John 16:20-23 You are sad now,but I shall see you again,and your hearts will be full of joy,and that joy no one shall take from you.When that day comes,you will not ask me any questions. When Jesus speaks to the disciples about ‘a joy that none can take’ from them, I wonder how they understood …
Monthly Archives: May 2023
Ascension
Matthew 28:16-20 Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations;baptise them in the name of the Fatherand of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’ Beginnings and endings matter a …
Wednesday, Sixth Week of Easter
John 16:12-15 When the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth… When I was at Primary school I remember listening to the teacher as she sorted out a playground fight. Two 7 yr old boys were standing at the front of the class, eyes fixed on the the floor. ‘Now, who …
Tuesday, Sixth Week of Easter
John 16:5-11 I must tell you the truth:it is for your own good that I am goingbecause unless I go, the Advocate will not come to you. It’s fairly easy to put ourselves in the position of the disciples: the prospect of Jesus going is sad and the promise of the Advocate coming is very …
Monday, Sixth Week of Easter
John 15:26-16:4a You too shall be my witnesses,because you have been with me from the beginning. Growing up in the North East in the 70s and 80s I don’t think I ever heard the words ‘mission’ or ‘discipleship’ in relation to my own faith journey. Neither did I have any sense of having to ‘witness’ …
Sixth Sunday of Easter
John 14:15-21 At the heart of John’s Gospel we find the four inter-connecting themes of Light, Life, Love and Glory. Whenever we hear one, the other three are implicit. We can see these themes as keys which can help us to unlock the text. At this point in Eastertide we have covered a good deal …
Saturday, Fifth Week of Easter
John 15:18-21 If you belonged to the world,the world would love you as its own;but because you do not belong to the world,because my choice withdrew you from the world,therefore the world hates you. These are not easy words from today’s Gospel. We naturally draw back from the word ‘hate’, especially in a Bible text. …
Friday, Fifth Week of Easter
John 15:12-17 No one has greater love than this,to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.You are my friendsif you do what I command you. Few of us will be called upon to lay down our lives for our friends. Though we probably all hope that if a big sacrifice of some sort is asked of us we …
Thursday, Fifth Week of Easter
John 15:9-11 ‘If you keep my commandmentsyou will remain in my love,just as I have kept my Father’s commandmentsand remain in his love.I have told you thisso that my own joy may be in youand your joy be complete.’ By this stage in Eastertide we have heard a good deal of John’s Gospel. There are …
Wednesday, Fifth Week of Easter
Photo by Anthony Garand on Unsplash Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28John 8:31-42 In much of John’s Gospel Jesus speaks to people who struggle to understand him. He speaks figuratively and his hearers assume he is being concrete. We, however, are so used to quotations from the Gospels and usually can grasp their meaning. ‘If you make my word your homeyou will …