For Sunday, 3/18/18, "Glorify God"

For Sunday, 3/18/18, "Glorify God"

John 12:20-33  NRSV

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21They 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. 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.

Reflection on the Scripture:

For some reason, the Greeks arriving and requesting to see Jesus signaled for him that his mortal ministry would soon draw to a close.  The closing moment would be his death upon the cross, a torturous humiliating way to die.  Rather than that closing moment being one that would cast Jesus into obscurity, it gave birth to a movement that has survived to the present day.  Indeed, Jesus drew all to him.  The same can be said for you and me given our willingness to follow the Spirit of Christ to where we are needed and can best serve the cause for the coming of God's Just and Peaceable Reign here on earth. For me at the age of 19 while receiving an evangelist's blessing in my former faith tradition, the following words were uttered by the minister:  "As you are faithful, so too will God be faithful to you.  There comes now the Spirit speaking directly to you:  My son Bradley, the light of your life shall be a blessing to many.  You shall become a sharp and refined instrument for good.  You shall be lifted up out of the seeming obscurity or your seeming littleness as I dignify your life with my constant daily care.  Seek and you shall find.  Knock and it shall be opened unto. Ask and it shall be given to you."  All these things were said of the Spirit of Christ to me during the course of that precious blessing.  At age 61, I see that all these things have come to be.  As a licensed psychotherapist working in a Catholic healthcare organization, I am blessed every single working day of the week to continue the healing mission of Jesus Christ.  All thanks be to God!

May you be similarly blessed is my prayer for you!

Brad Shumate
Free of Encumbrance
Eugene, Oregon USA