Oh, for the love of potty…

Last weekend we planned a blitzkreig of sorts on our middle daughter’s diapers. The strategy was simple, take diapers off, put big girl panties on, deal with a few messes and then “viola” no more diapers. We are still buying diapers. We are going to continue to try, but Kenzie pees like no other. It doesn’t bother her to flood her clothes or whatever she is sitting on. We are patient with her. We change her, encourage her, and then repeat the pee flood over and over. So, here is my desperate pee for help, I mean “plea,” how have you potty trained your children? With our oldest, it was easy. She wanted to wear big girl panties, she had a few accidents, we were out of the woods. Not because we made her go in the woods, in a figurative sense. But, each child is different. I have seen over and over again how unique each child is. Each of our girls has their own personality, temperment, and way of doing things. I love their differences, but boy I wish we could stop buying diapers.

On the other hand, Rachel our oldest and residen expert in just about everything, went to the Walmart girls restroom all by her self. I stood outside like guard dog, ears alert for the first signs of distress waiting to leap at the first nut job messing with my little princess. About the time my nerves were shot, out comes a smiliing and proud Kindergartner who went with out either one of her parents in the rest room at Walmart. It was weird and yet somehow a milestone. This is just another one of those “letting go” moments us dads have to deal with. What’s next? I don’t even want to know.

Jn. 18-19: reflections

This week in many respects is the culmination of all that we’ve been reading thus far. We have read of Jesus pre-existence as the Word that was with God in the beginning take on flesh (Jn. 1:1,14). We have read of Jesus being declared the lamb of God (1:29,36), we have read of the revelation of his glory (or his status/identity) to his disciples in 2:1-11. We have read of how Jesus is the fulfillment of supersession of some traditional aspect of Jewish worship (2:13-10:42); we have read of his power and the fulfillment of his word (Jn 9; Jn 11). We have seen him anointed in anticipation of his burial (12:1-11); welcomed as Israel’s king in 12:12-19); as the one who gathers a new community (1:19-51), a teacher like Moses (6:1-5) teaching his disciples a new way to live (13:1ff – the way of daily forgiveness) and now when we get to John 18-19, we read of his glorification as King from above. His kingdom was that of the inbreaking reign and effective rule of God into our midst, not a political/military kingdom like say a King David.

I love the irony that the narrator weaves all through our text today:

The mention of the garden that frames these two chapters and that plays a role in chapter 20. Jesus is being presented as a new Adam, reversing the effects of Adam’s sin and creating a new humanity.

Jesus self revelation or use of the divine name in Jn 18:5 and how the soldiers and Jewish authorities fall to the ground at the name of “I am,” as the mixed group of soliders and Jewish police come to arrest Jesus. They come with their torches to arrest the light of the world. The blind really do lead the blind!

The identification of Peter as being with them. Those forces opposed to Jesus, this is the same identification used of Judas (cf. 18:18; cf. 18:2-3) warming himself by their light.

The concern of the Jews with ritual purity the whole time they are trying to murder Jesus (cf.18:28). The enthronement of Jesus and the release of Barabbas. What a fitting picture of Jesus’ enthronement of king. He is made a crown and dressed in a purple robe, accused of treason against Rome, and then the Jews ask for the release of Barabbas (son of the father), a political revolutionary. The one who was guilty of treason against Rome is the very one that is desired to be released by the Jewish authorities. The Jews effectively deny that they belong to God. In Jesus enthronement the Jews announce that they have no king but Caesar effectively contradicting their very identity as God’s people. The mentioning of the 6^th hour (see Talbert 250 and 254), as the time of the actual slaughter of the Passover Lamb. We are to see Jesus as the true fulfillment of the Passover Lamb, which Talbert writes continues the theme of Jesus public ministry (254).

The sign hung over the cross announcing in the languages of the Mediterranean world that Jesus is the King. What the Jews had effectively denied and missed, Pilate effective proclaims from the vantage point of the cross, the place where God’s glory is made manifest in Jesus.

works cited:

Moloney, Francis J., The Gospel of John. . Collegeville, MN: TheLiturgical Press, 1988.

Talbert, Charles H., Reading John: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Fourth Gospel and the Johannine Epistles. Macon, GA: Smyth and Helwys, 2005.

angry driver

Road rage is not something I have seen or been a participant in for a while, until this morning. I was passing a parked semi truck on the side of the road, following a minivan around him, when an on coming truck and I almost collided. I think both of us were two beligerent to stop to let the other one pass. I wasn’t intending to be in such a hurry, but was. Anyway, the truck, whipped around follows me, cuts me off, and this old man gets out of his truck and cusses me out in the middle of the road. He won’t listen to me. I apologized, several times and the whole time this man is cussing me out. He had to be in his late 60’s or early 70’s. I am thinking, I sure hope he doesn’t have a massive coronary in the middle of the road because he is so ticked at me. Have you ever tried to apologize to someone who doesn’t seem to be able to hear. This old man even threatened to punch me. He told me, if I didn’t wear glasses he would knock me out. I am not against self defense, but if it came down to it, I couldn’t in good conscience fight a man the same age as my grandpa. And besides, what a headline that would have been, “31 year old youth minister pulverized by angry septuagenarian.” As the angry man turned to leave, I asked God to bless him.

