The Healing of the Official's Son

The Healing of the Official's Son

The Gospel of John is special because its main purpose is to introduce us to Jesus and give us a vivid awareness of his character and person. At the close of the first conclusion to this Gospel, Chapter 20, we see this desire and purpose very clearly, "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." Jesus has some very interesting interactions with many people as he traveled during his ministry. Here is another sign that will share even more about the one we call Jesus the Christ as the giver of life.

This story is recorded in John's Gospel - Chapter 4:46-54 - following another transitional passage in 4:43-45. Before we discuss this story I would ask you to read it first in a Bible translation that is one that you use and find meaningful.

According to verse 54, the last verse in this story, "this was the second miracle that Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee" - referring to the transitional passage prior to the story we are now considering. It followed his interaction with the Samaritan Woman and the many who came from her village to meet and listen to Jesus. The transitional passage (43-45) tells us that he spent 2 days with the people in Samaria and then returned to Galilee. Many of the people welcomed him because they had seen all he did at a recent festival in Jerusalem while they were there too. It was back to Cana in Galilee where he had replenished the wedding feast with wine from water to continue their celebration. It was in this context that "An officer in the royal service was there, whose son was lying ill at Capernaum". When he heard that Jesus was in the neighborhood he sought him out to beg him to go to Capernaum and heal his son who was reported as being sick unto death. (verse 48) "Jesus said to him, 'Will none of you ever believe without seeing signs and portents?'" But the officer pleaded with him to take care of this desperate problem before it was too late. With that Jesus simply told him to return home because your son will not die. Hearing this the officer started for home because he believes what Jesus had said to him.

The story continues with the news that, on his way home, his servants met him with the news that his son was going to live. The Officer asked his servants the approximate time they noticed this change in the life status of his son. They reported that it was about one o'clock on the previous afternoon when the fever left his son. The conclusion to this story is given in verse 53, "The father realized that this was the time at which Jesus had said to him, 'Your son will live,' and he and all his household became believers."

So what do you suppose they believed?

In verse 48 we read that Jesus said, "Will none of you ever believe without seeing signs and portents?" Other translations say, "None of you will ever believe unless you see miracles and wonders". Remember that this "officer in the royal service" or a "government official" is to let us know that he was probably not a Jew but a Gentile, which was a word used to speak of all others who were not Jews. Here was a non Jew making a request of Jesus to enable his child to recover from an illness unto death and that Gentiles, and many people, are impressed by those who can perform "miracles and wonders". As we noted in the first paragraph, this and other stories have been written to help his disciples, including us, to believe in and follow Jesus. From the opening introduction of the Oxford Study Bible notes we are also reminded that, in John's Gospel, "A 'sign' is an act of power by Jesus which points to a truth inaccessible to sight and touch, but apprehensible by faith." In the verse closing this story, verse 54 of the Oxford Study translation, "This was the second sign which Jesus performed after coming from Judaea into Galilee". The word "sign", in fact, may be especially appropriate for our understanding today.

In our understanding of miracle this may, in fact, not qualify as a miracle. The dictionary defines, "miracle - a marvellous event manifesting a supernatural act of a divine agent - any amazing or wonderful occurrence". The official's son in this story is very sick with a fever and, in the time of Jesus, might have often led to death. They did not have antibiotics or efficient cures for some of life's most common ailments. The official had the right to be very concerned about his son and, knowing what he knew and heard about Jesus, was hopeful that his boy could be prevented from dying. The dictionary defines the word supernatural as, "not existing in nature or subject to explanation according to natural laws - supernatural forces and events and beings collectively" I am reminded here that this Gospel tells us that Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) We are fortunate to live in times when such greater "things" are seen rather often.

Signs in Biblical Times:

In biblical time a variety of "signs" were prevelant. One of the first stories that comes to my mind is the story of Moses and Aaron in Egypt when they appeared before Pharoah and all his magicians (Exodus 7:10-13), "So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said." In so many occasions throughout Biblical times it was not only done necessarily in the name of God, but by many who did not claim that connection. In many people's minds however, like Pharaoh, none of the signs seemed to convince him to change his mind and release the Hebrew people from slavery.

