Bible Study Notes - John 6:22-40

Bible Study Notes - John 6:22-40

In this passage, Jesus declares “I am the Bread of Life.”  This text is John’s version of the Eucharist as his gospel does not contain the words of institution which we recite each time we celebrate “The Lord’s Supper.”  Beyond the synoptic traditions of establishing and institutionalizing one of the most important sacraments in the Church, John posits a vibrant relationship with the Lord Jesus equates with daily receipt of the sacrament.  When disciples study the teachings of Jesus, they feast upon Him, “the Bread of Life.”  Consistently alluding to Old Testament passages regarding the Law and wilderness wandering, John depicts Jesus’ superiority to this previous era.  His enduring words of eternal life surpass the limitations of religious regulations and temporary manna.  Abundant and eternal life is a gift exclusively given by Almighty God to disciples of Jesus Christ (John 10:10).  His teachings are our “daily bread” that sustain and nourish us.

Imagine your favorite meal.  There are no limitations of time, dietary allergies, caloric cares or expense.  What would be on the menu?  How many courses would you have?  Would you start the meal with an expensive and vintage glass of wine?  Perhaps, you begin with hot bread right out of the over with real whipped butter.  Is shrimp cocktail your favorite appetizer or do you consider it to be too common?  Usually, a salad mixed with your favorite greens and ingredients would follow.  Afterwards, your waiter would bring a small serving of sorbet to clear your palate as you prepare with great expectancy for your entrée.  A fine dinner without dessert is a sin!  For me, this course always contains some type of chocolate accompanied by an after dinner coffee.    Further, imagine you can have this meal whenever and wherever you wish.

After such a scrumptious meal, is it possible you are not satisfied?  Would you still be hungry?  Would anything be lacking as it relates to your physical needs?  These questions which emerge from the foregoing meal metaphor symbolize the spiritual and existential hunger of countless millions of people who utilize repetitive religious rites as the sole means of knowing God.  Yet, they hunger perpetually for genuine spirituality and relationship with Almighty God.  Beyond a need of food and physical sustenance, they seek something else.  They lack “food” that truly satisfies them.  Although they eat each day, they still hunger for something else.  Is there food that suffices?

The evangelist unequivocally answers Yes!  His gospel depicts Jesus as the source of spiritual food.  His “broken body” and “shed blood” are the bread of heaven which feeds disciples so that they do not hunger or thirst anymore.  In the distribution of the sacred and mysterious elements when celebrating the Eucharist, I say “This is the body of Christ.  It is the bread of heaven.  Further, this is the blood of Christ.  It is the cup of salvation.”  Following each declaration, I say further, “Indeed, it is the source of eternal life.  Take it and share in the new life of Jesus Christ.”  John uses this “Bread of Life” teaching to inform disciples that the Word of God, generally, and teachings of Jesus, specifically, parallels the elements of Holy Communion.  Actually, weekly sermons serve the same purpose as the sacrament in liturgies that do not celebrate Holy Communion.  The proclamation of divine truth and encouragement is spiritual bread for the Christian pilgrim’s journey in the midst of life’s wilderness.

The Setting – John 6:22-25

·         In this teaching, “I am the bread of life,” Jesus talks with a crowd.  Heretofore, he converses directly with individuals as the crowd watches.

·         This teaching follows the miraculous feeding of five thousand men plus women and children.  The crowd follows Him as they pursue additional material and physical blessings.  Most regrettably, the prevalent “prosperity gospel” misleads some seekers as they possibly pursue the Lord for economic, political, and social gain.  Like this crowd who was feed miraculously two millennia ago in the Ancient Near East, these modern seekers totally misconstrue the Lord’s will in performing miracles.  In short, they come to Jesus with ulterior motives of selfish gain and self-aggrandizement.

·         Their carnal focus centers upon the exigencies of earthly life rather.  It blinds them to the mission and purpose of selfless and sacrificial love.

·         Instead of temporal food that lasts only from meal to meal, God’s “Bread of Life” eliminates hunger and deeply satisfies.

Analysis of the Conversation between Jesus and the Crowd – John 6:26-36

·         Jesus chastises the crowd for merely seeking more loaves and fish.  They wanted more.  They did not consider any greater value to the miracle than the fulfillment of their physical needs.

·         In a prior pastoral setting, I remained constantly amazed by the expectations of some physically ill people who greatly desired supernatural healing so they could leave their hospital rooms and return to their homes to watch television.  As I survey the myriad miracles that the four evangelists record, I notice two main occurrences in each healing.  First, the miracle honor Almighty God by displaying His sovereign power over natural law to accomplish His predetermined will.  Second, in worship and praise to God for healing, each recipient demonstrates his gratitude by directly attributing his healing to the love, mercy and grace of God.  As others learn of these miracles, they give glory to God and begin to believe in Jesus Christ whom He sends into the world that the world may be saved through the Son.  People were not healed solely because it was a good thing to do or they wanted freedom from sickness and disease in order to resume their lives as they were prior to their physical incapacity.

·         Miracles were a means to faith; they were not divine magic which could be summoned at will.  Rather than believing in God, the crowd would relegate Him to a celestial bellhop who would satisfy their physical needs and emotional whims.  The “consumerist Christianity” that pervades many churches in the United States contemporarily depicts the crowd’s self-centered motives and self-seeking concerns as they pursued Jesus after eating their fill of the fishes and loaves.

·         Instead of dwelling upon earthly food that spoils, disciples as instructed by the Lord Jesus seek eternal life as they feed upon His teachings, commands and wisdom which comprise the Bread of Life.

·         Jesus essentially tells the crowd that they will be persistently hungry as they daily request more fish and bread.  Similarly, they will spiritual hunger pangs of meaninglessness and a lack of purpose and direction if they rely upon religion and tradition instead of a relationship with the Heavenly Father through Jesus.  In fact, Jesus inherently possesses the Father’s seal of approval to perform miracles and supply anyone who genuinely desires eternal bread.