So, here’s the lesson for the journey today:

Slow down. Let the oncoming traffic through. Don’t assume people will stop for you. Be courteous. When I am angry, is it evident that I am a follower of Jesus? Does my anger point to or away from Jesus? Anger isn’t the issue, it is how you handle your anger. I was angry with this man for being angry with me, for stopping me in the middle of the road, for cussing me, for calling a dumb %&*!@ over and over again, but I wasn’t going to stoop to his level. A gentle answer may turn away wrath, but watchout for the fist of angry old man! What leads people to get out of the car and verbally assualt someone else, I do not know.

So, angry man…I am sorry for upsetting you. I don’t know what life has dealt you. But, I do know you are loved by my Father. Even though you tried to hurt me today, I still asked God to bless you. I hope He does, and I hope one day you can find it in your hard heart to be more forgiving especially towards those of us who are younger!

Behold the man

I will be writing more later about John 18-19, but initally I am blown away at how carefully the author of the Fourth Gospel presents Jesus as the King and how the author uses irony all through his narrative to tell his version of the Jesus story.

family, School, and Politics.

Today my wife began a new job as a temp. hire but with the possibility of future full time status. We have been praying for weeks that God would open a door of employment, and he has. We have had quite a good couple of weeks, we went and saw Fire Proof a couple of weeks ago, and since then, about 35 days ago or so we have noticed a dramatic improvement in our marriage. We purchased the Love Dare book, and are working our way through it. It has been for us such a blessing to be reminded about what marriage is all about, and be convicted of our own selfishness as well as God’s intentions for marriage and his rightful role as Lord in our house. We are trying to be a good example of Christ to our girls and to others. We have obstacles, but we are working them and letting God work in those areas as well.

Grad. school is progressing. After this semester I will have 48 grad. hours completed. I need 36 more hours for my M. Div. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. LCU has been really good to my family and I, and would recommend the Masters Program to any one interested in an affordable, and flexible grad. program.

Pray for my mother, she is undergoing some tests for her Thyroid. Her doctor and some blood work has indicated that she has Thyroid disease. I am not sure what is involved with this ailment, but we are praying that she can beat this, and get over it.

Finally, here are my post-election ramblings. Whatever your party affiliation is, Obama is our next president. His being the first African American to be president is historic. It is important and sends a powerful message to our world and to our nation, particularly to minorities. For my Republican and Democrat friends, the sun came up on Nov. 5, just like did yesterday and today. God is still on his throne. Nothing has changed. God is neither a Republican or Democrat, and work through the failings of flawed human beings not matter what their party affiliation is.

2:13-25 Exegesis Prospectus

EXEGESIS PROSPECTUS

JOHN 2:13-25

“13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me. 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man” (John 2:13-25, NIV)

· What is the significance of the mentioning the nearness of the Jewish Passover? Who is John’s audience?

· What role, if any does Jesus going to Jewish feasts play in the Fourth Gospel?

· Is the reader/hearer of this gospel supposed to hear “Jesus went up to Jerusalem in a higher sense, cf. Jn. 7?

· What was it about the buying and selling taking place in the Temple that leads to Jesus’ cleansing the temple?

· What is the relationship between John’s account of the Temple cleansing and the Synoptic version? Noting the similarity between the two, should we assume John knew the Synoptic version? Why, however, does John only mention Jesus making a whip?

· Noticing one obvious difference between the Synoptic account and the Johannine version, what conclusion should be made about the number of cleansings and the chronology of such an event?

· What result would Jesus’ actions have had for the Temple cult that day?

· Why does Jesus only take action against the sellers and not the buyers?

· What is the significance of the change in the usage of the word for Temple in Greek?

· Is there an allusion to Zec 14:21 with Jesus word’s, “How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market?” What is the significance of the two uses of the word house in Greek?

· What is Jesus attacking? The Temple, or the market in the Temple? Was the market place in the temple even necessary?

· Why does John alter the tense of the verb in the OT quotation of LXX Ps 68:10/Ps.69:9?

· Is it right to hear an echo of the passion in v. 17 in light of the post-resurrection remembering of the disciples, cf. 2:22? Or is this a later redaction?

· How does the introduction of “the Jews,” fit into this pericope as well as the overall narrative?

· Who exactly is meant by the phrase, “the Jews?” Does the author intend all Jewish people or a certain segment of the Jewish population?

· What is the significance of “the Jew’s” request for a miraculous sign? Are there different kinds of faith presented in the narrative? If so, how does this pericope help our understanding?

· What is meant by, “Destroy this temple?” Is it right to see two levels of understanding here?

· What is the significance of the mention of “three days?” If this expression is referring to a physical building, how does that fit? If this is referring to resurrection, is this a post-Easter redaction, or does it refer to something else entirely?

· How does the misunderstanding of “the Jews” function in the Gospel?

