John1,43-51

Prayer for Understanding

Spirit of truth and life, speak to us in the rich and ancient words of the scriptures. Let us hear your call so that we may leave behind our old ways, and follow in the footsteps of Christ, the Living Word. Amen.

The calling of Nathanael is the story of one of the disciples that Jesus called to follow him

Philip was the one who first told Nathanael about Jesus

Philip had been invited to follow Jesus, and it seems that one of the first things he did was to tell Nathanael that he had met the one of whom scripture promised

While Philip is excited, Nathanael seems to be skeptical as to what is going on

Philip tells Nathanael the Messiah is the son of Joseph from Nazareth

Nathanael’s answer “can any good thing come out of Nazareth,” makes it seem that he doubts that Jesus is the promised one, and that he is of doubtful lineage to boot

His answer makes it seem that Nazareth is on the wrong side of the tracks

In spite of his misgivings, Nathanael does go with Philip to meet Jesus

Very quickly he goes from doubting, to saying that Jesus is a Rabbi, the Son of God and the King of Israel

These are three important titles that Nathanael gives to Jesus, those of Rabbi, King of Israel, and Son of God

Rabbi is an honorific term since Jesus taught debated and gathered disciples

Son of God in scripture is one with a close relationship with God, one commissioned with a divine task

King of Israel is a political term that implies ruling Lordship. In John’s gospel this is a positive term

All three roles that these titles depict have the potential to change lives

This morning I want to look at what each of these titles means

Jesus was a rabbi, and more than Nathanael called him that

A rabbi was a religious teacher

Not only did a rabbi teach, but a rabbi was one who was recognized by the community as a teacher to be respected

A rabbi was one who taught the people about God and their role in relation to God

In John 3 Nicodemus says to Jesus “rabbi we know that you are a teacher sent from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him

When Jesus taught peoples’ imaginations were caught

He told the woman at the well about living water

He turned water into wine at a wedding feast at Cana of Galilee

He told parables and suddenly ordinary things helped people understand the kingdom of God

Jesus was better than the best teacher you ever had

Who might that best teacher be for you?

One of the teachers who made a huge impact on me, and on all of her students was Miss Joan McNutt

She was head of the English department when I was at Moncton High School

She taught because she loved literature and she loved teaching

She pushed us to grapple with the text we were studying, whether it was poetry or prose

She loved literature like “The Lord of the Rings” and something as whimsical as Star Trek

She had geraniums in her classroom window

She would get excited about things and didn’t hide it

It seemed that she was happy to come to school each day

When we studied the novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” which was set in the depression she had us interview someone who had lived during the depression

The year after graduation when we stopped by to visit, she remembered us and listened gladly to our stories

We were people that she was hoping to inspire with the love of literature, and she did

We were also young adults that she was hoping to help to see the world differently

The world after high school was going to be different, and she was pushing us to begin to think critically

I still remember her classes, and her enthusiasm

She helped to shape who I am.

Another teacher who influenced me was Dr. Art Van Seters

When I attended Knox College, he was principal, and he was one of the preaching professors

He was a brilliant man and had excellent credentials,

I would say that one of the main qualities he brought to the class was his role as pastor

I experienced this with one assignment that I had for him that I simply could not get done in time

My sons were school age when I was going to Knox, and a week or two before the assignment was due, they got sick,

And when they finally started to get better, I got sick

This was no cold with a slight cough and a need to drink hot lemon

This was more like a flu virus

It was there to stay for a while

I recognized that I was going to have to ask for an extension on the due date for my assignment for Dr Van Seters

I phoned and told him that I couldn’t get the assignment done on time

He used his grave tone of voice to say that there would have to be extenuating circumstances to grant an extension, otherwise it would not be fair to those who had done the work on time

I agreed with him, and started to give the whole story about the boys being sick and then my catching the bug

All I said was, “the boys got sick” and he said “OK”

You see, Art Van Seters and his wife Rowena had five sons of their own

As a father and a pastor, he could recognize the situation in which I found myself

He showed me that kindness and fairness did not need to exclude each other

Good teachers impact their students in life changing ways

Secondly, Jesus was called King of Israel

This title implies ruling lordship

The king of Israel is to be the one who brings just rule

The king of Israel was the one to ensure that the just laws of God were enacted

A human king of Israel was not above the law of God

The wisest of the kings of Israel was Solomon, who knew that his role was to enact God’s will

And so, King Solomon prayer this prayer

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.
² May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
³ May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. (Psalm 72)

As those who are members of the kingdom of God, we recognize Jesus as King of Israel

Jesus is the one who brings about God’s righteousness, and so as those who follow this just king, we too seek God’s justice

The King of Israel changes the lives of those who call him King by giving them the king’s point of view of what justice should be

Thirdly Jesus is called the Son of God

In the Bible someone called Son of God is one that is commissioned with a divine task

The divine task given to Jesus was that of being Messiah, the Promised One who would bring about the reign of God

The word Messiah has been translated into Christ in Greek, and this has come to be the term that we more commonly use

Jesus as the Son of God is the one who brings us into God’s family,

The one who makes us right with God, and who draws us into ministry in our world

What does it mean to know Jesus as the Son of God?