·         The crowd then asks a penetrating question, “What must we do to do the work that God requires?”  Many ardent church goers and longstanding religious people also ask this question.  Interestingly, it equates with inquiries about salvation and the purpose of ministry and mission.  The African American and Baptist, mystic theologian, Howard Thurman, posits freedom from fear about death emergences within the consciousness of those persons who have led meaningful lives.  More, the crowd’s does not seek a formula.

·         “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”  Jesus’ answer is not a recommendation to formulate an exacting theological system.  He rather recommends a relationship instead of religion, ritual and rites.  Belief equates with a lifestyle rather than a theoretical credo.  “Christian doing organically unfolds from being/believing.”  The teachings and commandments of Jesus become a disciple’s raison d’tre.

·         Still, the crowd asks for a sign as a condition of belief in Jesus. Again, ulterior motives arising from self-centered fears about food, clothing, success, finances and other physical needs often inhibit modern day seekers from pursuing a genuine relationship with the Lord.

·         God gave manna to the wilderness generation because they complain about hunger.  Their complaints equate with an indictment of His power.  Today, cynicism about established institutions of government, education, finance and church coerces the narcissistic question, “What have you done for me lately?”  The question demands a priori benefits in order to commit to faith or any other social or political cause.  Stated differently, the question is “What is in this for me or What do I stand to gain from committing my life to this cause?” 

·         Jesus responds by informing the crowd that our Heavenly Father gives bread and food that satisfies more than a person’s physical needs.  “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.”  Satisfying physical hunger lasts three or four hours at most.  Offering someone divine wisdom upon which he or she can build career or live with integrity lasts a lifetime.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns His listeners about seeking treasure that thieves break in and steal and moths and dust corrupt.  Instead, He encourages them to pursue eternal treasures which cannot be taken away from its recipients.  Jesus’ teachings and commands are eternal and practical as they supply divine wisdom and knowledge in resolving any human adversity.  As the “Bread of life,” the Bible is a practical and pragmatic textbook of life; it addresses every human predicament and offers an effectual and empowering resolution.  Surpassing ideology, theology and philosophy, the Father sends the Son into the world as the “bread of God” from heaven yielding enduring sustenance for daily living.  Whereas the wilderness generation only ate manna daily, contemporary disciples feed upon the teachings and commands of Jesus over the course of their lives.

·         In response to Jesus’ teaching, the crowd asks for eternal bread.  Still, they fail to appreciate the nature of their request.  As if they were on the set of a science fiction movie, they actually want Jesus to wave a magic wand and permanently eliminate their physical hunger.  Then, they would not need to work as hard or worry about the next meal.  Removal of that daily need would in turn eradicate any fears associated with it.  Simply, the crowd misunderstands the teaching about the bread from heaven just as they misconstrue the meaning of the miracle of feeding five thousand men plus women and children.  They fail to comprehend His invitation to discipleship and relationship as Jesus personifies the bread for which they ask.

·         Jesus expands the “I AM” sayings as He clarifies His teaching for the crowd.  Straightforwardly, He says “I am the bread of life.”  Anyone who relates rightly to me will not hunger and anyone who genuinely believes in me will not thirst.  Relating to Jesus connects disciples to the Infinite and Eternal One and Word who was with and is God from the beginning. (John 1:1-2)  Access to an infinite supply awaits anyone who comes to Jesus with a sincere heart and the full assurance of faith.

·         Further, a relationship with Jesus yields life’s enduring riches: love, truth, justice and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  These attributes supersede the limited and temporary satisfaction of physical instincts.  Encountering Him results in transformation (2 Corinthians 5:17).  A person undergoes a metamorphosis; he finds new meaning and purpose in daily affairs.  His work equates with purpose instead of labor to earn his daily bread.  Each morning, he rises to a calling instead of adding another day’s experience within his profession.  He develops beliefs in a mission and vocation to honor and serve Almighty God rather than tolerating the pervasive skepticism and aimlessness of the surrounding culture.  He enjoys freedom to actualize his divinely and graciously given gifts and abilities; thereby, he lives the life he imagines.  Living in a vibrant relationship with Jesus opens the eyes of the heart and enables disciples to assess the eternal worth of any activity.  Often, we squander life’s most precious gift, time, on meaningless pursuits.  Self-centered fears and self-seeking thoughts flow naturally from a personal myopia in which you limit your sights to enhancing solely your life.  Jesus turns our attention toward eternal causes of loving the Father by serving humankind and leaving a legacy that continues many years beyond our physical existence.  Wellness, healing and wholeness comprise the major components of a disciple’s life.  He forsakes the many fragments of selfishness that the secular, humanistic world advocates.

·         As the “Bread of life,” Jesus offers His body as a sacrifice and propitiation for anyone who believes in Him and the Father who sent Jesus.  When we partake of Holy Communion, we feast upon this “bread from heaven” which sustains us as we strive to live with Christian integrity.

·         Jesus’ teachings comprise this bread, also.  Memorizing myriad verses of the gospels and gleaning its spiritual wisdom equals eating a piece of your favorite bread when you are very hungry.  The Lord’s teachings offer very practical tools for daily living.  They address every human situation, providing wisdom and spirituality.  Ultimately, Jesus’ teachings empower disciples with healing and wholeness.

·         Faith is a non-negotiable prerequisite in actualizing and utilizing Christ’s teachings.  Hence, the Lord chastises the crowd for their persistent failure to believe.  “You have seen me and still you do not believe.”

Conclusion – John 6:37-40   

·         In these final verses, Jesus offers eternal security to anyone who chooses to believe in Him.  Anyone who comes to Him will remain with Him forevermore.  He promises never to drive the person away.  If you make an “existential risk of faith” in the words of Paul Tillich, you will discover the wellness, healing and wholeness of a previously unimaginable life.  Carl Justav Jung posits you will at least actualize your previously “undiscovered self,” which is the ideal person whom the Father created you to be.  Jesus pledges to journey with you as you run this marathon toward acceptance, creativity, freedom from fear, willingness to forgive unconditionally, daily gratitude, love and joy, mission and purpose and service and spirituality.  He will not abandon you in the process nor will He terminate you should you fail periodically.