· Does John record events accurately, i.e., the mention by “the Jews” that it has taken 46 years to build the Temple? Is it possible the fourth evangelist doesn’t know the historical details of the Temple building construction? Does the formulation we read in the text, suggest that building was completed and that the author is writing significantly later, nearer the destruction of the Temple, or even after?

· Is the reader meant to see symbolism behind the number 46? Is this a reference to Adam? Is it possible to see this a connection with Acts 7, and Stephen’s words about “A temple made with human hands?” If so, what is the fourth evangelist saying? Could this be an allusion to Christ’s age?

· What is the significance of the narrator’s comments in v. 21, that the temple he was referring to was his body?

· Noting later Christian usage of the phrase “his body,” is the reader of John, supposed to see here a reference to the church?

· In v. 22, what is the Scripture that the disciples are said to remember?

· What is the significance of the resurrection to the disciples’ remembering?

· What are the miraculous signs Jesus is performing in v. 23? None are mentioned in the pericope, does this presuppose a familiarity with the Synoptic accounts? Or is this meant to be treated thematically, cf. 2:1-12?

· How does 2:23-25 function in the narrative? Is it a transitional statement, a bridge of sorts connecting the previous account with the Nicodemus narrative?

· What does this final section say about Jesus’ knowledge of humanity? Is this an attribution of Jesus’ divinity by the author?

· Who are those that Jesus might entrust himself too?

TENTATIVE THESIS

The Fourth Evangelist’s dramatic retelling of the temple cleansing incident fits in with the overall plot of the Fourth Gospel’s emphasis of portraying Jesus as the replacement/supersession/fulfillment of some aspect of traditional Jewish worship. My objective is to show that the Fourth Evangelist’s aim for locating his temple cleansing account early in his narrative is more theological/Christological than chronological and how this episode sets the stage for what is to come in the narrative about Jesus the Lamb of God (1:29), as the Word made flesh (1:14), as the locus of the divine presence (1:51), as God (1:1) comes to the Temple (Mal.3:1-3) to reveal the true nature of worship (4:21-24), and the true place of worship being in Jesus.

John 17:1-26

I would like to point out the significance of this whole section, 13:1-17:26, as what both of our authors have noted as a farewell discourse. I like how both Moloney and Talbert point out, that these farewell speeches close with a prayer. I think what I find so fascinating is that with the readings we did in Dr. Martin’s work on the rhetorical topics and how they are employed in the Gospels and even here in 13:1-17:26, we see the author intentionally using literary conventions from his or her era to tell the story of Jesus. I think this is significant for scholars as well as average Joe Christian as well in that it demonstrates the intentionality, craft, education, style, narrative art if you will of the author. We are reading a carefully crafted document.

In our reading for this week, we encounter a praying Jesus. I have always thought of the Synoptics more though when thinking about Jesus and prayer, but Talbert notes that in John, Jesus is a person of prayer…14:16; 1 Jn 2:1-2; 16:26; 6:11; 11:41-42; 12:27-28 (Talbert, 231). I guess in my haste as a poor reader, I hadn’t noticed all these Johannine references to prayer.

I thought the explanation in Talbert about the different meanings of the word glory was helpful as well. Talbert points out, “the notion of glory is …complex…Glory is what makes one impressive to others. It may mean: reputation…honor (i.e., status/prestige)…riches…splendor…power…the divine presence or radiance…To give glory to God is not to add something not present in God to God but to acknowledge something already present in God…To glorify someone other than God is to acknowledge that person’s honor or power. If God glorifies someone, he grants that person to participate in his honor or power or divine radiance” (Talbert, 232). Talbert’s explanation of the complexities of glory helps to see how in John’s gospel how the word glory is used in most cases, i.e., status, honor, prestige, power.

I also feel that Jesus prayer in 17:20-23 for “those who believe in me through their word” is important because “The unity of believers is aimed at leading the world to faith in Jesus” (Talbert, 236). Talbert again helps frame this conversation by pointing out the spiritual root of the problem of division; cf. Gen; Eph 6:12). Because of our readings this week again about the Johannine secessionists and how hermenutically we interpret meaning by context we see or at least can make room for the notion that as the author writes this prayer for the unity of believers, he is struck by the division in his own day (Talbert, 237). This prayer is significant, in that it includes us today as inheritors of the first disciples’ message of the cross and the risen and triumphant Jesus. What this prayer says to us today as the church is shame on us for allowing division and our selfishness keep the world blind. Talbert points out, that “Jesus prays for this unity…so that the world may believe that you have sent me. We too need to heed this prayer of Jesus for unity and begin to be the “alternative society, a counterculture, in which the message of …Jesus” must become real to us (Talbert, 236). How can the world come to know Jesus, if we aren’t living like we know him either?

works cited:

Moloney, Francis J., The Gospel of John. . Collegeville, MN: TheLiturgical Press, 1988.

Talbert, Charles H., Reading John: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Fourth Gospel and the Johannine Epistles. Macon, GA: Smyth and Helwys, 2005.