John – Gospel 7 – Your Time Is Always Here

After this, Jesus walked about in Galilee, for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews were eager to put him to death. 2 When the Jewish festival of tabernacles was near, 3 His brothers said to him: “Leave this part of the country, and go into Judea, so that your disciples, as well as we, may see the work that you are doing. 4 For no one does a thing privately, if he is seeking to be widely known. Since you do these things, you should show yourself publicly to the world.” 5 For even his brothers did not believe in him.

6 “My time,” answered Jesus, “is not come yet, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me, because I testify that its ways are evil. 8 Go yourselves up to the Festival; I am not going to this Festival yet, because my time has not yet come.” 9 After telling them this, he stayed on in Galilee.

10 But, when his brothers had gone up to the festival, Jesus also went up, not publicly, but privately. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the festival and asking ‘Where is he?’ 12 And there were many whispers about him among the people, some saying: ‘He is a good man;’ others: ‘No! he is leading the people astray.’ 13 No one, however, spoke freely about him, for fear of the Jews.

14 About the middle of the festival week, Jesus went up into the temple courts, and began teaching. 15 The Jews were astonished. “How has this man got his learning,” they asked, “when he has never studied?”

16 So, in reply, Jesus said: “My teaching is not my own; it is his who sent me. 17 If anyone has the will to do God’s will, they will find out whether my teaching is from God, or whether I speak on my own authority. 18 Those who speak on their own authority seek honor for themselves; but those who seeks the honor of him that sent them are sincere, and there is nothing false in them. 19 Was not it Moses who gave you the law? Yet not one of you obeys it! Why are you seeking to put me to death?”

20 “You must be possessed by a devil!” the people exclaimed. “Who is seeking to put you to death?”

21 “There was one thing I did,” replied Jesus, “at which you are all still wondering. 22 But that is why Moses has instituted circumcision among you—not, indeed, that it began with him, but with our ancestors—and that is why you circumcise even on a Sabbath. 23 When a man receives circumcision on a Sabbath to prevent the law of Moses from being broken, how can you be angry with me for making someone sound and well on a Sabbath? 24 Do not judge by appearances; judge justly.”

25 At this some of the people of Jerusalem exclaimed: “Is not this the man that they are seeking to put to death? 26 Yet here he is, speaking out boldly, and they say nothing to him! Is it possible that our leading men have really discovered that he is the Christ? 27 Yet we know where this man is from; but, when the Christ comes, no one will be able to tell where he is from.”

28 Therefore, Jesus, as he was teaching in the temple courts, raised his voice and said: “Yes; you know me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on my own authority, but he who sent me may be trusted; and him you do not know. 29 I do know him, for it is from him that I have come, and he sent me as his messenger.” 30 So they sought to arrest him; but no one touched him, for his time was not come yet.

31 Many of the people, however, believed in him. “When the Christ comes,” they said, “will he give more signs of his mission than this man has given?” 32 The Pharisees heard the people whispering about him in this way, and so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him;

33 On which Jesus said: “I shall be with you but a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will look for me, and you will not find me; and you will not be able to come where I shall be.”

35 “Where is this man going,” the Jews asked one another, “that we shall not find him? Will he go to our countrymen abroad, and teach foreigners? 36 What does he mean by saying: ‘You will look for me, and you will not find me; and you will not be able to come where I shall be’?”

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus, who was standing by, exclaimed: “If anyone thirsts, let them come to me, and drink. 38 You who believe in me, as scripture says, out of your heart shall flow rivers of living water.” 39 By this he meant the spirit, which those who had believed in him were to receive; for the spirit had not yet come, because Jesus had not yet been exalted.

40 Some of the people, when they heard these words, said: “This is certainly ‘the prophet’!” 41 Others said: “This is the Christ!” But some asked: “What! Does the Christ come from Galilee? 42 Is not it said in scripture that it is of the race of David, and from Bethlehem, the village to which David belonged, that the Christ is to come?” 43 So there was a sharp division among the people on account of Jesus. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, and yet no one touched him.

45 When the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, they were asked: “Why have you not brought him?” 46 “No man ever spoke as he speaks!” they answered. 47 “What! Have you been led astray too?” the Pharisees replied. 48 “Have any of our leading men believed in him, or any of the Pharisees? 49 As for these people who do not know the law—they are cursed!”

50 But one of their number, Nicodemus, who before this had been to see Jesus, said to them: 51 “Does our law pass judgment on people without first giving them a hearing, and finding out what they have been doing?” 52 “Are you also from Galilee?” they retorted. “Search and you will find that no prophet is to arise in Galilee!” 53 Then everyone went back to their own houses.

To read the next chapter of the Book of John, please go to The Gospel of John – 8.

This Online New Testament Gospel of John is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learn Thai Language books and eBooks, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Mark – Gospel 14 – Judas Betrays With A Kiss

It was now two days before the festival of the Passover and the unleavened bread. The chief priests and teachers of the law were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus by stealth and put him to death; 2 For they said: “Not during the festival, for fear of a riot.”

3 When Jesus was still at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, while he was at table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of choice spikenard perfume of great value. She broke the jar, and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those who were present said to one another indignantly: “Why has the perfume been wasted like this? 5 This perfume could have been sold for more than thirty pounds, and the money given to the poor.”

6 “Let her alone,” said Jesus, as they began to find fault with her, “Why are you troubling her? This is a beautiful deed that she has done for me. 7 You always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has perfumed my body beforehand for my burial. 9 And I tell you, wherever, in the whole world, the gospel is proclaimed, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.”

10 After this, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were glad to hear what he said, and promised to pay him. So he looked for a convenient way to betray Jesus. 12 On the first day of the festival of the unleavened bread, when it was customary to kill the Passover lambs, his disciples said to Jesus: “Where do you wish us to go and make preparations for your eating the Passover?”

13 Jesus sent forward two of his disciples and said to them: “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him; 14 And, wherever he goes in, say to the owner of the house: ‘The teacher asks, where is my room; where I am to eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will himself show you a large upstairs room, set out ready; and there make preparations for us.” 16 So the disciples set out and went into the city, and found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 In the evening he went there with the twelve, 18 And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said: “I tell you that one of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They were grieved at this, and began to say to him, one after another: “Can it be I?” 20 “It is one of you twelve,” said Jesus, “the one who is dipping his bread beside me into the dish. 21 True, the Son of Man must go, as scripture says of him, yet woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man ‘it would be better never to have been born!’”

22 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said: “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and, after saying the thanksgiving, gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the new testament,” he said, “which is poured out on behalf of many. 25 I tell you that I shall never again drink of the juice of the grape, until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 They then sang a hymn, and went out up the Mount of Olives;

27 Presently Jesus said to them: “All of you will fall away; for scripture says: ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 Yet, after I have risen, I shall go before you into Galilee.” 29 “Even if everyone else falls away,” said Peter, “I shall not.” 30 “I tell you,” answered Jesus, “that you yourself today—yes, this very night—before the cock crows twice, will disown me three times.” 31 But Peter vehemently protested: “Even if I must die with you, I shall never disown you!” And they all said the same.

32 Presently they came to a garden known as Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples: “Sit down here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Peter, James, and John; and began to show signs of great dismay and deep distress of mind. 34 “I am sad at heart,” he said, “sad even to death; wait here, and watch.” 35 Going on a little further, he threw himself on the ground, and began to pray that, if it were possible, he might be spared that hour.

36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “all things are possible to thee; take away this cup from me; yet, not what I will, but what thou wills.” 37 Then he came and found the three apostles asleep. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could not you watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray,” he said to them all, “that you may not fall into temptation. True, the spirit is eager, but human nature is weak.”

39 Again he went away, and prayed in the same words; 40 And coming back again he found them asleep, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. 41 A third time he came, and said to them: “Sleep on now and rest yourselves. Enough! My time has come. Hark! the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of wicked men. 42 Up and let us be going. Look! My betrayer is close at hand.”

43 And just then, while he was still speaking, Judas, who was one of the twelve, came up; and with him a crowd of people, with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the councilors. 44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. “The man whom I kiss,” he had said, “will be the one; arrest him and take him away safely.”

45 As soon as Judas came, he went up to Jesus at once, and said: “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 Then the men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47 One of those who were standing by drew his sword and struck at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. 48 But Jesus interposed, and said to the men: “Have you come out, as if after a robber, with swords and clubs to take me? 49 I have been among you day after day in the temple courts teaching, and yet you did not arrest me; but this is in fulfillment of the scriptures.”

50 And all the apostles forsook him and fled. 51 One young man did indeed follow him, wrapped only in a linen sheet. They tried to arrest him; 52 But he left the sheet in their hands and fled naked. 53 Then they took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the councilors, and the teachers of the law assembled.

