Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray with Me”.

Did Jesus act out a parody? I think his Palm Sunday procession into Jerusalem was a parody of a Roman victory parade. 

A Roman general, having crushed his enemies, would ride into Rome on a war chariot pulled by fierce war horses. Troops, captives, and spoils of war accompanied him. Military, political, and religious celebrations made for a spectacular and vivid holiday. 

Jesus rode into Jerusalem, not Rome. No war horse or chariot, just an unimpressive donkey. No troops and captives in to show off, just friends and disciples who hoped his popularity in the countryside would bring acclaim and fame in Jerusalem. 

Always up for a good parade, people spread palm branches and shouted, “Blessed is the king of Israel!” (v 12). 

But Jesus didn’t want to be king. He said, “Here’s the kind of glory I will earn. A kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies. I am wheat. You are wheat. We have crosses to carry and deaths to die before our hope grows to life” (v 23-26). 

Hmmm. That doesn’t sound like a victory speech.

Jesus’ fame kept growing. News of Lazarus’ resurrection spread through Jerusalem, until the religious leaders said, “Not good. This guy’s going viral! The whole world is watching him” (v 19). 

For the last time in John’s gospel, Jesus defends himself, saying “I am the light of the world. Walk in the light while it is here. Otherwise, darkness will overtake you” (v 35-36). 

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, you knew darkness was coming, that soon Judas would betray you. That soon the sun would not shine when you were crucified. Soon, a funeral, your funeral, with your body sealed in a dark, borrowed tomb. 

And you invited us into darkness and death . . . unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone. 

O Jesus, we want you to give us spiritual gifts to affirm our identity, to comfort us, to give us strength. We want you to be our light and love, but you warn us of darkness and death. 

O Jesus, light of the world, help us as we follow you into darkness, like buried seeds, like children of God carrying crosses. And afterward, bring us to your glorious light. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube.

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray with Me”.

Do you know who first called death “The Big Sleep”? Raymond Chandler wasn’t first, but he made it famous in a 1939 hardboiled mystery novel and film.

Guess what! Jesus used the metaphor centuries earlier. In John 10, two days after Lazarus was reported sick, Jesus said, “He is sleeping. I think I’ll go wake him up” (v 11). 

The disciples said, “If he’s sick, he needs sleep. It’ll help him get better” (v.12). 

Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead. Let’s visit and see what faith can do” (v 14-15). 

Doubting Thomas said, “Good idea. Let’s go die with Lazarus” (v 16).

Sure enough. When they arrived, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother will rise again” (v. 23). 

Martha replied, “Well, yes, in the distant future when all the dead are raised. But that’s not much help today” (v 24). 

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. I’m helpful today” (v 25). 

Was this a helpful response to Martha, while she was grieving her dead brother, remembering that she too was on the road to the Big Sleep? 

Lazarus’ other sister, Mary, said to Jesus, “Lord, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died” (v 32). 

Jesus said, “Show me the tomb” (v 33). 

There they rolled away the stone from the entrance, releasing the stench of death. Jesus said to the stinking body, “Lazarus! Come out!” 

He did.

Jesus said, “Take off his grave clothes and let him go” (v 44). 

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, as you journeyed toward the cross, Lazarus foreshadowed your death and resurrection. We still hear your words to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” But what does that mean for us as we journey toward our last and lasting sleep? 

For Lazarus it meant release from his tomb and decomposing grave clothes. For Mary and Martha, it meant a restored family in the present, not just a distant resurrection at the end of the world.

As we live in our dying bodies, we believe you give eternal life. When we attend funerals, we trust in a future resurrection. When we lower a coffin, we believe you overcame death. And we believe that whether we live or sleep, you give eternal life. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube.

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray with Me”.

Do you think of yourself as a god? In John 10, Jesus said, “Scripture calls people who heard the word of God are called gods” (v 34-36). Really? Calling us gods? Where did that come from?

Before we start calling people gods, let’s look more closely at Jesus’ words.

When he was in the temple, Jews said to him, “Don’t keep us in suspense. If you’re the Messiah, just say so” (v 24). 

Jesus said, “I’ve already said so, but you refuse to believe. That’s because you’re not God’s sheep. God’s sheep listen to me and I give them eternal life. I am one with God” (v 25-30). 

