If you ever thought that reading the Gospel of John was an easy project, the readings this week will quickly dispel that notion!
There are challenging ideas about how love may divide people and the dialogue between Jesus and the Jewish leaders is not light reading. If there are sections that seem too hard to understand, just remember that many of these first listeners were in the same boat. It comes as no surprise to read in 8:33 ‘What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’? ‘ How free are any of us anyway – and what is freedom?
Our readings raise all kind of questions –not all of them get answered!
Please persevere with the Bible Readings, the Sermons and the Growth Group studies. By the end of the series we should have a fuller picture of Jesus and what it means to love and follow Him
v 5. For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
Do you sense some unease in Jesus’ family at this point? The brothers were aware of the miracles Jesus had performed and were perhaps in two minds as to what it all meant. So they were pushing Him to ‘Go Public’ in Jerusalem. Their challenge to Him in verse 4 is very pointed ‘If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world! ‘ There is, I suspect, more than a little cynicism in that word ‘If’ ! After all, he was their elder brother who had spent his working life in the carpenter’s workshop. How come he might be able to do miracles? These brothers had seen His exemplary life in the home, had witnessed healings as He went about doing good, had surely heard some of His public teaching, …. And yet … the family remained cool about Him. What must it have been like to stand alone in the home and continue to love His nearest relatives in spite of their unbelief?
That, to a lesser degree, has been the experience of some Christian believers down the ages. It is true in our day, especially in homes that adhere to a different religion such as Islam. To stand alone in a home as a follower of Jesus is a hard calling. But Jesus Himself had that experience – He understands it! When we turn to read about events in the book of Acts we find in Acts 1:14 ‘They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. ‘ They came to believe in the end, and many scholars think that the letter of James in the New Testament was written by one of Jesus’ brothers.
Pray that families divided over issues of faith will be united in that faith. .
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