John 10 - Thursday 31st October

Today’s chapter is John 10

Tom writes:

I must confess that the ability of demons to open the eyes of the blind is not a topic that I have discussed in small group.  I suspect that many of my friends would think it is a retrograde view that comes from another age.  But the activity of demons, incredibly, is not the thing in this passage that is most likely to prompt the gag-reflex.  That honour lies in the offensively exclusive statements Jesus makes about himself.  Jesus raises his eyes to the crowds and, without the faintest whiff of irony or self-aggrandisement,  informs them that he is their only hope in life.  He eyeballs men and women and tells them that without his love... they are screwed.  The legacy that Jesus established and John passed on is defined by exclusive statements about Jesus.  It is a legacy we have received but that we seem to shuffle our feet in fulfilling.  We are not called to be nice.  We are not called to make people happy or to educate them or to heal them.  We are not called to bring world peace or write good books.  At least, that is not the sum of our calling.  That is not the root or the foundation or the framework of our task.  These are really good things and things that we hope for.  But, ultimately, our calling is to help people find Jesus. 

Our calling is to show people the good farmer who gives overflowing life and who came back from the dead.  Our calling is to help people make a decision about what they are going to do with Jesus.  Our calling is to expose the death that lies outside of the kingdom and to offer the life that is found in the King.  I feel like Jesus needs to be talked about more.  Not in a sappy, or an arrogant or an un-natural way, but as the watchman who opens the gate to life.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if the churches we are part of, if the small groups we participate in, if the families and friendship groups we find ourselves in drew more from Jesus, turned more deliberately to Jesus, carved out intentional methods of making Jesus their source and Jesus their hope? Wouldn’t it be amazing if we became sheep who truly trusted and relied upon the soothing, steering leadership of the Good Shepherd?

Question for reflection

How could you talk about Jesus more?