and acceptable to God and who is outside the boundaries of respectability.

Jesus shakes all of these things up with his words, and backs up his authority with his actions. It’s absolutely right for us to feel uncomfortable, though hopefully also excited, because Jesus shows that life God’s way is very different from what we might be used to, and much better than anything we could reasonably expect or even dream.

God knows our problems with seeing life the way he does, wanting what he wants and changing our minds to think and live differently. But Jesus makes this possible.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Ask God to challenge where I am too comfy, and thank him for faith and new thinking received, and still to come, from him.

Who am I going to share this with?

My family and others I follow Jesus with.