I have seen the way knowing God’s Son has been manifested in the lives of many

There are those who have been touched by Jesus and who show others the same kind of love

There was a woman I met when I worked in adult literacy who had been through a lot in her life

If you met her, the first thing you would note was the kindness in her heart and the love of Jesus shining in her eyes

She prayed for everyone and made no secret of it

She knew that God loved her and that love had made her into someone as loving as the Son of God who she served

Another more well-known believer is Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Tutu is a man who had lived in a country where those with black skin were legally treated differently

He was one of those who worked to end apartheid and the Son of God helped him to do that work without becoming bitter

He said “Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

And “Without forgiveness, there's no future.”

Another well-known Christian man is Bono who is one of the founding members of the band U2

Bono is known for writing songs that express is beliefs and for working passionately in justice causes.

He recognizes that to serve the Son of God requires us to change our hearts to be in line with God’s heart

In an interview he said

"We have a pastor who said to us, 'Stop asking God to bless what you're doing, Bono.'...

He said, 'Find out what God is doing, 'cause it's already blessed'...

When you align yourself with God's purpose as described in the Scriptures, something special happens to your life." (From an interview with Focus on the Family)

An encounter with Jesus is life changing

When we meet with gifted and caring people they impact us

I talked today of teachers who influenced me both by the content of what they taught and the example they set

We saw from the psalms how King Solomon desired to enact God’s justice more than promoting his own well being

We have met believers who affect those about them with the loving kindness they live out

If the encounters we have with other people affect us this way

How much more will a real connection with Jesus change our lives?

In a devotional reading found at the site Center for Action and Contemplation I found these thoughts on what it means to have a real connection with Jesus

The writer is describing what happens when we have a meaningful story as the foundation for our lives

In the case of Christians, the foundational story is the story of Jesus as Messiah

The hope and meaning that we have with Jesus is not found by denying the realties in our lives that are painful to face

Instead, we face up to those things that are difficult to take in, and confusing to live with

This is the starting point of an amazing journey that takes us to the place of Active Hope, or radical optimism

Radical optimism comes about with our union with God

Beatrice Bruteau, in her book “Radical Optimism says

“I believe this radical optimism is the good news of the gospel and I propose that we take it seriously. . . . Optimism, like pessimism, tends to be a self-justifying outlook. The more pessimistic you are, the more you are likely to fail and thus justify your pessimism. And similarly, the more optimistic you are, the more apt you are to succeed and justify your optimism. However, my optimism is not merely pragmatic. I also believe that it is ultimately, metaphysically, true because of its being radical optimism, coming from the root of our being, securely held in the Absolute Being.” 

Richard Rohr gives this reflection “I believe that “radical optimism” and “Active Hope” are the keys to the flourishing of a new story.

This new story honors the Good Story of our good God and the goodness of all creation, but also gives us the faith and courage to face the difficult realities that are being unveiled in our times. “(Richard Rohr Meditation. “Telling a New Story” January 15, 2021)

To sum up in the words of Jesus “ But strive first for the kingdom of God^[a] and his^[b] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Matthew 6:33

Invitation to the Offering

In today’s stories from scripture, God called people to give their lives in service God’s holy purposes. May the gifts we offer today serve God’s holy purposes in the church and in the world for the sake of Christ our Lord.

Prayer of Dedication

God of new possibilities, in Christ you create a future for each of us, giving us strength and opportunities to flourish in our faith. Thank you for these gifts. Use them and us to create new possibilities in the world for those who are uncertain about what the future holds. Our gifts are a token of our trust that you hold the future for us all. Amen.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Teach response – God speak to us a word of peace, reassurance … All: Embrace us with your love

God of all life and each life,

Each week our prayers combine with those of people in many different places.

We face many different challenges and also a common challenge,

responding to the pandemic, though in so many different contexts.

We thank you for honouring all our prayers with the gift of your Spirit,

so that we can find strength and wisdom we need in you.

We remember before you today people living face to face with war and violence, in those places where hatred has been stirred up

and fear stalks people on their own streets;

And we pray for all those displaced by violence,

seeking refuge among us or in camps and communities around the world:

God, speak to us a word of peace:

Embrace us with your love.

 

We remember before you today people living face to face with so much economic uncertainty, for those who have lost their jobs or worry what may happen as this year unfolds:

God, speak to us a word of reassurance:

Embrace us with your love.

We remember before you today people living face to face with discrimination and social prejudice, for those who are bullied at school, at work or at home,

for those who are made ashamed of who they are:

God, speak to us a word of dignity:

Embrace us with your love.

We remember before you today people living face to face with illness and suffering, for those struggling with disability, made more complex these days,

and for those who know grief or anxiety, especially those cut off from comfort or support by months of pandemic isolation:

God, speak to us a word of healing:

Embrace us with your love.

We remember before you today people divided by differences of race or creed, of culture, gender or generation: and we pray for all those who seek to build bridges of understanding and co-operation across differences:

God, speak to us a word of reconciliation:

Embrace us with your love.

We remember before you today your whole creation and its many vulnerable facets and faces. Teach us how to care for the rips and tears in the fabric of the world you love so we may live together wisely:

God, speak to us a word of wisdom:

Embrace us with your love.

 

And so, joining our voices to Jesus’ followers around the world, we pray the words he taught us: The Lord’s Prayer