In the Christian Scriptures, the Acts of the Apostles, we read about several people who were Sorcerers. The first one mentioned in chapter 8 was Simon, who was said to have amazed all the people of Samaria. Many who heard Philip preach the good news about the Kingdom of God and of Jesus were baptized and, we are told, even Simon believed and was baptized because he was captivated when witnessing the signs and miracles through the Apostles. When Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed on people by the laying on of their hands he offered money to the Apostles if they would give him the same power to enable people to receive the Holy Spirit. Peter rebuked him for thinking that God's gifts were for sale. Chapter 13 tells us that when Paul and Barnabas went to the Island of Cyprus they ran into a Jewish sorcerer named Barjesus who posed as a prophet. Barjesus opposed them and tried to turn the governor away from faith in God and Jesus. Paul rebuked him as a son of the devil insisting he stop perverting the message of God. Paul told him he would become blind and not see the sun for days. Darkness did come upon him and he had to be led by someone in order to move about. When the governor saw this he was deeply impressed and was happy to receive what he learned from Paul and Barnabas about Jesus and the Realm of God.

As we continue, we might pause to inquire about the definition of a "Sign" as we understand it today, [sign - "structure displaying a board on which advertisements can be posted, or - a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened), or - any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message"]. These various statements give us an overview of the use of the word sign that provides the obviously broad and general understanding we have today. In this story we can also see that healing need not be a miracle but a sign of the return to good health and wellness. Those with a literal interpretation of scripture consider this story, along with others in the Gospel of John, as one of at least seven miracles. [literal - limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text (a literal translation), literal - avoiding embellishment or exaggeration (used for emphasis)(it's the literal truth)]. Words need not be literal in order to convey truth as truth may also be conveyed in a parable or fictional story. After all, Jesus was one who used parables to help those who heard him come to understand the profound message he had from God. This is why literal interpretations of scripture can cause problems, especially in today's understanding of truth, [truth - "the quality of being near to the true value, conformity to reality or actuality"]. Signs may also be the best way to share these thoughful and deep mysteries as we tell our stories today.

So what do I see about Jesus in this Sign of Jesus healing the official's son?

Integrity: ["moral soundness, an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting"] Jesus was totally attentive to the creation and humanity, especially to those who were disenfranchised or in need. The author of the Gospel of John introduces Jesus as the Word or Verb that came into the world to speak and act for God in order to announce and establish the Realm of God with special intention to living into that abundance. From the beginning to the end of his ministry, I believe that the integrity of Jesus was seldom in question. It was this characteristic that probably enabled the Official, who wanted Jesus to go home with him to heal his son, to take his word for it that he could return knowing that his son would be healed.

Concern: Jesus had a deep concern for all people and this is seen in this story when he comments to the Official, "Will none of you ever believe unless you see signs and wonders". I do not see this as a put down as much as a concern for how and why the official developes his belief. Outward and visible signs are outward manifestations of something that is much deeper. Jesus was sincerely concerned that one's impetus for life comes from the very core and depth of one's being. Signs that may cause wonder and awe seldom cause the kind of effective change that makes for a lasting difference or for a solid foundation on which to build a life. This may be the reason why Jesus did not go home with him to enable the healing. Fortunately, as we are told, "the man believed Jesus' word and went". Jesus' concern was not to impress but to effectively change the way we think and act. Our concern should be to realize that we need to change our minds and hearts to actually change our lives and live with the passion of God's love for us and for all people.

Compassion: ["the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it, a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering"] Jesus came to emphatically proclaim the compassion of God for all people, in all places, for all time. This was the main theme of God's Realm or Kingdom as it was known in that time when Kings were the primary rulers. Kings, in fact, were not usually concerned with the needs of people in their realms nor did they excel in compassion to many others than themselves. When you consider this was only the second of about seven signs noted in this Gospel it appears that, in Cana at least, Jesus was recognized as being compassionate. Clearly, when the official heard that Jesus was back in town, he went to Jesus to ask for healing for his son who was about to die.

