| There is an interesting sequence of events in Jesus’ life that is a little too close to home for me. Right after the raising of Lazarus (John 12:9+), many people flocked to Jesus because they wanted to be amazed. They heard what Jesus did with Lazarus, and they wanted to see it for themselves. The next day, Jesus entered Jerusalem as a coming king. Then in verse 20, there are some Greeks who went to Philip with a request to see Jesus. Obviously, they want to see for themselves the Jesus who raised Lazarus, who entered the city in glory, and, if lucky, maybe see Lazarus as well. At first glance, perhaps Jesus is going to give them what they wanted for he responded, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Awesome, thank you Jesus—we get to see the glory! However, the glory Jesus described is not something akin to Lazarus. Nope, it is his own death—one filled with suffering and pain. The reason why it hits too close to home is that I can be like the Greeks. I want to be amazed by God. I want the wow, the splendor, the glory. Yet, the glory Jesus portrayed was obscurity, rejection, sacrifice, and obedient death. I’m not sure if the Greeks stayed around for this—we don’t know for sure (John’s Gospel doesn’t tell us). I bet they didn’t. I wonder if I would have stayed or jumped on the first train out of dodge. What do you want from Jesus? A quick spiritual high, a continual mountaintop experience, the amazement and glory of God’s Beloved Son. I’m not sure someone ever fully witnesses those things without first walking a road to Calvary. Those things come for sure, but I’m not sure we see them until we first have held the obscurity, the rejection, the sacrifice, and the obedient death.  This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Galatians 5, Galatians 6 *Tuesday – 1 Corinthians 1, 1 Corinthians 2, 1 Corinthians 3 *Wednesday – 1 Corinthians 4, 1 Corinthians 5, 1 Corinthians 6 *Thursday – 1 Corinthians 7, 1 Corinthians 8 *Friday – 1 Corinthians 9, 1 Corinthians 10, 1 Corinthians 11 Prayer Requests: *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC. |
| “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6 |