Jesus’ opponents choked at that answer. Not just Messiah . . . now Jesus is claiming that he, a mere man, is one with God. Impossible. Blasphemy. A capital sin deserving capital punishment, so they picked up stones to stone him (v 33).

Jesus responded by quoting Psalm 82. Listen to it:
  “You are gods;
      You are all sons of the Most High,
  But you will die like mere mortals;
      You will fall like every other ruler.”
          Ps 82:6

The psalmist says, “You are small-g gods, sons of the Most High, but you will die like mortals.” Whoever heard of gods dying like men? Some commentaries suggest that the psalmist used the word “god” to mean kings who represent God’s rule on earth, or maybe judges representing God’s judgment.

But Jesus didn’t explain it like that. He took the psalm at face value. He said, “If the psalmist called people gods when they received the word of God, why do you have a problem when I call myself the son of God?” (v 34-36). 

The Jews didn’t argue with Jesus’ use of scripture. Nor his use of the word “gods”. Nor his claim to be a son of God. Instead, they tried to arrest him, but he walked away. 

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, you kept getting yourself into trouble by claiming a special relationship with God. You called yourself shepherd of God’s sheep, giver of eternal life, son of God, the great I AM, and now, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).  

And you used the word “god” much more loosely than we do. You used it for mortals who die.  

Yet, in many ways, Jesus, we humans are gods on earth. We use the rich resources in magical ways to make planes and ships and cell phones and bombs. We judge our enemies and make war on them. We idolize celebrities and worship them.  

Forgive us for ignoring you as we build our kingdom on earth. Forgive us for exploiting creation for our gain instead of your honor. 

May your strong words shake us up, Jesus. May we worship your father, the big-G God, and may imitate him like small-g gods, representing his rule of truth and justice and compassion.

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube.

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray with Me”.

Have you seen a picture of Jesus as a long-haired Caucasian cuddling a white lamb? Sure wouldn’t be a black lamb, would it? I remember that image from Sunday school. What a tame take on the Good Shepherd.  

John 10 has a more robust image of the Good Shepherd. He fends off sheep thieves, criticizes contractors who fleece them, and protects the sheep from wolves.

Jesus is building on a rich history of Old Testament shepherd stories. Remember Abel, son of Adam? He was the first shepherd. His brother Cain murdered him. 

Joseph’s shepherd brothers sold him into Egyptian slavery, smeared blood on his many-colored coat, and said, “Father, is this Joseph’s coat we found?” 

After leaving a life of royalty in Egypt, Moses was a desert shepherd until God called him to shepherd the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery. Forty years later Moses prayed, “When I die, send someone to shepherd your people” (Num 27:15-17). 

David, the shepherd boy who killed the giant Goliath, was the good shepherd king of Israel, except when he was a bad shepherd king. 

Other prophets castigated Israel’s leaders as false shepherds. Listen to Isaiah:
    The leaders are dogs with mighty appetites,
    They are shepherds who lack understanding, who seek their own gain. 
          (Isa 56:11) 

The leaders are dogs, says Isaiah. Not sheep dogs. Sheep-eating dogs. 

Jesus takes up the shepherd theme in John 10 where he says, “I am the good shepherd” (v 10), “I am the gate for the sheep” (v 7), and “All who came before me are thieves and robbers” (v 8). All who came before him? What about Moses and David and Isaiah? 

Again Jesus says, “The shepherds who work on contract don’t care about the sheep. They see a wolf, they run. But I’m the good shepherd. I protect my sheep with my life!” (v 11).

Jesus declares, “My sheep recognize my voice and follow me; but a stranger’s voice scares them away” (v 4).

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, we hear cacophony of voices that drown out your words. The internet algorithms tells us what to think, sermons tell us how to live, the marketing gods tell us what to desire and why to buy. 

How can we hear your voice in our noisy world? What are you saying to us? 

Teach us to recognize your shepherd voice.
    To listen to your silence in our noisy world.
    To hear you speak into our busy lives.
    To know your presence in distracted thoughts.
    To trust your goodness in our scattered days. 

Help us recognize the thieves and contractors and wolves who promote themselves as religious leaders, but care nothing for the sheep. Help us respond to shepherds who know your voice and speak your words. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube.