As we head into our 3rd day of reading, some of you may be thinking - "I can't keep up with this reading." I want you to remember that it is better to keep trying than to quit just because you are getting behind or can't keep up. If you get behind, just plan to go back and catch up at another time. Keeping up and doing any reading you can is better than getting frustrated and quitting. Never, never, never give up (that is a quote from a commencement address given by Winston Churchill - it wasn't about Bible reading, but I think it works here as a note of encouragement!)
One of the things I have begin noticing from our reading of John is the frequent reference to "the Jews". This seems odd to me because the Christian community to which John is writing is also Jewish! Did you realize that until Paul took off into Gentile territory, most of the Christians were Jewish people who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. One commentary I am reading says that "the Jews" is to be read as a symbolic term referring to the enemies of Jesus. The "Jews" represent those who reject life in favor of rules.
Using that type of symbolism may have been fine back then, but could you see taking this statement into the 20th century could cause problems with people who don't understand symbolism? Literal people have been mislead to despise "the Jews" because of this way of writing back in the 1st century.
In Chapter 5, we read about the story of a crippled man who has been crippled for 38 years being healed by Jesus. There's trouble though. Picking up his mat is considered "work". On the sabbath no work is to be done. Look at verse 5:9b. Oops.
The point of this miraculous healing story is that the miracle takes place through the power and the word of Jesus. Not on which day it happened!
The riddle part of this discussion will have to wait until tomorrow. Just to give you a hint, it has to do with "bread".
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Many of these "Jew" references... I am sure have caused many firestorms through the years. Read here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism_in_the_New_Testament
ReplyDeleteShocking point of view!!! Roy Eckardt, a leading scholar of Christian-Jewish relations and chairman emeritus of religion studies at Lehigh University, asserts that the foundation of anti-Semitism, and the responsibility for the Holocaust, lies ultimately in the New Testament.
BTW: I think "the Jews" being used symbolically is far-fetched.
ReplyDeleteBy symbolically I meant it didn't refer to ALL the Jews. John is referring generically to the earthly enemies of Jesus. Just like when people refer to "the Christians" today doesn't necessarily include me or you. The reference might be to extremely conservative Christians or extremely liberal Christians. I am a Christian, but I am not part of either of those groups, so referenceing Christians would be symbolical.
ReplyDeleteI understand. ;^) Good job on this blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat Blog. Thanks! My favorite is John 8:7. What better way to make a point about judging someone?
ReplyDeleteThanks Brandon and ZeroG.
ReplyDelete