Hello, everyone. This is my first post on friendly scripture study. I prefer to use the questions designed by Friendly Bible Study to help me focus better on the verses. So I will structure my posts around those questions.
1. What is the author's main point in this passage? (MAIN POINT)
The main point, which seems to be a re-occurring theme in the gospel of John, is a testimony to who Jesus was/is. The passage demonstrates not only Jesus' foreknowledge of his own death, but of his resurrection, and the "benefits" to those who believe in him after he is gone (ascended into heaven?). His death and resurrection is like that of the pains of labor: at first the process is painful, but soon after, with new life comes great joy and hope for the future.
2. What new light do I find in this particular reading of this passage of the text? (NEW LIGHT)
While training as a family therapist I was taught the approach of "reframing" a situation. The approach is used when individuals or families appear to be "stuck" in a negative cycle of blame, shame, recriminations, etc. Thus, a little boy who constantly fails in school due to disruptive behaviors (and which causes a great deal of conflict and anguish for the parents) is actually "helping" the usually emotionally distant family unit to come together as a team to help one of their members to cope better.
It seems that Jesus is doing that sort of thing here. Of course, if one believes the traditional theology of the Christian church, then Jesus was referring more to just metaphor. However, he does use a life-affirming, uplifting metaphor of a potentially traumatizing and horrific event: namely, his arrest and crucifixion. I had never noticed how he had "reframed" the entire situation to one of birth and new life to help prepare his followers for impending events.
3. Is this passage true to my experience? (TRUTH)
Happily, yes. I've had several very difficult situations that appeared to be permanently damaging, but turned into life changing and "reviving" circumstances. A "life from or after death" sort of thing.
Sensing God's presence and the love of others in the midst of those "dying times" helps me to recognize the new life afterwards more readily and easily.
4. What are the implications of this passage for my life? (IMPLICATIONS)
Hmm. I don't know if I have ever had the prescience of Jesus: that is, to recognize an impending horrible situation as being a prelude to something that will bring new life and new beginnings. Typically, I can only tell afterwards - hindsight is 20/20, that sort of thing.
Or maybe I have as with the death of a dear friend or family member. Despite my deep sadness and pain, I recall that afterwards there is life, even a new life that creates change and transformation (at least for me and possibly for those who have died - I am agnostic about the particulars of post-death).
5. What problems do I have with this passage? (PROBLEMS)
None. I tend to be agnostic and ambivalent regarding some of the specifics of the Nicene creed, etc., and these verses hint to some of that. But, one can also interpret it in other ways that affirms that the pain and loss of today is the process wherein we can and do find renewal, hope, and new life.
4 comments:
Hi Joe. I like your way of structuring the passage. I find your attitude very up-beat ... you siad ... the pain and loss of today is the process wherein we can and do find renewal, hope, and new life.
- I sometimes find that the pain and loss of today tends to main me, destroying the trust I've tried to build with Jesus/God. I bet a lot of this is due to attitude ... I need to work on this!
Thank you Joe for your insightful examination of this passage.
Following up on Crystal's comment - I am reminded of a difficult time in my life, in which in all my humanness, I cried, "Why did this happen to me?"
And then, in a wonderful reframe, I thought, "Why wouldn't this happen to me?" In other words, what would make me different that bad things should not happen to me? This reframe cast so much illumination on my humanity, my vulnerability, and the universality of mine and everyone's condiditon.
I love that Jesus uses this birth metaphor for the death and resurrection, with its painful connotation and yet the promise of a celebration of new life to come. He does reframe this into an event, that although we may resist, will lead eventually to an even more fulfilling future.
Thanks for sharing Joe.
We have used the Friendly Bible Study structure but inconsistently so its good to be reminded of it. In particular starting with the amin point. We've sort of (I've sort of) fallen into responding to whatever speaks to su first without that context as discipline.
Very glad you have decided to join us, Joe. We needed some new blood, and yours is very welcome. As David pointed out, we (at least he and I) are most apt to write on the particular, personal meaning of a verse or passage.
Years ago we began worship at the Brevard (NC) meeting. One of the members, Jesse Mock, who has become a very dear friend, virtually insisted that I go with him to a Bible Conference organized by Chuck Fager at Arch St. Meeting in Philly.
I had minimal interest in it at the time, but in deference to Jesse I went with him.
I've never been sorry. My early impressions of the meeting had been that the Bible was one of the least important of their concerns, but at Arch St. I found people all over the East who shared with us an infinite variety of ways of approaching the Bible, all of them creative and refreshing.
I had not thought of it before, but this group bears a lot of similarity to that conference , for which I am deeply grateful.
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