Available: Jesus was not only available, obtainable and accessible but ready and willing to serve others. He did not stay in one place but traveled about and around the territory of his homeland to make sure that the message of God's Realm and loving concern for everyone was made known and experienced. This story also tells me that Jesus was efficient in the use of his time regarding his availability in that he did not go with the official to his home in order to accomplish his concern and compassion. The sign of his ministry did not require the drama of his presence because God's presence, through whom such grace was given, was present everywhere. Jesus simply said, "Go", because the healing was already done by the word of Jesus and the power of God which was soon confirmed by one of the official's servants who met him on the way home to tell him the good news.

Like all good stories there are many things we can learn and infer from this second one told to us in John's Gospel. Stories are wonderful ways of conveying truth because they are a short account of a happening, with or without establishing details. Jesus often taught by telling a parable which is a short moral story to convey a truth of his religious message. The author of John's Gospel shares these stories with us by writing down the many incidents in the life of Jesus that remained many decades later. As a follower of Jesus he wanted to encourage future followers to remain faithful by imitating and continuing in this same manner of discipleship. This Gospel, as did earlier Gospels like Mark and Matthew, reminds us that we also are not in this world to be served but to serve others in like manner as did Jesus. We too are to serve with integrity, concern, compassion and availability. We, like the official in this story, are told to "Go" and experience and share the wonders of God's love to make God's Realm a reality today.

What Do Marriage And Wine Tell Us About Jesus?

What Do Marriage And Wine Tell Us About Jesus?

A Brief History of Cana:

The location of the Cana visited by Jesus is disputed and not known for certain. Kafr Kanna is the most traditional site and has the following factors in favor of its authenticity:

It is located on the main road between two important cities in the region (Sepphoris and Tiberias) and is not far from Nazareth.

The ruins on the site indicate the presence of a town in the time of Jesus (they span the Persian to Byzantine periods).

The site has no running spring water, so in ancient times water would have had to be brought from cisterns or from the valley below, and stored in stone jars such as those mentioned in the miracle story.

Christian pilgrims have revered this site as the place of Jesus' first miracle from an early date. Ancient graffiti can be seen on one of the grottoes.

Recent excavations on a hill just north of Nazareth have uncovered ruins of a Jewish village from the 1st century AD. The excavators think the biblical Cana could be there instead of at this site 1 km to the east. For more information you can visit:

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/cana

John 2:1-12

To begin with, I would encourage you to read this story in a Bible that you enjoy reading with a translation that speaks best to your mind and heart. We are privileged today to have so many versions. While some are more technically accurate than others, they all share stories well because stories simply share a life event. One of the definitions of a story in the dictionary is, "a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events". The author of John's Gospel begins with this story to tell us something of importance about Jesus by way of introduction. In verse 11 he tells us his reason, "Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him."

A wedding is a grand and joyous celebration of two people who are beginning a new life together in the presence of their relatives and friends. Because Jesus is noted as beginning his ministry to announce and establish the Kingdom or Realm of God it appears to be an appropriate setting for such a revelation. Jesus will be demonstrating, by his words and actions, how the Spirit of God will enable us to live together in a relationship of loving interdependence. What were the signs or marks of Jesus among us and what made him glorious and loved by so many people? Jesus was generous and caring, especially to those who were in need. He shared his message about the Realm of God in plain language by telling stories and giving illustrations in parables. His glory was his brilliant and radiant beauty of God's loving care for all people. He demonstrated this by his whole life among us in word and deed. So, at a feast in the joyous setting of a marriage, John introduces us to a Jesus who would help keep this spirit continuing even when the wine failed.

What were weddings like in Jesus' day?

Since the author of this Gospel does not fully answer this question and since the readers of his day would fully have such knowledge, I received some interesting information from a Rabbi friend, Gordon Gladstone. Here are some things that he shared.

