John5.30–47 Psalm 6 Jeremiah 5.20-31 Galatians 4.21-5.1
Jean 5.30-47 Psaumes 6 Jérémie 5.20- 31 Galates 4.21-5.1
Jean 5.30-47 Psaumes 6 Jérémie 5.20- 31 Galates 4.21-5.1
Is it a sign of weakness to
accept another’s testimony? In our age of individuality we are dubious of
outside sources, we are often reluctant to accept authority and we are educated
to be cynical about apparent information – is it fake news? Yet we do need help
reaching many decisions. Consider on what
basis you decide who to trust and who by contrast you distrust even when they
seem to have facts on their side!
Jesus here refers to three
witnesses which support him; the deeds that the Father has given him to do;
John The Baptist who was ‘a burning and shining lamp’ for people; and scripture.
That seems fairly
impressive! Yet Jesus also says that we cannot accept these testimonies because
we do not have faith in him. Faith does not come from evidence, nor can it come
from other people’s testimonies. Rather it is for us to enter the wonderful
path of growing in understanding about Christ which must begin with faith. Once
we have a mustard seed of faith we can begin to receive testimonies about
Jesus; from the actions of God in this world, from modern day equivalents of
John the Baptist - people who are ‘a
burning and shining lamp’ to us, and from Scripture as we love and accept it.
Where does that initial
faith come from? The Gospels are full of stories about people encountering
Jesus and wanting more of him. How can we help people encounter Jesus today, so
that they want to find out more about him and begin to place faith in him?
Ann Milton
The Preaching of John the Baptist
By Bartholomeus Breenbergh, 1634, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 1991, www.metmuseum.org
The Preaching of John the Baptist
By Bartholomeus Breenbergh, 1634, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 1991, www.metmuseum.org
No comments:
Post a Comment