John 6-7 and duties for host and guests

Our series on hospitality in the Gospel of John is challenging us to understand how much we are loved, and how much we are trusted to show God’s love to the world. On Sunday we learned about the ancient Mediterranean practices of hospitality.

 What were the rules for being a good host? (3 “P”s = Provision, Protection, and Patronage)

Hosts provided a good welcome that said, “I am honored to be with you.” Hosts protected their guests: This played a key role in many hospitality stories in the ancient Mediterranean world, especially as people fled from bandits or other dangers. Hosts provided room to relax and sleep, and meals shared with the host. Hosts offered their reputations and served as patrons. They were responsible to use their influence to help their guests integrate into the culture and find success in their work.

 What were the rules for being a good guest? Guests were to graciously receive whatever was provided. They should not embarrass their hosts by finding fault with what they provided or with the success of their patronage. Guests should not overstay their welcome (3 days; John 4:40 = 2 days)

 How did the rules change if host and guest began as strangers? The duty of patronage intensified for hosts as they introduced a stranger within their sphere of influence. The need for guests to respect their hosts’ provision and patronage was acute. They needed to discern and find their fit. Here is what was at stake: When they parted, it was as friends (with a good fit) or enemies, because they embarrassed their host without finding a good fit in the culture.

 In John 6, Jesus serves as host and feeds more than 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. The crowd loves the miracle and wants to force him to be their king and future “bread machine.” In terms of ancient custom, they are planning on abusing their host!

 Jesus challenged them to look past the physical bread to his Father’s true provision: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” He challenged them to trust him and all that he showed them of the Father (John 1:18). The need was extreme, because God would use Jesus’ disciples to share life with the world (John 20:21-23). Of course Jesus’ disciples would not be left on their own to serve the world. Having received the Holy Spirit, “rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-39).

 God’s call to us is to continue to learn about how God hosts the world! Celebrate God with Psalm 145. And let us learn to love, not in word only, but in “deed and in truth.”

  Let's talk about this: Early Christians changed their world. (See Emperor Julian’s complaints below!!!) Christians became famous for hospitality as they established hospitals and hostels and invited strangers into their homes and lives. How is God using us? Where else is he calling us?

 Here is one of my favorite questions: How is my serve?

 I love this quote from Fredrick Buechner: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deepest gladness and the world's deepest hunger meet.” See Fredrick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), 95.

A Letter from Emperor Julian (the Apostate) To Arsacius, High-priest of Galatia (about 362) The Hellenic religion does not yet prosper as I desire, and it is the fault of those who profess it; for the worship of the gods is on a splendid and magnificent scale, surpassing every prayer and every hope. May Adrasteia [another name for the goddess “Nemesis”] pardon my words, for indeed no one, a little while ago, would have ventured even to pray for a change of such a sort or so complete within so short a time. Why, then, do we think that this is enough, why do we not observe that it is their benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase atheism? [Christianity for Julian = Atheism] I believe that we ought really and truly to practice every one of these virtues. And it is not enough for you alone to practice them, but so must all the priests in Galatia, without exception. Either shame or persuade them into righteousness or else remove them from their priestly office, if they do not, together with their wives, children and servants, attend the worship of the gods but allow their servants or sons or wives to show impiety towards the gods and honour atheism more than piety. In the second place, admonish them that no priest may enter a theatre or drink in a tavern or control any craft or trade that is base and not respectable. Honour those who obey you, but those who disobey, expel from office. In every city establish frequent hostels in order that strangers may profit by our benevolence; I do not mean for our own people only, but for others also who are in need of money. I have but now made a plan by which you may be well provided for this; for I have given directions that 30,000 modii of corn shall be assigned every year for the whole of Galatia, and 60,000 pints of wine. I order that one-fifth of this be used for the poor who serve the priests, and the remainder be distributed by us to strangers and beggars. For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galileans support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us. Teach those of the Hellenic faith to contribute to public service of this sort, and the Hellenic villages to offer their first fruits to the gods; and accustom those who love the Hellenic religion to these good works by teaching them that this was our practice of old. At any rate Homer makes Eumaeus say: "Stranger, it is not lawful for me, not even though a baser man than you should come, to dishonour a stranger. For from Zeus come all strangers and beggars. And a gift, though small, is precious." Then let us not, by allowing others to outdo us in good works, disgrace by such remissness, or rather, utterly abandon, the reverence due to the gods. If I hear that you are carrying out these orders I shall be filled with joy.

As for the government officials, do not interview them often at their homes, but write to them frequently. And when they enter the city no priest must go to meet them, but only meet them within the vestibule when they visit the temples of the gods. Let no soldier march before them into the temple, but any who will may follow them; for the moment that one of them passes over the threshold of the sacred precinct he becomes a private citizen. For you yourself, as you are aware, have authority over what is within, since this is the bidding of the divine ordinance. Those who obey it are in very truth god-fearing, while those who oppose it with arrogance are vainglorious and empty-headed.

I am ready to assist Pessinus if her people succeed in winning the favour of the Mother of the Gods. But, if they neglect her, they are not only not free from blame, but, not to speak harshly, let them beware of reaping my enmity also. "For it is not lawful for me to cherish or to pity men who are the enemies of the immortal gods." Therefore persuade them, if they claim my patronage, that the whole community must become suppliants of the Mother of the Gods.