· At that time, Jewish marriage was purely an act of kinyan / acquisition; the man, essentially, purchased a wife from the man who controlled her, be that a father, a brother, or whatever male relative. A marriage was arranged by shtar, kesef, of beeah (document, silver, or intercourse).

o if shtar, the "groom's" agent delivers a document stating terms to the controlling male.

o If kesef, an agreed amount of silver was delivered to the controlling male. [This morphed into a wedding ring in later centuries.]

o If beeah, the man would fall upon the woman, penetrating her, whilst howling, "H'ray aht m'kudeshet li." (Behold thou art consecrated unto me)

· The "wedding ceremony" did not require clergy; only 2 adult male witnesses. The 'liturgy" was the man saying, "H'ray aht m'kudeshet li."

When I asked him about the length of time for the duration of a marriage or festival celebrations, he shared this:

Any happy occasion was a time for celebration, but we can only infer things such as duration, unless specifically mentioned in Scripture. For example, look at the first chapter of the OT book of Esther.

1 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus--this is Ahasuerus who reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces-- 2 that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the castle, 3 in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him; 4 when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty, many days, even a hundred and fourscore days. 5 And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the castle, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace; 6 there were hangings of white, fine cotton, and blue, bordered with cords of fine linen and purple, upon silver rods and pillars of marble; the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of green, and white, and shell, and onyx marble. 7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold--the vessels being diverse one from another--and royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king. 8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel; for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man's pleasure.

From this we gather that a mishteh, a banquet of wine, could go on for a long time in the time of the Persian Empire that followed the Babylonian era.

What about the term miracle? As we noted above, the closing verse (vs. 11) of this story says it marks "the beginning of his signs....and his disciples believed in him". We are not told that the crowd nor the headwaiter noted a miracle. In his massive commentary of the Gospel of John, Father Raymond E. Brown, a noted Catholic scholar, when commenting on the words, "Jesus' mother told him 'They have no wine'", he offers this commentary:

Why is Mary especially concerned and why does she turn to Jesus? Many have thought that she was asking for a miracle. However, there is no evidence of any previous miracles performed by Jesus, and there is nothing in the OT picture of the Messiah which would have led the Jews to expect him to work miracles on behalf of individuals (yet see 7:31). An expectation of miracles is more understandable if Jesus is thought of as the Prophet-like-Moses or as Elijah come back to life, for the OT attributed miracles to both Meses and Elijah. Most commentators, including Catholics like Gaechter, Braun, Van den Bussche, Boismard, Charlier, see no evidence in Mary's request of the expectation of a miracle. Van den Bussche, 1. pp. 38-39 (also Zahn, Boismard), does not think that Mary is even asking Jesus to day anything but is simply reporting the desperate situation. Jesus' answer, however, wherein he refuses to become involved, does seem to indicate that something was being asked of him."

Before we go further, it might be good to point out a couple of things that Father Brown shares with us about this story in his commentary. The use of the term "The mother of Jesus" is interesting because in the Gospel of John the author never refers to her as "Mary". He also points out that the term "his disciples" is always used. In consistently referring to these men during the ministry as "disciples," and in avoiding the title of "apostle," John shows a historical sense, for "apostle" is a term that belongs to the post-resurrectional period." There are many ways in which the Gospel of John is unique and very different from the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In the opening introduction to this Gospel, "Good News Bible - The Bible in Today's English Version" we are told, A striking feature of John is the symbolic use of common things from everyday life to point to spiritual realities, such as water, bread, light, the shepherd and his sheep, and the grapevine and its fruit. This is why we want to capture the spiritual sense of this particular "sign" about a marriage that ran out of wine.

So why does the author of John's Gospel start with this sign? What do a marriage and wine tell us about Jesus?

I believe they tell us a lot more than most people realize in these "signs" of Jesus' character and the demeanor of his whole purpose and life's work in both word and deed. The person of Jesus, in every aspect of who he really is, sets forth the picture of God the Creator and the demeanor of the Source of all that is. Jesus is the "word" and the "verb" of the beginning of all things in time and space. Before this story, John's Gospel begins the first chapter with "In the beginning was the word". This is the translation with which most are familiar. In the Spanish translation of the Latin Vulgate edition of this Gospel we are told, "In the beginning was the verb". Today, we understand more than ever, how important a variety of translations can be in furthering our understanding of Scripture. Words and actions are both "signs" that convey meaning to our understanding and assist us in both speaking and listening. We have often seen Jesus as the word, the expression, of the Source of what we now see as "The Big Bang". In stories and portraits of Jesus we are also aware of the "verb" since, through his actions, he was proclaiming the Realm of God as to how we might all come to love and act toward one another as we are loved.