·         Jesus seeks to fulfill “the will of him who sent me.”  The Father desires the salvation of everyone.  He sends Jesus into the world to demonstrate and personify His unfailing love, unquestionable faithfulness and unending grace.  Jesus comes as the personification of the godhead to reestablish the Father’s covenant with humankind.  

·         Then, Jesus promises resurrection and eternal life beyond a disciple’s physical death.  We are spiritual beings who dwell in physical bodies.  We originate from the Eternal Being who creates us in His image.  Jesus’ sacrifice nullifies any sin or offense we commit.  His perfect life as fully God and fully man allows us to relate rightly with our Holy and Heavenly Father.  On the final day of the Lord’s judgment, Jesus stands as our Advocate to argue successfully and effectively for our resurrection into a spiritual, non-corporeal body in which we can enjoy the Father’s presence throughout eternity.  For everyone who sincerely believes and genuinely commits his life, Jesus says I will “raise them up at the last day.”

·         Simply put, “everyone who looks to the Son and believes will have eternal life.”  Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and anyone who had been bitten by a scorpion and looked upon the snake was healed immediately, anyone who gives his or her life to the Lord Jesus will experience abundant life on earth and eternal afterwards.

·         Again, Jesus pledges eventually to raise him or her up at the last day.

Bible Study Notes - John 14:15-31

Bible Study Notes  - John 14:15-31

This week, we continue our study in the gospel of John, “Encountering Jesus.”  In this passage, Jesus continues comforting His disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit who is a Teacher, Counselor, Comforter, Helper and Friend to all disciples.  We will discuss thoroughly the Person and role of the Holy Spirit in the Church today.  Defining the character and workings of the Holy Spirit creates tremendous controversy in many church circles.  Let’s seek the Holy Spirit for revelation and clarification.

This lesson on the Holy Spirit follows Jesus prediction of Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial not to mention the forthcoming desertion by the remaining disciples.  Those two dastardly events foreshadow Jesus’ death on a cross which will inaugurate the kingdom of God after the resurrection.  Preconditioned psychologically and historically to expect a Messiah in the image of King David, the disciples retain their expectations of a militaristic and warrior Savior who will liberate Israel from the Gentile rulers of Rome who continue to subjugate, exploit and oppress them.  In the corners of their minds, the disciples patiently harbor dreams of positions in the new government which they believe Jesus will implement once the final revolution occurs imminently.  They do not understand the kingdom which Jesus came to establish.  In this final meal with them, He reassures them that He will not leave them alone.  Actually, His death will be an ironic blessing as it will enable the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Meanwhile, they maintain their literal expectations and hopes about a new political and economic regime which will restore Israel to her former days of glory during the reigns of David and Solomon.  Lovingly, Jesus prepares them for the tremendous loss He knows they will experience.  He tells them He will send a Friend, Helper, Comforter and Counselor who will lead them.

Contemporarily, debates about the Person and purpose of the Holy Spirit threaten to divide the Church.  These arguments substantially undermine the evangelistic mission of the Church; as disciples fight with each other, we are unable to fulfill “The Great Commission.”  Some denominations adhere to a traditional teaching that a believer receives the Holy Spirit upon baptism.  Others insist the impartation of the Holy Spirit occurs subsequent to a salvific experience as a new believer asks for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Yet, others teach the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is a separate event; its surest evidence is the practice of “speaking in tongues.”  Mostly, adherents of these myriad doctrinal camps appeal to the Pauline (1 Corinthians 12 and 14) and Lucan (Acts) traditions to support their claims.  However, emphasizing those New Testament passages overlooks the very important Johannine teachings about the Person of the Holy Spirit.  John chapters fourteen, fifteen and sixteen (14, 15 and 16) contain very important information about the Holy Spirit.  I strongly recommend we juxtapose these three definitive strands of New Testament teaching about the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor David Yonggi Cho reminds us in his numerous books that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.  He suggests we establish a vibrant and daily relationship with the Holy Spirit similar to the investment we make in any other relationship.  Cho suspects many disciples lose the power and access to the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit because they objectify Him as a doctrine, goal or experience.  Rather, John teaches us that the Spirit leads and guides into all truth.  As we more rightly relate to Him, the Holy Spirit graciously reveals divine wisdom and knowledge for our daily living.

Consider the following thoughts, ideas and questions as you study this passage.

·         John 14:15 expands the new law of love.  Jesus says “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  Love compels obedience, truth, respect, integrity, honesty and justice which are the enduring principles of Christianity.  Correct doctrine can never coerce anyone allegiance.  “Where there is love, there is no burden.”  Love surmounts adversities, expense, time, challenge and all other impediments.  It is simply amazing what we do for people whom we genuinely love.  It is equally amazing the barriers we overcome when we commit to someone or something.  Our wholehearted love defeats any difficulties in order to enrich the lives of the people whom we love.  Accordingly, Jesus teaches His disciples that their love for Him will enable them to adhere to the principles of His teachings.  Knowledge of traditional religious beliefs will not compel their obedience any more than it did for the Pharisees and Sadducees.  More practically, love for one’s spouse compels fidelity rather than moral obligations or state laws.  Genuine love makes a person obey his or her marital vows.

·         In John 14:16, Jesus characterizes the Holy Spirit as a Counselor who will be with us forever.  William Barclay translates this word as “Consultant.”  Pragmatically, the Holy Spirit abides constantly with us as He gives to us the most excellent counsel of any superlative attorney or the enduring wisdom of an older, more experienced and knowledgeable senior colleague.

·         In the next verse, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit or Truth.”  He guides us toward the truth in every situation.  He helps us navigate the complexity of the “truth” we understand and experience.  Ultimately, the Holy Spirit leads us toward divine truth as the Lord reveals His “good, pleasing and perfect will” in our daily lives.  The correctness of divine truth depends heavily upon the relationship we cultivate with the Holy Spirit. 

