April 16, 2019

JOHN 12:20   Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. Jesus Speaks about His Death 27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. 34 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them. 37 Although he had U

JOHN 12: 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Just about everything you can say about Jesus is contradictory.  Contradictions pulled and tugged toward the middle become paradox, appearing contradictory yet in tension are true.  The dying grain, without observation morphs into a multitude of seeds.  Humans have known that East or West of Eden ever since.  Not all seeds bear multiplicity, but all seeds have it in them.

Our ego is our shell.  It is the husk that holds us together in this life.  It thickens as we age, anticipating pain and suffering.  Somewhat safe, increasingly imprisoned, we long for relief.  Relief has come among us.  Jesus, the son, rather the seed of God, came among us as one of us. He did not consider his ego essential to the seed, fell into the earth and by dying, was loosed a cosmic energy, we call grace.  He knocks on the shell wall, entreating to us come to him.

 A few hear his voice, turn from their ego obsession, fall into the earth dying to ourselves.  Again life comes through death to egoself.  Death of egoself passes for reckless, stupid, self-hate to others caught by ego.  Not so.

Psalm 126: 5 & 6 is the soul anthem of grace.

…PSALMS 126:5-6   (They) who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. 6He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Egocentricity is isolating.  Egos are easily frightened. Any perceived threat triggers a panicky search for certainty.  We want control.  Naturally we sow in tears.  Yes, we go out weeping, suffering is the promise always keeps.  The and only then are we open to life in Christ, the sudden irresistible movement of grace and we go to the Father with shouts of joy bearing our sheaves.

In hope, in spite of the facts.  John+