Perhaps this story was chosen by John in order to share with us the essence of the true personhood of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. What was it about him that would enable him to carry out his mission to announce the Realm of God and show us this caring peace of God that goes beyond human understanding? What is unique about this story that will bring the core values and full extent of this care and grace? Why is Jesus at a wedding in Cana of Galilee where they are running out of wine and how does this share John's vision of Jesus with us?

Let us begin with the wedding and a few words that I have chosen that may develop my vision of this story in which John introduces us to Jesus.

Responsive - [readily reacting or replying to people or events or stimuli] Jesus was a person who showed a response and reaction to all of life, especially to the people whom he encountered. In word and action (noun and verb) he was fully involved. He expressed a godly interest in his surroundings and with the people he met and engaged.

Reliable - [conforming to fact and therefore worthy of belief] Jesus was authentic and honest to a fault. Whether he was alone with one person or in the presence of a crowd there was never a pretense. Jesus announced the reality and purpose of God's Kingdom on earth and how we were to interact with one another to fullfill and establish this Realm.

Secure - [free from fear or doubt] Perhaps one of my acronyms will embellish my use of this word: SECURE - (Staying Extremely Comfortable Under Reoccuring Experiences). Jesus, in this story, and in most of the descriptions of him in scripture share the details that depict his comfort in new and reoccuring situations. Jesus knew who he was and was fearlessly true to his mission.

Productive - [producing or capable of producing (especially abundantly)] Jesus always knew the probabilities of creation and energized the possibilities of his annointing to demonstrate the abundant life in God's Realm.

How does the wine part of the story give us further details about the person of Jesus?

Remember, the crowd of people were probably not aware of what Jesus was doing or that he was responsible for the new wine but the disciples were well aware. Even the person in charge, the headwaiter, was not fully aware of what happened except that he tasted the replenishment of wine that he claimed was more excellent than the first. Perhaps even the mother of Jesus was pleasantly pleased in that Jesus seemed to honor her request? Jesus always showed humility as he went about doing for others and did not aspire to become famous. He was clear about what he needed to say and did his work with grace and dignity as one sent from God.

Here are a few more words that I hope will amplify what his disciples may have observed about Jesus and why his disciples began to believe in him:

· ALIVE - Always Learning Inspired Vital Engaged

· CARE - Constantly Appreciate and Respect Everyone

· HOLY - Habitually Open to Learning and Yearning

· HOPE - Habitually Open to Productive Exploration

· LOVE - Limitless Offerings Veraciously Expended

· MOVE - Making Opportunity Verifying Experience

· SHARE - Simply Having And Readily Expending

All of us learn a lot from stories or signs. It is important to let the story speak to us through the whole presentation without concentrating on the individual parts as if they were fact. Too often people get lost in individual details by "amplification" (turning up the volume on the details) instead of discovering the main point of why the story may have been told. This story has two main themes around which the few details we have revolve - Jesus attended a marriage feast and there was not enough wine to last before the feast was to end. The main point of this story at the beginning of the Gospel of John was to introduce us to Jesus as he begins his mission and ministry. We were not meant to completely understand everything about Jesus here or the rest of the Gospel would be surperfluous.

There are two words and ideas that I believe are clearly inherent in this short story to introduce us to Jesus - hospitality and leadership. The theme of hospitality begins with knowing that Jesus was invited to be a guest and that he responded favorably. When a problem arose without enough wine Jesus demonstrated leadership that was necessary to remedy this situation. I believe that these words were central themes that claimed the allegiance of his disciples to become followers. Let us take a look at these two words and see how they may actually encompass what John may have wanted us to know about Jesus as he began his ministry.

