Author: Dave Dishman (Page 314 of 459)

As we might guess, the emergence of Jesus in ancient Israel brought all sorts of questions and arguments and craziness. Many marveled at his teaching, while others dismissed him as demon-possessed.

Jesus spoke into the debates with wisdom that spans the centuries: Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.

I wonder what Jesus meant by judge correctly?

We get a hint from the argumentation around Jesus. One group believed that based on his stunning words and miraculous works, Jesus stood before them as the Messiah. Another pushed back with a point from prophecy that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, not Galilee (where Jesus grew up). But no one stopped to ask Jesus, who we know entered life in a Bethlehem stable.

Jesus first appeared to fail the criteria of Messiah, but upon deeper investigation he passed the test. Is that part of what Jesus meant by judge correctly?

It seems to me that judging correctly involves gathering facts, asking questions, listening carefully to answers, and considering an issue from various perspectives.

Exactly the opposite of social media.

Most of my experiences on social media involve everyone talking and no one listening. I watch again and again the rush to judgement based on social media misinformation, and the resulting cost to good people’s lives and character.

Jesus spoke to our behavior 2,000 years ago. Stunning how little we’ve changed.

John 7 in week forty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Christopher Ott

Sometimes we face situations where more mouths to feed show up than we expected. When that happens, we simply slice thinner pieces of pie, and everyone gets a taste of dessert, or a gracious host goes without in deference to the guests.

But when hanging around with Jesus, the disciples learned of new possibilities. Asked to feed a great crowd of people, the disciples brought over a boy carrying five small loafs and two small fish, and asked an obvious question—how far will they go among so many?

As the crowd settled in, Jesus gave thanks and began distributing the loafs and fish. How far did they go? To five thousand hungry mouths, with a dozen baskets of left-overs. I wonder if that little boy ever ate a loaf of bread again without thinking of Jesus?

I often look at my resources with a scarcity mindset, feeling the need to preserve, carefully steward, and watch over my time and money and stuff. I’m afraid of running out, or spreading it all too thin. I shy from generosity.

In contrast, Jesus offers an abundance mindset. The Lord of the universe, who spoke the worlds into being, who fed thousands from a boy’s lunch pail, might just be able to meet my needs.

If there’s not enough Jesus just makes more.

Trusting the Lord in this way allows my generosity to expand, even when I’m not sure if I can afford to be generous. I can look to an abundant God to add loaves and fishes and whatever I need to the challenging places in my life.

John 6 in week forty-four of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Rob Curran

Jesus famously turned water into wine at a wedding in the town of Cana, saving the host family from embarrassment and astounding the servers who saw it all happen.

Do you think the word spread?

Jesus moved on, but later returned to Cana. John tells the story: There was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

We’re told that the man took Jesus at his word and went home to his son, who recovered at that very moment. As a result, he and his whole household believed.

I’m struck by this father. I’m sure he’d done everything for his son. Being a royal official, he likely had access to doctors and medicines, but nothing worked. Then he heard Jesus was nearby, and rushed to the one person in all the universe who might help.

I’m sure this took humility, and I wonder who scoffed at his insistence on finding the preacher? But his child’s life hung by a thread and nothing else mattered.

This story helps me to remember that I might run, at any time, to the one person in all the universe who holds the power to meet my needs.

While a shortage of wine feels desperate, it fails to match the anguish of a dying child. So it’s fascinating—and comforting—to me that Jesus stepped into both situations to bring joy and healing.

John 4 in week forty-three of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Ronan Furuta

John 3:16 might be the most recognized verse in the Bible: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

But do you remember how John rephrased the big idea a few lines later? Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36).

The same beautiful thought infuses both lines—believe in the Son for eternal life.

But the second phrase reminds us that obedience matters. Belief leads to obedience. Graciously, perfection is not required. I often fall far short of God’s ideals, but God wants me to attempt—in a serious way—to follow him.

If I claim belief in Jesus, but reject, or even neglect, the moral teachings of scripture, then my faith stands as a facade. In this state faith consists merely of hopes for the best, vague wishes flitting about in the ether.

Jesus affirmed and upheld the teachings of the Hebrew scriptures. When I choose to like some verses and toss out others, I underscore the vanity and shallowness of my faith. John reminds me that the words of God come packaged, all there for me to wrestle with as a follower of Jesus.

Faith and obedience. Like two sides of a coin, I cannot separate them and hope to see life eternal.

John 3 in week forty-three of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Saikat Das