At our Diakonos Community Gathering last night, we were discussing the stories of Jesus' encounters with Nicodemus (John 3) and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). All of us grown-ups were trying to sound so sophisticated with our comments as we delved into the "mysteries of God." Elaina, our second child, sat quietly next to Tina and listened to our conversation for a while. She had a quizzical look on her face, so I kept an eye toward her to see if she would have a comment to add to the discussion.
In a quite moment, she bravely spoke up, "Dad, I have a question?"
"Yes."
"When Jesus asked her (the Samaritan woman) to bring her husband, how did she feel?"
Giving her a chance to formulate her thoughts, I asked, "What do you think?"
"I think she was embarrassed." (Proud smile on dad's face)
In the midst of all our discussion last night, that was truly the Gospel moment. It captured one of the key truths about what can happens when our lives are encountered by the presence of God. Jesus will sometimes draw our attention to things that embarrass us, but he doesn't leave us in our embarrassment. The woman Jesus was speaking to did not only feel embarrassment, she felt acceptance in spite of her frailty. It is the combination of the two that brought her to a place of faith in Jesus. The same thing can be true in our lives, too.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Two Sides of the Tracks
In our Diakonos Community Gathering this Thursday night we'll be continuing the first segment of the Journey to Jesus process developed by Robert E Webber. This week we'll be looking at Jesus' encounter with two different people in John chapters 3 and 4.
As I prepare for this discussion, I can't help but notice how these two people stood on opposite ends of the social spectrum of their day. One was an elder member of the religious in-crowd of his day, yet he saw in Jesus something that he never found in all his years of religious quest. The other was a women with a checkered history and part of a culture that had been marginalized. She found herself constantly thirsting for something to fill her deeper longing.
Two people from opposite sides of the tacks. Each had his/her own set of obstacles to overcome if they were to find life in Christ. Yet Jesus met them at their own level and shared life with them in a way that each could understand.
I like this about Jesus. He cared for people no matter what their background. He met them where they were at. It's a trait I hope is growing in my life.
As I prepare for this discussion, I can't help but notice how these two people stood on opposite ends of the social spectrum of their day. One was an elder member of the religious in-crowd of his day, yet he saw in Jesus something that he never found in all his years of religious quest. The other was a women with a checkered history and part of a culture that had been marginalized. She found herself constantly thirsting for something to fill her deeper longing.
Two people from opposite sides of the tacks. Each had his/her own set of obstacles to overcome if they were to find life in Christ. Yet Jesus met them at their own level and shared life with them in a way that each could understand.
I like this about Jesus. He cared for people no matter what their background. He met them where they were at. It's a trait I hope is growing in my life.
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