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Poking the Bear
Scripture: John 10:31-42
Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Consider:
I don’t know how you would respond when a crowd of people are throwing stones at you, but I’m fairly certain my response would not be within 10 miles of how Jesus responds in this passage. My rule is if someone has weapon, maybe stop saying the things that are making them angry and run away.
Jesus on the other hand seems to revel in making it worse for himself. Instead of taking the threat to stone him as a warning sign, he doubles and triples down on the claims which make the people so angry.
The central tenet of the Jewish tradition is known as the Shema - Dueteronomy 6:5 - “The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” With a heavy emphasis on both Our God, and One. Jesus would have been rased in this tradition and held those words close to his heart. Yet here he finds himself both poking the religious authorities right in the most squishy parts of their hearts and answering in ways designed to make them even more confused.
We often find ourselves in the midst of difficult conversations where our core beliefs rub against the deeply held ideas of another. More and more often, it is getting hard to distinguish between the ideas central to our identity - and thereby very painful when challenged - and those where there is room to disagree. Are there any ideas where it’s ok to let others have a different opinion? Depending on who you listen to, it may not seem as if there is.
When we discover we are in the midst of hard, painful conversations I don’t think we should follow the examples of the people in this story - not even Jesus. Neither party is seeking to actually help one another understand their point of view, and neither is particularly interested in hearing with open hearts to the truth the other speaks. The only attempts at conversation is to throw stones and poke each other in the eye. Is it any wonder he has to run away?
The next time you find yourself in a disagreement, maybe look at your hands. Are you more concerned about throwing the next stone than hearing someone else’s opinion?
Respond:
The next time you find yourself in a difficult conversation, practice some active listening. When the other person shares something hard, let them finish their thought. Instead of offering an opinion or a “Me too!” story, identify the last 2 or 3 keywords they said. Repeat those 2-3 words back to them in the form of a question, then wait patiently for them to respond. See how that shapes your conversation for the better!
Pray:
May my ears be open and my ego quiet. Grant me the patience to hold my words until I truly understand another’s heart. Let me listen not for an opening to speak, but for the truth behind the breath, honoring every voice with my full and silent presence. Amen.
These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com
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By Wake Forest PresbyterianScripture: John 10:31-42
Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Consider:
I don’t know how you would respond when a crowd of people are throwing stones at you, but I’m fairly certain my response would not be within 10 miles of how Jesus responds in this passage. My rule is if someone has weapon, maybe stop saying the things that are making them angry and run away.
Jesus on the other hand seems to revel in making it worse for himself. Instead of taking the threat to stone him as a warning sign, he doubles and triples down on the claims which make the people so angry.
The central tenet of the Jewish tradition is known as the Shema - Dueteronomy 6:5 - “The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” With a heavy emphasis on both Our God, and One. Jesus would have been rased in this tradition and held those words close to his heart. Yet here he finds himself both poking the religious authorities right in the most squishy parts of their hearts and answering in ways designed to make them even more confused.
We often find ourselves in the midst of difficult conversations where our core beliefs rub against the deeply held ideas of another. More and more often, it is getting hard to distinguish between the ideas central to our identity - and thereby very painful when challenged - and those where there is room to disagree. Are there any ideas where it’s ok to let others have a different opinion? Depending on who you listen to, it may not seem as if there is.
When we discover we are in the midst of hard, painful conversations I don’t think we should follow the examples of the people in this story - not even Jesus. Neither party is seeking to actually help one another understand their point of view, and neither is particularly interested in hearing with open hearts to the truth the other speaks. The only attempts at conversation is to throw stones and poke each other in the eye. Is it any wonder he has to run away?
The next time you find yourself in a disagreement, maybe look at your hands. Are you more concerned about throwing the next stone than hearing someone else’s opinion?
Respond:
The next time you find yourself in a difficult conversation, practice some active listening. When the other person shares something hard, let them finish their thought. Instead of offering an opinion or a “Me too!” story, identify the last 2 or 3 keywords they said. Repeat those 2-3 words back to them in the form of a question, then wait patiently for them to respond. See how that shapes your conversation for the better!
Pray:
May my ears be open and my ego quiet. Grant me the patience to hold my words until I truly understand another’s heart. Let me listen not for an opening to speak, but for the truth behind the breath, honoring every voice with my full and silent presence. Amen.
These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com