·         Moreover, the “Spirit of truth” guides us toward the fulfillment of Scripture, the revealed Word of God.  His revelation of “Truth” equally honors and glorifies the Name and character of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

·         The dominant culture of secular humanism, Darwinian science and empirical technology belittles any notions of divine revelation.  Jesus encourages the disciples to ignore the cacophony of doubt, suspicion and cynicism which surround them.  The carnal person cannot comprehend the values, actions and choices of a spiritual man.

·         In a most comforting manner, Jesus reassures the disciples “I will not leave you as orphans.”  He remains with them in the Person of the Holy Spirit.  His physical absence will not end their relationship.  The emergence of the Holy Spirit actually extends it.  In death, we grieve partially because we fear we have lost the love, creativity, legacy, laughter, and essence of a loved one or friend forever.  It is difficult to accept that we will not see them again.  We long to be with them.  We would like to pick up where the last conversation ended.  The sheer thought that we cannot do so greatly bewilders us.  Knowing this potentially paralyzing pain, Jesus prepares the disciples for His departure by promising the gift of the Holy Spirit who resides within them. 

·         Further, He says “I will come to you.”  The Spirit reminds them of Jesus.  Through the Spirit, they can feel the presence and love of Jesus.  This relationship transcends the limitations of human memory which fades with each day as a person struggles to recall the actual voice and mannerisms of a deceased loved one or friend.  The Holy Spirit supernaturally reminds the disciples of Jesus as if He were in their actual presence.  They shall not be alone as if they were fatherless and motherless.

·         The Holy Spirit seals the disciples’ relationship with Jesus and enables them to relate directly to the Father through the Son.  As Jesus is in the Father and the disciples are in Him, they then are connected rightly and directly to the Father.  This “triangular” relationship reminds me of an elementary algebraic equation.  If a = b and b = c, then a = c.

·         In the twenty-first verse, Jesus returns to the necessity of demonstrating their love through faithful obedience to His commands.  It is not possible to insist upon your love of Him if you consistently ignore and disobey His commands.  Being a “Christian” is a lifestyle not a label.  Integrity in thought and action is the determining factor as to whether one is a Christian or not.  The new command which Jesus imparts to the disciples earlier during “The Last Supper” is “love one another.”  He says the world will know His true disciples by the love they share toward and with each other.  Religious adherence to Jesus’ teachings will not endure.  Love of Him will compel disciples to share their time, talent, treasure and temperament with seekers in order that they may know Christ’s unconditional and unfailing love.

·         Love of Jesus through practical, pragmatic and purposeful obedience yields the love of the Father.  Sons-in-laws and daughters-in-law who exhibit genuinely love for their spouses usually attain the love of their spouses’ parents. 

·         A few verses later, Jesus straightforwardly declares “He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”  The Lord concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a stern warning against people who praise Him with their lips but whose hearts do not love Him.  With the interim of more than two millennia, this exhortation remains as relevant today as when Jesus originally issued it.  He cautions twenty-first century disciples against the fallacy of believing an orthodox doctrine which creates a warm, fuzzy feeling in the heart suffices for authentic Christian faith.  Likewise, it is superfluous to think occasional good deeds on a collective level negate personal moral failures and libertinism.  Again, symmetry of principles and practice resulting in faithful adherence to Christ’s teachings is necessary to undergird anyone’s profession of faith.

·         Jesus reminds the disciples that His teachings originate from the Heavenly Father who sends Jesus into the world to reveal and reflect perfectly the Father’s image and love (Colossians 1:15-20, John 1:1-18, I John 1:1-4 and Luke 1:1-4).  The Incarnation establishes a final and new covenant as the totality of the ones with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon and the Law was insufficient to obtain humankind’s fidelity and obedience.

·         The twenty-fifth is a reminder relating to the three and a half years of “the Jesus seminar” which the disciples enjoyed amidst Jesus’ public ministry.  The traditional Passover Seder from the night of the Exodus to the celebration of “The Last Supper” was utilized to remind Israel that Almighty God kept His promise relating to her liberation from four hundred and fifty years of Egyptian slavery.  Interspersed between the various courses of delicious food, lessons detailing the promise and the blessings afterwards remind posterity of the necessity of obeying and worshipping God in gratitude for His enduring faithfulness.   Jesus utilizes this particular Passover to remind the disciples of His most essential teachings as it occurs on the night preceding His death.

·         Yet, Jesus undoubtedly realizes the disciples’ imminent grief will rob them of these lessons.  In consequence, He asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit who abides with all disciples to remind them of Jesus’ teachings and maintain the essence of His presence.  Through the Holy Spirit, the disciples continually converse with Jesus.  Imagine if you were to be given the opportunity to have another conversation with a dear loved one who died years ago.  There are so many issues you would probably cover.  As we learn to relate to the Holy Spirit, He enables such conversations with our Lord.

·         John 14:16 clearly delineates the functions of the Holy Spirit.  The Father sends Him in the Name of Jesus.  He teaches the disciples “all things.”  The Holy Spirit provides divine wisdom, the practical application of spiritual knowledge within any situation.  Furthermore, the Holy Spirit reminds the disciples of everything Jesus taught them.  Through these three practical functions, the Holy Spirit encourages and empowers disciples to live as Christians with integrity.  He helps us to demonstrate our love for the Lord through daily and faithful obedience as the Lord insists earlier in this passage.

·         Next, the Spirit graciously facilitates the gift of the Father’s peace.  Practically, peace enables disciples to trust genuinely God’s faithfulness notwithstanding adversarial circumstances.  Divine peace empowers bereaved persons to progress beyond the depth of their pain and loss.  Disciples stand firmly upon the Word and promises of our Lord and move forward in faith toward a new life.  Although we tremendously miss the physical presence of loved ones and friends, we do not lose heart.  We equally do not surrender to emotional and existential paralysis. 

