Do you love me?

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15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” (Jesus) said to him, “Feed my sheep.  Continue reading →

Forgiveness of sins

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This coming weekend is Pentecost Sunday.  “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Many scholars see a parallel between v.23 and Matthew 18:18: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  The parallel becomes clearer when we know that the words “forgive” in John 20:23 are the Greek words aphiēmi and krateō which mean “send away” and “hold” respectively [EDNT 2:314].  But even with the parallels aside, the meaning, extent and exercise of the Matthean and Johannine powers has been a source of division with the post-Reformation Christian community. Continue reading →

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“Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,so that they may all be one.” (John 17:20)

Jesus does not stop at praying for himself and his disciples; his vision transcends the present, reaching beyond his immediate followers to those who will believe through their message. The vision of a unified people of God was expressed earlier in John’s Gospel in 10:16 (“one flock and one shepherd,” an allusion to Ezek. 34:23; 37:24) and 11:52 (“gathering of the scattered children of God into one”). In the present instance believers’ unity results from being taken into the unity of God, and believers, once unified, will be able to bear witness to the true identity of Jesus as the Sent One of God. Continue reading →

The Peace of Christ

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This coming weekend is Pentecost Sunday. The Johannine account of the first post-resurrection appearance to the gathered disciples is linked to the events of the Resurrection by the simple expression “that first day.”  As the startling and disturbing events of the last three days had unfolded the community’s overriding response was fear.  They had gathered, but had locked themselves away out of fear of what persecutions the religious authorities might bring against them. It is into this complex of uncertainty, perhaps doubt and hesitation, that Jesus appears Continue reading →

Luke’s Account – John’s Account

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This coming weekend is Pentecost Sunday. The first reading for Pentecost Sunday is the account from Acts 2 so familiar to every Christian. Luke’s account is a very public event compared to the very private Johannine account.  Why the difference? Some scholars defend the basic historicity of the entire Lucan narrative; others conclude that it is essentially Luke’s theological attempt to explain the coming of the Spirit, not an historical account of actual events. Some, holding to the historicity of the Lucan account in Acts 2, hold that John’s account is symbolic only. Continue reading →

Peace

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In today’s gospel we read: “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)  The word “this” refers to all that Jesus has told his disciples in this and the previous 3 chapters of the Farewell Discourse. The wide range of topics, advice, admonitions, and commandments seem to center around  remaining in relationship with God, doing what God commands, and living a life that receives and gives love abundantly. In several earlier passages Jesus promises that willingly adopting the life as a disciple is one that surely and relentlessly leads to joy, and not just any joy that the world would give, but a joy that is complete. Our verses today focus on peace – but not as the world gives, but as given in the Holy Spirit. What kind of peace is that? Continue reading →

Pentecost

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This coming weekend is Pentecost Sunday with the first reading taken from Acts 2 describing the scene which most people associate with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. The Greek name (pentēkostē) describes the Jewish Feast of Weeks, deriving from its occurrence 50 days after Passover (Acts 20:16; 1 Cor 16:8). Because the early Christians received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on this day, the term is now more commonly used to refer to that event recounted in Acts 2:1–13. Continue reading →

On the borderline

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When I was in seminary, our homiletics professor had lots of advice and pointers for the Sunday homily. The professor was pretty adamant about not explaining theology. And I mostly agree with his point – it can make a homily really dry and fill it with language that needs its own explanation. The professor’s final point was that your explanation was likely to cross the borderline of orthodoxy and give an inaccurate or heretical version of the underlying theology.  Best to just keep it simple and well clear of the border. Continue reading →

Joy

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From time to time, Sacred Scripture contains verses that give us pause: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials” (Jame 1:2) I will admit that while encountering tests and trials, joy is not my instinctual response. Of course, that verse continues: “for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:3) It is a good thing that through trials and testing we gain experience and come to an understanding of our ability to persevere, endure and hope. But I can’t say joy is in the mix. But then perhaps I am a bit confused about what joy truly is, at least in the Biblical sense and am more given to equate joy with the way I am feeling or responding to something in my life. Continue reading →