A Pure Faith Tom Euston Today’s Gospel reading seems to be the familiar Jesus against the Pharisees story. And if you read the story quickly and at face value, it seems the Pharisees are the instigators. But, I think we tend to make the Pharisees the villains more than we should. The Pharisees and Scribes were the leaders of the Jewish faith community. They are the ones who tried to enforce Jewish law, maintain order, the ones who took seriously the do’s and don’ts. They saw Jesus as the leader of his disciples, and questioned why they were not following the purity laws, specifically why they were eating without first washing their hands properly. I imagine, washing ones hands before eating
Come to Jesus Tom Euston When I was a youngster, and I know this is hard to believe, but there were times when my behavior was perhaps, just a little less than stellar. I am certain I am not the only one in this sanctuary who had times like that. Sometimes, my behavior would need to be corrected, to get me back on the right path and going in the right direction again. Those chats with my parents, usually my dad, were not overly enjoyable. As I grew older, my friends would share they had similar discussions with their parents and somewhere along the way, these discussions came to be called “come to Jesus meetings”. Fortunately I did not have many of them, but I have heard the term used throug
The Living Bread Tom Euston For the past couple of weeks, we have been reading the Gospel of John about Jesus being the Bread of Life. These have been familiar readings for many of us, as is today’s But, for many people, this morning’s Gospel reading is a difficult one to read and hear. It is for me. This talk of eating flesh and drinking blood may bring images of horror movies instead of the Gospel. Today’s reading picks up where we left off last week, and just like last week, the Jews started disputing among themselves. And just like last week, Jesus, knowing their hearts and minds, elaborates on what he had just told them. “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that
Who will tell them? Tom Euston Our Gospel lesson this morning picks up right where we left off last week. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” But when the religious leaders heard Jesus say these words, they complained, not about the words, but because it was Jesus saying them. “Is this not Jesus, Joseph’s son, whose parents we know? How can he say he came down from heaven?” Jesus responded: “It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; h