·         The Lord’s peace is not conditional upon our emotions or favorable variables.  He says “I do not give you as the world gives.”  Peace that results from the daily activities of the New York Stock Exchange is temporary.  Peace similarly evaporates once the emotions of a good movie wear off.  Buyer’s remorse usually undermines weekly trips to the mall.  The uplifting feelings of a new outfit or trinket quickly dissipate upon receipt of the credit card bill.  Thus, the Lord reiterates His encouragement at the beginning of the chapter.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

·         In the concluding verses of this passage which equate with the end of this Passover meal, Jesus lovingly shares with the disciples the necessity of His physical departure albeit via the cross and crucifixion.  The betrayal, denial, desertion and crucifixion combine to actualize Almighty God’s eternal plan of salvation.  Again, their psychological and emotional preconceptions prevent them from understanding the realties that will unfold within the next few hours.  As the personification of sacrificial, selfless, redemptive and healing love, agape, Jesus prepares the disciples for their forthcoming grief following His crucifixion and even during the embryonic days of the early Church. (John 14:28-31)

·         For contemporary disciples, we have the assurance of the Holy Spirit who sustains us during our earthly pilgrimage until we arrive at the New Jerusalem where we can be with Jesus for eternity.  The Holy Spirit helps us to persevere as we strive to live with Christian integrity.

Bible Study Notes - John 5:1-15

Bible Study Notes - John 5:1-15

“Do you want to be made whole?”  Jesus asks this forthright and possibly unnecessary question of a lame man who has been at the pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years.  Does it not stand to reason that the ma n would welcome healing?  For 13,870 days, this man traveled to this pool with the daily superstitious wish he could jump into the healing waters when an angel stirs them before anyone else in the numerous competing crowd.  Jesus’ blunt question appears rude and insensitive.  Yet, it is necessary to consider whether this man slowly but surely develops a victim’s complex.  Practically, he possibly surrenders any hope of healing as he has lived as a paralytic for such a lengthy period.  In psychological terms, his familiarity with this physical and emotional pathology creates normality for his daily existence which healing would irreversibly disrupt.  Hence, Jesus starkly inquires about the man’s authentic desire for healing and wholeness.

Fortunately, the Johannine evangelist does not name the man.  Anyone can place his or her name in the paralytic’s stead.  His brokenness symbolizes the myriad pain, trials and tribulations of humankind, individually and collectively.  His extensive period of illness parallels the long “dark night of the soul” in which many people live.  His perplexity about his circumstances, their origins and continuance, is the bewilderment many people feel about their own adversities.  His reach toward superstition demonstrates the desperation of persons afflicted with difficult, longstanding and complex illnesses.  Once a congregant who suffered with cancer remarked, “Pastor, I have been in pain so long that I have forgotten what it feels like to be well and not in pain.”  At the time the paralytic encounters Jesus, he assuredly confirms her dilemma and emotions. 

Nevertheless, the sun rises on the 13, 871 day of his predicament.  Past practice proving instructive, the paralytic assumes his usual daily routine.  He cannot conceive any difference in this day from one that precedes it nor does he imagine it will change fundamentally any days which will follow it.  He proceeds to the pool at Bethesda with the remaining embers of a wish and prayer for healing and wholeness.  Undoubtedly, he asks his friends and helpers to assist him as usual in securing a pivotal spot near the pool.  Amazingly, the paralytic encounters Jesus who eventually transforms the broken man’s life.  This day would prove to be a very different day as the paralytic would decide unequivocally to seek inner healing and physical wholeness.

For anyone who similarly encounters Jesus, he or she equally receives restoration and completeness.  To encourage and empower with hope, I list eight subjects we covered in our recent sermon series on “Inner Healing and Wholeness.”  I suggest there are eight dimensions in life which correspond to the eight components of human existence where we progress toward individuation, a precise, unequivocal and spiritually and emotionally healthy understanding of your uniqueness as a child of God.  With the daily practice of spiritual disciplines as we progress within an interdependent relationship with Almighty God, in Carl G. Jung’s phraseology we find our previously “Undiscovered Self’” a person of who shares God’s unconditional and unfailing love in private and public relationships, possesses moral and ethical integrity, stands for truth and justice within the sphere of his influence,  passionately pursues his mission and purpose in life and experiences the additional enduring riches of joy, gratitude and peace.   The eight dimensions are

1. Unconditional Self-Acceptance
2. Creativity
3. Freedom from Fear
4. Total Forgiveness of Anyone who harms you
5. Gratitude
6. Joy
7. Mission and Purpose
8. Spirituality and Service

It is impossible to experience life’s joy if you fail to accept yourself unconditionally.  We do not allow society to determine who we are.  We cease the need to explain, defend, justify or apologize for who we are.  Additionally, we discover both assets and liabilities within our character as we progress in self-awareness and self-understanding.  Ultimately, self-acceptance liberates a person to enjoy the unique and wonderful life Almighty God intends for him or her.  (Psalm 139:13-16)

The “Parable of the Talents” teaches that God graciously gives at least one talent to every individual.  No one can say legitimately he or she was overlooked by God as it relates to talents, abilities and skills.  An important component of finding joy in life is cultivating creativity to utilize your God given talents and natural endowments.  Some of the greatest inventions emerged from the creative musings of imaginative people who possess courage and skill.

Fear is life’s greatest enemy as it robs so many people as they fail to pursue their heartfelt dreams and goals because they are afraid they will not succeed.  Fear stands for the acronym, False Evidence Appearing Real.  When we appease fear, it paralyzes us and impedes our ability to enjoy abundant and eternal life.  Fundamentally, fear is irrational.  It heightens our emotions.  In response, we retreat to the fallacious security of inertia.  Like the third servant in the foregoing parable who buries his talent and fails to make a return on his master’s investment, we face the existential challenge of defeating the Goliath which threatens our spiritual and mental wholeness.

To eliminate the potent forces of past pain and its potentially crippling effects, unreserved and unqualified forgiveness of anyone and everyone of anything and everything he or she has done to harm us is essential.  Professor Martin E. P. Seligman in his bestselling book, Authentic Happiness, posits the necessity of rewriting the past through the lenses of forgiveness in order to experience happiness and joy in life.  The failure to forgive imprisons us to the past.  It prevents us from progressing toward the brilliance of our present and future.  Cataloging past pain eventuates in a mountainous burden.  I recall the dilemma of a young clergyperson who maintained a resentment for many years in which he detailed the offenses he suffered at the hands of two hundred and forty people.  Imagine the illimitable fear, anger, bitterness and strife he stored in his mind and heart.  Consider further the impediments to his creative energies and abilities! 

