A
Poem a Sunday
Lent
V – B
March
18, 2018
Some Greeks Wish to
See Jesus
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[a] 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[b] 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.”
The Unbelief of the
People
After
Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.
Footnotes:
[a]
John 12:32 Other ancient authorities read all things
[b]
John 12:34 Or the Christ
A
Poem a Sunday
Lent
V - B
Unless
“We shall not cease
from exploration,
and the end of all
our exploring will be
to arrive where we
started
and know the place
for the first time.” T. S. Eliot
[https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/t_s_eliot_109032]
We’ve
seen this movie before:
“The
Greatest Story Ever Told.”
Yet
is it true? Was not Jesus a Jew,
olive
skinned, not our white Anglo-kin?
We’ve
layered this Mystic from the East
with
Greek philosophy to say the least.
Confining
the Rabbi with creeds
and
ignoring his teachings and deeds.
Our
pulpits often pour out pabulum.
Dare
not disturb the faithful with the One
who
will disrupt
and
champion revolution.
To
the Greeks he meets it is amazing.
He
does not give them a fraternity hazing,
but
with one thought
leaves
them gazing:
“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.”
No
- altar call for a decision
No
– “….believe in me as your personal Lord
& Savior”
No
- “I built the Church, come and join!”
No
– “I was born of the Virgin Mary”
But
a simple: “Unless…”
Copyright 2018 @ A
Poem a Sunday
May be used with
permission.
kennstorck@gmail.com
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