Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

John 4:43-51

In my reading of today’s passage I find myself being drawn to verse 44: “for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in the prophet’s own country.” A similar saying comes up in other gospels in a different story, so it looks like this was an expression of Jesus that was known by a number of communities. What’s bizarre is that here it comes up in a context that shows Jesus being honoured, rather than dishonoured! Different commentators have wrestled with this and proposed different solutions, like Jesus was respected in part of Galilee, but not all of it. 

The text notes that the Galileans were impressed by Jesus and that they had been around him in Jerusalem. John’s Gospel differs from the others in that it has Jesus venturing to Jerusalem on several occasions, including right near the beginning of his ministry (the cleansing of the Temple happens right at the beginning, rather than near the end, which turns up the intensity of the animosity between Jesus and the authorities, in the other gospels). So maybe the community that gave birth to the Gospel of John was associated with Jerusalem, and they knew the saying of Jesus about prophets not being honoured in their own country, and plunked it into this story that has Jesus returning home after some time in Samaria. 

When I was growing up my mother would sometimes talk about how fortunate we were to have one particular wise and gifted woman working with our youth group. Now, this woman was certainly respected, but my mom would bring up this verse to emphasize how our familiarity with her numbed us to her remarkable teaching abilities. This has always helped me to appreciate the amazing people we have in our midst (though I need to work on expressing my appreciation more regularly). Whether you attend our congregation at St. John’s in Kitchener, or worship somewhere else, you probably know some great people who put their gifts to use in the Church. Remember to let them know that what they’re doing makes a difference. And if someone has a gift, make sure they’re able to set it free in the Church. Sunday morning duties should reflect the gifts and passions of the people involved. Greeters should be people who value community. Readers should have a deep interest in scripture study. Eucharistic ministers should be drawn to the presence of Christ in the sacrament. Think of how you might best put your gifts to use in your church and your community, and who you might thank for their ministry in your midst. 

- Matthew Kieswetter