The foregoing Seligman book, based upon social scientific and psychological research, asserts gratitude is a prerequisite to happiness.  The effects of a pay raise or promotion wears off within three months.  Research also substantiates other external factors of positive change yield additional diminishing returns.  In contrast, people who learn to appreciate the people, places and things that enrich and fulfill their lives are the ones who find happiness.  Plus, it is hard to conceive you can be happy if you remain in a perpetual mode of complaining, grumbling, and expecting something other than what you have.

What gives you joy?  Only you can answer this question for yourself.  When you do, you do not have to defend, justify, explain or excuse your answer.  In the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of the gospel of John, the evangelist discourses upon the Holy Spirit.  In these passages, he records Jesus’ reassurance to the disciples that He will give them joy to sustain them in His absence which is imminent as Jesus teaches them on the night of His betrayal and the eve of His trip to Calvary.  Jesus states He gives joy unlike that of the world.  His joy does not come from the world and cannot be taken away by any human force or power.  Essentially, joy comes from living fully within the unique life that God gives graciously to each of us.  The specifics of your joy’s components depend upon your relationship with Almighty God.

Pastor Rick Warren’s groundbreaking book, The Purpose Driven Life, struck a nerve within our nation and possibly the entire world.  Why am I here on earth?  What is my mission and purpose in life?  These questions plague us until we satisfactorily answer them.  Freud posits life is a combination of the polarities of love and work.  Jung proffers a mid-life crisis occurs because we do not have sufficient answers to these primary questions.  The way we answer them in the morning of life will not suffice in the afternoon.  Seligman’s research stipulates the necessity of transforming a job or career into a calling in order to be happy.  To be whole, you need to know your mission and purpose in life.

As life progresses and we mature spiritually and develop personally, inevitably we strip ourselves of self-seeking motives, self-centered fears and self-aggrandizing ambitions.  Like the Lord Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, we solely seek the will of Almighty God.  In fulfillment of The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:34-40), we strive to worship God through our practical and daily service to humankind.  Spirituality and service are primary objectives for disciples as they progress in the Christina marathon of life. 

Consider the following ideas, thoughts and questions as you study the text.

·        The context of this miraculous healing is a religious festival in the crowded city of Jerusalem.  Obeying the Law, many pilgrims travel to the holy city to observe the festival.  During these major religious holidays, these pilgrims hope to commune with Almighty God in an especial way.  Recall the perennial expectancy that Christmas and Easter conjure in our minds and hearts.  Yet, the evangelist assures us that large religious crowds do not necessarily yield an experience of God.  In fact, special occasions may be the last place where we may find Him.

·         At the pool of Bethesda, a large number of disabled, blind, lame and paralyzed people gather with their uninformed religious hopes for healing.  John does not wager a number for the infirm.  Yet, this particular paralytic encounters Jesus on this day.  Was he special?  Why did divine grace favor him on that occasion?  Was it fair to the others who equally showed up that day?

·         Similarly, what led Jesus to choose indiscriminately this man for this miracle?  As we cannot satisfactorily answer these questions, we realize divine favor potentially enters our lives as any moment.  Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish theologian and Christian existentialist, posits the Incarnation of Christ as the definitive point in human history when eternity enters time and redefines it irreversibly.  Likewise, Jesus’ seemingly impromptu and haphazard recognition of this paralytic forever changes the man’s life.  Should you or a loved one, friend or neighbor similarly encounter Jesus, you will never be the same.  Mostly, you will then know the reality of divine, unconditional and unfailing love.

·         Note the Lord’s compassion for the paralytic.  As Jesus learns of the man’s thirty-eight years of affliction, He asks the paralytic the pivotal question, “Do you want to get well?”  Rather than being an insult, the question reveals Jesus’ care for the paralytic.  The Lord never intended for anyone to linger in brokenness.  He desires wellness, healing and wholeness for each of His seven billion children.  Having given each person talents, abilities and skills, God desires that each of us actualize this divine potential.  For thirty-eight years, this paralytic was unable to do so.

·         In the seventh verse, the paralytic explains his extended helplessness.  He states his difficulty in getting into the water when the angel mystically and mysteriously stirs the healing and medicinal pool. 

·         Note the superstitious nature of the paralytic’s beliefs.  Contemporarily, many disciples in the Church also hold beliefs as erroneous and misguided as this paralytic’s futile hopes for an angel to impart magical potions to a pool.

·         Interestingly, Jesus does not entertain any lengthy summary of the paralytic’s predicament.  He also does not listen to any explanations about the paralytic’s dilemma and his inability to win the lottery amongst the crowd of superstitious lame and broken people.  Simply and forthrightly, Jesus instructs the paralytic to pick up his mat and walk.  What an incredibly succinct, simplistic and yet significant cure for a disease spanning nearly four decades.

·         The chagrin of the religious leaders follows this miracle as it occurs in the Sabbath.  They prioritize strict adherence to the Law over this man’s healing.  They engage in “moral infantilism” as they condemn this former paralytic for carrying a mat on the Sabbath not realizing it represented his triumph over years of destitution, depression and disease.  How regrettable it is when seasoned disciples inhibit the presence of new believers because of the way they dress, speak or their taste in music.

·         Fortunately, the former paralytic does not engage them in any meaningless theological debates.  He summarizes the Lord’s miraculous work and thereby expresses his gratitude for this encounter with Jesus.  The gospel addresses human need directly.  What is the benefit of adhering correctly to doctrines and principles when they leave people in destitution and illness?  As recent theological debates yield, orthodoxy (right and reasonable religious beliefs) assuredly results in orthopraxis (the wise application of those principles to improve the lives of people who encounter Jesus Christ).