Hospitality - [kindness in welcoming guests or strangers] In this definition there are two other significant words, kindness - [the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic] and welcome - a greeting or reception]. These words, without a doubt, clearly describe the attitude and function of Jesus whenever he encountered and interacted with people. Surely, at a marriage and wedding reception, one would hope that this would be the atmosphere overall and among the guests as they interacted in company with each other. This story then becomes an excellent scene for demonstrating these qualities in the person of Jesus.

Unfortunately there are many people who believe they are being hospitable but it may not always be so. Many of our churches today use the term "all are welcome" and truly intend to be kind and hospitable to everyone who comes but too often this is not the case. A brief statement on hospitality by The Rev. Canon Timothy Boggs at the Washington National Cathedral makes it poignantly clear, “Hospitality is not merely making space for somebody else, it’s about letting people into your hearts and letting them change you”. Jesus, in this story, had a change of heart that allowed him to go beyond the normal and provide for the needs of all who were gathered. This, my friends, it a wonderful and inclusive example of what hospitality really means. It clarifies what we need to do if we wish to imitate the hospitality of Jesus. Unlike a hospital that is not comprehensive enough to care for all who come to it for its services or our American leaders who call themselves "constitutionalists" but forget the operative words in the Constitution, "one nation, with liberty and justice for all", Jesus was the consummate example of God's love and care, by word and example, as his ministry developed to include all people everywhere in every time and all places where he traveled.

Leadership - [the activity of leading leadership, the status of a leader] This is the word that I think is the key that caused his disciples to believe in him and become followers. They evidently witnessed the lack of wine, the mother of Jesus pointing this out to him, and the whole process of how Jesus responded to provide a solution that renewed the joy of the festivities. To them the results were utterly amazing and it was Jesus' leadership that solved this delema. This vision of hospitality and leadership as they saw how Jesus mingled with the people and what control he had over a very tense situation provided the impetus to become disciples of Jesus and respond positively to his invitation.

I believe that most every person is gifted with leadership ability but, like all talents and gifts, they need to be recognized, developed, and practiced. This was also true of Jesus when we consider what we learn about him in the Gospels. We are told about his birth, his parents, his interest in learning as a child from leaders in the Temple, the son of a Carpenter, his Baptism by John the Baptist, his time of temptation in the desert, along with other subtle things that hint of his preparation for being who he was called to be. Details of a similar nature are true in all of our lives wherein we grow to be and become all that we can be. While expressions of leadership may differ from one person to another, leadership training would be basically similar in content, structure, and goals. Here is a model of what I have learned that I have expressed in an acronym to consolidate the content to be easily remembered:

LEADERSHIP:

· Learning Enthusiastically

· Appreciating Diversity

· Energizing Relationships

· Sharing Hospitality

· Inspiring People

One's attitude in life is vital in everything we think, say, or do! The dictionary defines attitude as - [a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways]. Zig Ziglar, a famous motivational speaker, said: "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude" and George Sheehan, an American physician, said, “Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”. There are many writers and speakers who have simply said, "Attitude is everything"! One of my life mentors, John C. Maxwell, wrote a book called "The Difference Maker - Making Your Attitude Your Greatest Asset" in which he spells out very clearly why your attitude is the difference maker - a book well worth reading. The greatest part of Jesus' leadership ability was his attitude. He was humble but also well aware of his calling and mission to announce and demonstrate the Kingdom of God on earth.

As you read the Synoptic Gospels and especially the Gospel of John you realize how much time and effort Jesus spent in preparing himself for his ministry and mission. This attitude of prayer and meditation was a part of his daily life experience as well. Even the apostle Paul, who never met Jesus in the flesh personally, knew and adapted this stance in Phillippians 4:8, "Finally, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

In closing this portion of John's introduction of Jesus, I would invite you to consider visiting our website - http://www.JandDHealth.com- which is dedicated to help us focus on these essentials for a healthy life in Mind, Soul, and Body. Especially the opening section on "Mindful Soul Food" - - "Learning to Live Well".

http://janddhealth.com/LWellPage.html

May the caring peace of God that goes beyond human comprehension, declare God's love for you in your heart and mind as we see it in Jesus Christ; and may the blessing of God, loving Creator, gracious Liberator, and life giving Spirit keep you steadfast now and always. Amen.