Today’s scripture: John 10:22-42 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Tyler Connoley):
Who is Jesus? The people in this story want definitive answers. “Are you the Messiah?” they ask. “If so, then tell us plainly.”
They aren’t the only people who have wanted to put Jesus in a box. This story gives us the earliest written example of a theological controversy that has lasted throughout the history of Christianity. Written in the first or second century, this Gospel tells us of people arguing about the nature of Jesus, and the meaning of titles like “Son of God.”
In the fourth century, the Nicene Creed was written to explain exactly who Jesus was, and how he related to the God he called “Father.” Was he a son who was made by God, or the begotten-not-made Third Person of the Trinity? Church leaders literally killed each other on the way to the Council of Nicaea, in order to make sure people they disagreed with wouldn’t be there, so the creed would say the “right” things about Jesus.
In the nineteenth century, the Unitarians split from the Congregationalists for the same reason. Both sides had different ideas about the nature of Jesus. And even today, we have millions of words being written every year to explain people’s opinions about who Jesus is. Who exactly — in precise language with Scriptural footnotes — the authors, bloggers, or Facebook posters believe Jesus is, and who exactly — with names and email addresses — are the heretics and blasphemers who disagrees with them.
I used to worry a lot about this kind of stuff. I wanted to have Jesus all figured out, and know precisely what I believed about him. Was he the Messiah? Was he the Son of God? And what did those terms mean? I could argue with people for hours about the minute details of those questions and their answers.
However, in today’s Scripture, Jesus deflects those kinds of questions. When faced with people who want to stone him if he doesn’t give them the right theological answers about who he is, he asks the nit-pickers to focus on his works and not on his nature. They want to argue about beliefs, but he wants to talk about actions. He says, “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works.”
Thought for the day: Jesus, help me to focus on actions, and not on theological rabbit trails that lead only to killings, stonings, and excommunications. Help me to see by your works that you are in the Father, and the Father is in you. Help me to follow your example, doing your work in the world, and abiding in the Father as well.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.