·         The miracle ends with a second encounter between Jesus and the former paralytic.  The evangelist notes that the Lord Jesus finds the man near the temple.  Perhaps, this signifies a new religious life for the healed man.  However, Jesus relationally cautions the man against “sinning” any further.  Pragmatically, sin equals a pattern of harmful behavior that undermines a person’s divine heritage as a child of God; impedes the actualization of his divine abilities and gifts and prevents his physical health and spiritual wholeness.  Rather than formulating a new set of religious beliefs and rituals, the former paralytic needs to establish a vibrant relationship with God which will sustain the transformative healing and change which occurred when he encounters Jesus.

·         To the credit of the former paralytic, he returns to the religious leaders and informs them that Jesus heals them.  In so doing, he conceivably decides he will prioritize his embryonic and genuine relationship with God over their demands relating to religious traditions and rites.

Wholeheartedly, I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ resolves any human challenge or dilemma whether spiritual, mental, intellectual, emotional, physical or psychological.  I consider the Bible as the ultimate textbook of life.  It addresses every component of human life.  This story detailing the healing of the paralytic serves as an allegory for the perpetual brokenness of humankind.  Just as this man finds holistic healing and transformation when he encounters Jesus, each broken and hurting person similarly finds resolution.  Beyond physical healing, wounded people find wellness and wholeness as they experience Almighty God’s unconditional and unfailing love through a personal relationship with Jesus.  Amazingly, love heals and yields wholeness.  Possibly, Jesus’ extension of divine love heals the paralytic rather the supernatural suspension of natural law.  Arguably, we most effectively and successfully obey “The Great Commandment” (Matthew 22:34-40) and “The Great Commission” (Matthew 28:16-20) as we share Christ’s love without any expectation of reciprocity or benefit.

The Significant Death of a Nurse: Genesis 24:56-67 and 35:1-8

The Significant Death of a Nurse:  Genesis 24:56-67 & 35:1-8

Celebrating the Love, Life and Legacy of

The Late Edna M. Vaughn

Offered by

The Reverend Victor Michael Singletary, Pastor

Cambria Heights Community Church

Tuesday, 8 November 2011

Quite interestingly, the Bible contains several stories in which nurses play a pivotal role in God’s overarching plan of salvation for humankind.  Nurses often appear to us as insignificant persons in the larger scheme of life.  Many of us who have been hospitalized consistently remember the names of our doctors.  We can even recall where some of them went to school and the nature of their specialization.  But, we fail to remember the names of any of the nurses who assist us during one of the most vulnerable times of our lives. 

Moses’ mother serves as his nurse and ensures he escapes the death sentence Pharaoh declares for all Israelite male babies.  As a nurse, Moses’ mother nurtures and he survives.  I imagine she prepares him for his divine destiny that he fulfills in leading the Israelite during the wilderness years.  Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth, nurses Ruth’s son, Obed, who becomes the father of Jesse, the father of David, the descendant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, within the tribe of Judah.  Mephibosheth, the crippled son of Jonathan, the son of King Saul, survives because his nurse faithfully and diligently cares for him.  Joash, who assumes the throne of Israel at seven years of age, survives to become king because his nurse hides him within the temple for six years.  Like Moses, Joash would have been murdered as an infant had not God intervened through the direct compassion and protection of a nurse.  Whereas we know the name of Obed’s nurse, we do not know the name of the nurses in the other three stories. 

Yet, in biblical times as well as today, nurses play a critical role in the lives of many people.  Countless nurses care for the sick and dying each day with most people hardly expending the energy to remember their names.  As midwives, agents for healing and restoration, listeners, and counselors among a myriad of professional responsibilities, nurses personify God’s presence in the health challenges of millions of people.  Arguably, we praise doctors and take nurses for granted.  In the cacophonous, longstanding and continuing national healthcare debate that began in January 1981, our nation did not consider the significant role of nurses until we experienced a shortage of nurses.

Practically speaking, nurses run hospitals.  In the summer of 1989, I served as a chaplain intern at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.  It was a rather tense season at the hospital because revenues were down, budgets were cut as savings measures and the contracts of all employees were being renegotiated.  Most surprisingly, even the surgeons were complaining about their level of compensation.  However, the chief of staff for the hospital made it known to the 1199 Union of Service Employees and all other interested parties that he would not settle with any group until he had reached an agreement with the nurses.  He said, “I can manage the hospital without some of you.  But I can’t run this place without nurses.  The lack of nurses will shut this hospital down.”  Not surprisingly, the nurses negotiated a really good contract for themselves.  However, on the systemic level as well as the personal level, nurses provide the essential difference in quality care for patients.

The late Reverend Doctor Samuel Dewitt Proctor, former president of two universities, a trained theologian and the Pastor or Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem for eighteen years, told the story of the pivotal role that a surgical nurse played in his life.  In 1990, Dr. Proctor underwent a triple by-pass heart surgery.  This surgical nurse came to him during the pre-op period.  She said to him, “Dr. Proctor, you are a Pastor and theologian.  I imagine that it is difficult for you to admit that you are scared about this procedure.  I feel led to pray for you.”  Dr. Proctor recalled the nurse’s prayer immediately gave him the comfort, reassurance and peace of God.  He knew the surgery would be successful.  Regrettably, we do not know the name of that nurse.  But we know that her spirituality, professionalism and care greatly assisted Dr. Proctor in a time of dire need.  Perhaps, it made the difference in his life and enabled him to live more productively in the twenty years that he enjoyed after major surgery.