54 Peter, who had followed Jesus at a distance into the court-yard of the high priest, was sitting there among the servants, warming himself by the fire. 55 Meanwhile the chief priest and the whole of the high council were trying to get such evidence against Jesus as would warrant his being put to death, but they could not find any; 56 For, though there were many who gave false evidence against him, their evidence did not agree.

57 Presently some men stood up, and gave this false evidence against him: 58 “We ourselves heard him say: ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days build another made without hands.’” 59 Yet not even on that point did their evidence agree. 60 Then the high priest stepped forward, and questioned Jesus. “Have you no answer to make?” he asked. “What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent, and made no answer.

A second time, the high priest questioned him. “Are you,” he asked, “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 “I am,” replied Jesus, “and you shall all see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty; and ‘coming in the clouds of heaven’.”

63 At this the high priest tore his vestments. “Why do we want any more witnesses?” he exclaimed. 64 “You heard his blasphemy? What is your verdict?” They all condemned him, declaring that he deserved death. 65 Some of those present began to spit at him, and to blindfold his eyes, and strike him, saying, as they did so: “Now play the prophet!” and even the servants hit him with blows.

66 While Peter was in the court-yard down below, one of the high priest’s maidservants came up; 67 And, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him and exclaimed: “Why, you were with Jesus, the Nazarene!” 68 But Peter denied it. “I do not know or understand what you mean,” he replied. Then he went out into the porch; 69 And there the maidservant, on seeing him, began to say again to the by-standers: “This is one of them!” 70 But Peter again denied it.

Soon afterwards the bystanders again said to him: “You certainly are one of them; why you are a Galilean!” 71 But he began to swear with the most solemn imprecations: “I do not know the man you are speaking about.” 72 At that moment, for the second time, a cock crowed; and Peter remembered the words that Jesus had said to him: ‘Before a cock has crowed twice, you will disown me three times’; and, as he thought of it, he began to weep.

To read the next chapter of the Book of Mark, please go to The Gospel of Mark – 15.

This Online New Testament Gospel of Mark is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learn Thai Language books and eBooks, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Thy Will Be Done

In the Book of Luke, there is a curious statement about God. Luke quotes the prophet Isaiah as saying that through Christ (the Lord) all mankind shall see the “salvation of God“. (1) Considering the ham-fisted way that Jesus’s twelve apostles (not to mention the Pharisees and Sadducees) often handled Old Testament scripture, we might be tempted just to pass over this comment from Isaiah. But that would be a mistake.

Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has been inspiring prophets since the beginning of the world. (2) Jewish scripture, like all holy scripture, is capable of profound revelation, and this quote by Isaiah is a jewel of an example–albeit one that is rarely talked about. Our silence surrounds the disturbing question: From what exactly does an all powerful God need to be saved? For mankind, “salvation” means being rescued from the wages of sin, but is God a sinner too?

Some would argue that Jehovah certainly is no saint, considering the peevish, jealous, and wrathful behavior he exhibits in the Old Testament. But when Isaiah refers to God’s salvation, he isn’t talking about liberating Jehovah from his penchant for tormenting servants like Job just to win bets with Satan. He is talking about the justification of God’s will, and the choices he’s made. To illustrate God’s situation, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. (3)

In this parable, a father has two sons. The youngest, anxious to experience the world, asks for his inheritance right away. The father abides by this request and grants him his share, which the boy then dutifully squanders on wine, women, and song in a far off land. The young man eventually crawls back home utterly destitute. Rather than chastise his fallen boy, the father welcomes him back with open arms, kills the fatted calf, and throws a big party.

All the merry-making upsets the older son, who stews over the fact that his father never gave him even a young foal to butcher and barbecue for his friends. The father gently rebukes his eldest, stating that everything he owns has always been available to him. When this parable is taught today, the emphasis is usually on the prodigal son’s welcome home party. The celebration is used to demonstrate that we shouldn’t be afraid of God’s punishment, if we want to return to his fold after years of dissolute living. The beginning of the parable though is just as important, for it reveals the position in which God has placed himself…

This is an excerpt from Chapter 4 of the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Testament Gospels). An SBNR faith book especially suited for Progressive Christianity workshops, Bible Study Groups, Unitarian Christians, and all who seek a richer life. The book’s SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) meditation is richly supported by over 200 Gospel book citations.

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To read the next excerpt from The Lord’s Prayer Book, please go to The Lord’s Prayer – Understanding God’s Divide.