 This letter is numbered as 22 on this website, and is numbered as 49 in other records of Julian’s works. (see www.tertullian.org/fathers/julian_apostate_letters_1_trans.htm)

Sermon 1.20.13: The Woman At The Well

The Gospel of John Series:Chapter 4 The Woman At The Well The fourth chapter of the Gospel of John invites us into a deep and intimate relationship with Christ, he demonstrates what this looks like through the lens of the beloved story of The Samaritan Woman. Christ is calling her and all of us into intimacy with him and with one another by saying in the text: The time has come when what you are called and where you worship won't matter. It's who you are and the way you live that counts before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship. God is sheer being itself - Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration. For the Samaritan woman at the well and for all of us no matter where our journey finds us, the time is now! Being just who we are with honesty, humility and love will allow us transparency and intimacy with God and one another that will bring healing and wholeness to the broken world God has placed us in. Dearest Lord Jesus, Please bless us all with faith enough to be real, desire enough to be hospitable to all, grace enough to share ourselves with you and others. Amen. LOVE AND BLESSINGS, P. Christine

A wedding, a temple, and a clean heart (John 2 - 3)

Note: This blog is meant to compliment the sermon on John 2 - 3, which you can hear via podcast on Good Shepherd's website (www.goodshepherdutah.com).

With the interpretive key of the language of hospitality, I am seeing, hearing, and experiencing Jesus in a new way as he is portrayed in the gospel of John.  I am excited.  

Brief Sermon Recap

In John 2 - 3, Jesus comes as guest to a wedding, but changes quickly into the host as he provides "the best wine ever tasted" when the wedding banquet runs out of wine.  There is an irony of the empty water jars used for ceremonial washing, i.e., purification rites, now filled with water and turned into wine by Jesus.  The Mosaic law cannot produce pure hearts or right spirits (cf. Psalm 51:10) within people, but the grace and mercy offered through Christ can!  His blood, the new covenant establish in his blood on the cross, become the wine of joy that gladdens and purifies our hearts.  Also, Jesus is truly the bridegroom for the Great Wedding Feast of the Lamb of God yet to come (Revelation 19:1-10).

Jesus did not entrust himself to people, because he knew what is in the hearts of men (John 2:24). The human heart is sinful and wicked from birth (Psalm 51:5).  Therefore, the human heart needs to be purified or born again (John 3:1-15) through grace, the power of the Holy Spirit, by faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross.  In this context, the cleansing of the temple makes perfect sense.  The temple is the abiding place of God (cf. 1 Kings 6).  But, the true temple is Jesus (John 2:20-21; Revelation 21:22).  We are invited to dwell with him in his Father's house (John 14:1-3) and abide with him (John 15:1-17).  John the Baptist affirmed that Jesus is the true bridegroom from heaven.  (Those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God are his bride).  He comes from heaven and speaks the heart of God, for the Father has given him all things.  We would do well to listen and respond to his invitations (John 3:31-36).

Reflection and Questions

Our home is humble.  Repairs need to be made.  Walls need to be repainted.  We have too much "stuff."  Some rooms are cluttered.  (Yes, we have a famous "locked door room" -- guests are forbidden from looking in that room).  The garage is a jungle.  There is always something out of place and our carpets are old and have stain spots.

Yet, we experience a deep joy when we welcome people into our home.  In preparation, we launch into a cleaning frenzy to provide, as best we can, a clean, hospitable environment, in which our guests can feel welcomed and relaxed.  We check to ensure that we have plenty of food, the bathrooms are cleaned, the hand towels are laundered, and we provide plenty of toilet paper.  

When you walk into someone's home and dwell with them for a time, eat dinner, converse, work, laugh, and cry together, you get to know and love them as they truly are without facade or pretense. To be accepted and loved by another in this way, who knows all the beautiful, good, bad, and ugly things about you, and, yet is still glad to be with you, is an amazing and liberating experience.  This is the kind of community we endeavor to nurture and protect at Good Shepherd.  Constantly, loving each other as Christ loves us and moving together toward life and health in Christ.

I am learning to be more hospitable and welcoming of others into my home and life. My inspiration and model is Jesus, who invites and welcomes me into his Father's house to "gaze upon his beauty and dwell in his house all the days of my life (Psalm 27:4).  

What feelings or experiences of hospitality do you have that you would be willing to share publicly via this blog?  Please write!

I look forward to this journey in hospitality together! 

-- Pastor Jeff

Responding to the Sermon

From Pastor James Wakefield: I would enjoy reading your responses to the questions posted on January 5. Please respond to them and to the sermon. This is going to be fun!

Be sure to indicate what question (or questions) you are replying to when you post back to us.

Hospitality in John's Gospel

What if John’s Gospel is an extended invitation to enjoy God’s hospitality? Our pastors are exploring this exciting idea and you are invited to explore it with us. Let’s begin with some simple questions:

What does hospitality mean to you?

What are some easy acts of hospitality?

What are some of the more profound acts of hospitality?

Read ahead, think, and blog with us!

Jan 13             John 2-3

Jan 20             John 4

Jan 27             John 6-7

Feb 3              John 5

Feb 10            John 10

Feb 17            John 12

Feb 24            John 13

March 3          John 14

March 10       John 15

March 17       John 16-17

March 24       John 18-19

March 31       John 20

April 7            John 21