Forward Movement is an official, non-profit agency of the Episcopal Church whose mission is to create compelling content for Christian living. Since 1935 we have published the quarterly devotional Forward Day by Day, as well as pamphlets, booklets, and books that encourage and nourish people in their lives of prayer and faith.
SATURDAY, April 2
John 8:47-59. So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
In many ways the Judaism of Jesus’ day is akin to today’s Christianity: it was considered by Jews to be the preferred way. Religion in Jesus’ day was all about who was clean and who was unclean; today it is sometimes about who is saved and who is unsaved.
And then comes Jesus, this totally unqualified person, saying basically that there is no front and back of the line; in fact, there is no line. It is no understatement to say that Jesus was outside their box.
Imagine what a shock it would be today to encounter some young, uneducated, maybe scruffy, definitely alternative, let’s say, woman, with a skin color different from yours walking into your church and saying with calm confidence that what she sees there is a far cry from what her heart tells her when she reads God’s word or when she hears answers to her prayers.
Yes, you’d pick up your stones, real stones, emotional stones, word stones, mental stones—no matter, stones nonetheless—and you’d throw them.
Do we want to be the ones who drive Jesus away?
PRAY for the Diocese of Mukono (Uganda)
Ps 87, 90 * 136; Jeremiah 13:1-11; Romans 6:12-23
View the daily Lectionary Readings at Satucket.com.
Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com or Oremus Bible browser.
A Meditation for Pentecost
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