Dr. Proctor’s story appropriately transitions us to a consideration of this nurse, Deborah, found in the book of Genesis.  Deborah, the nurse, obviously had a profound influence upon the lives of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel, Leah and their burgeoning family.  We discover Deborah in the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis.  She serves as the nurse to Rebekah who would soon be betrothed to Isaac.  Nurse Deborah leaves the land of her birth and familiarity and travels with her mistress, Rebekah, as she becomes the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau.  The Bible does not provide the details of the many years that Deborah spends with this family as it grows.  Not only does she care for her mistress, Rebekah, Deborah also cares for her twin sons, both of whom would become the fathers of two great Abrahamic nations.  Several chapters later, as Jacob returns to Bethel with his family.  He reflects upon God’s saving grace and protection when he first came to Bethel as Jacob was fleeing the bloodthirsty vengeance of his brother, Esau.  We easily surmise that Nurse Deborah serves this family for many years and in multiple generations.  At the pinnacle of Jacob’s spiritual journey in which he leads his entire family back to Bethel and introduces them to the God of his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and Almighty God changes Jacob’s name to Israel because Jacob shall become the father of the twelve patriarchs of the nation, the Lord, through the biblical writer, finds its necessary to mention the death of this nurse, Deborah.  Herein, we find the significant death of a nurse. 

Most people probably would not have recorded this incident in their narrative summary of the life of Jacob and the development of the Israelite people.  As a nurse, Deborah would have been relegated to a standard of worth just above a slave.  In the estimation of our contemporary society with its concomitant emphasis upon wealth, material possessions and social status, Deborah would not have gained specific mention.  At best, her name would have appeared in a footnote in very small print.  Yet, Almighty God sees her as a significant figure in the whole schemes of Israel’s religious, social and cultural history.  He determines that she played a pivotal role in His plan of salvation for the world through the light of Israel.  Nurse Deborah’s service equipped Jacob and others to assume their divinely ordained roles in the plan of salvation.  Her nurture, hard work, faithfulness, humility and labor of love may have been the decisive factor in Jacob’s acceptance of the Lord’s providential plan for Jacob’s life.  Accordingly, Genesis 35:8 records the significant death of this nurse, Deborah. 

Today, as we celebrate and commemorate the life of our dearly departed sister, Edna Marietta Vaughn, we also acknowledge the significant death of a nurse.  Each of us obtains various spiritual, mental, emotional, intellectual, artistic and athletic gifts in life.  God graciously gives us potential.  As we actualize these gifts through discipline and development, we offer the world and the people whose lives intersect with our own a unique piece of God’s love for humankind.  When we reflect upon the life of a brother or sister who has transitioned to eternal life, we recall the gifts of life that he or she embodied.  We express our gratitude to Almighty God for the treasures He shares with us through the unique expression of that brother’s or sister’s life.  Accordingly, we gather today in worship to recognize the significant death of a nurse, Edna Marietta Vaughn, whose service influenced the lives and careers of many nurses, generally, and countless patients, particularly.

Sister Vaughn’s life offers us five enduring lessons about which I will comment briefly.  First, she was a superlative mother.  The surest testament to her incredible example as a mother are Darcelle’s own words, shared with me last Friday as we planned this service of celebration.  Darcelle said, “My mother was a great mother.  I will probably never be able to match her example.”  Sister Vaughn’s example challenges all of us to live in a way that our children will honor us similarly.  Second, Sister Vaughn reveled in being the matriarch of the Vaughn Family.  She maintained a mental flow chart of the activities and challenges of each member of the family.  Zealously, she extended care and compassion to all family members in need.  She equally challenged all members of her family to match her love and concern.  Third, Sister Vaughn was a very proud nurse who practiced her profession with high standards of professionalism for many years in various venues.  Simply put, she knew her stuff and she performed with her level of excellence.  Just as we mention the care of the foregoing biblical nurses, we must appreciate the care Edna Vaughn gave to innumerable patients during her nearly four decades as a nurse.  Although many of her patients probably did not recall her name, hopefully they passed along her love and compassion to their loved ones and others whom they encountered.

Sister Vaughn’s fourth lesson was her care for broken humanity.  She saw a diseased society in need of healing and wholeness.  Accordingly, she proactively joined the struggle to create a more just society in which all people have a right to fulfill their divine gifts and abilities.  She served as President of the 227^th Street Block Association for many years.  Actually, she relinquished the position just six years ago serving until 2005.  Each month, she faithfully attended the general membership meetings of the Cambria Heights Civic Association.  Today, we heard condolence letters from two of our publicly elected officials, Assemblywoman Barbara M. Clark and City Councilman Leroy Comrie, who commend her legacy of public service and community activism. 

The great analytical psychologist, Carl G. Jung, characterizes Sister Vaughn’s fifth lesson as “Individuation,” the process of intrapersonal maturity and spiritual development whereby a person accepts herself unconditionally and lives with integrity in accordance with her principles. As the Obituary reflects, Sister Vaughn refused to compromise her standards and beliefs as it related to achieving success in her singing and artistic career.  Her formidable example challenges us to strive for a similar character.  Her incredible example leaves us with the gifts of courage, creativity, and commitment.  Her life teaches us that all of us can achieve any dream or goal to which we aspire if we set our minds to the task and keep the pilot light of hope aflame in out hearts.  The Lord Jesus, through the pen of the Johannine evangelist, says that He came that we might have an abundant life.  As a practical application of that spiritual maxim, Sister Vaughn’s life instructs us in the necessity of striving for inner healing and wholeness in order to experience the Lord’s promise.

Additionally, Sister Vaughn leaves as a lasting testament her affirmation of the Lord’s promise of resurrection as read in today’s gospel reading, John 11:17-26.  The last time I saw her she was in the hospital.  In a moment of private conversation, she said, “Pastor, here I lay on this hospital bed.  I know that Lord will not leave me here.  He has never failed me yet.  I believe He will see me through this challenge.”  Her words affirm the Lord’s promise of resurrection.

Summarily, the text in Genesis 35:8 reminds us that every death is significant in the eyes of Almighty God.  The nurse of Rebekah, Deborah, plays a very pivotal role in the life and development of the Israelite people.  Similarly, we gathered in worship, with thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, to commemorate the death of a significant nurse, Dr. Dorothy Coley Edmond, who accomplished tremendous personal and professional goals.  She played a most vital role in the personal and professional development of many nurses.  Interestingly, her life teaches us how to have a significant death.  If one lives meaningfully, purposefully and joyously, serving God and humankind, and fulfilling a mission greater than one’s own interests, then one will naturally compel others to gather and celebrate the significant loss of a person who gave so much.