Setting Up Camp With Jesus; John 1

May the mumbling commence!

O, the joys of setting up camp!  In the first chapter of the gospel according to John, the Word of God lived among us.  That Word of God is none other than Jesus of Nazareth.  What did Jesus use to set up camp “in our neighborhood”?  Read from John chapter one:

So the word of God became a human being and lived among us. We saw his splendour (the splendour as of a father's only son), full of grace and truth. And it was about him that John stood up and testified, exclaiming: "Here is the one I was speaking about when I said that although he would come after me he would always be in front of me; for he existed before I was born!" Indeed, every one of us has shared in his riches – there is a grace in our lives because of his grace. For while the Law was given by Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. It is true that no one has ever seen God at any time. Yet the divine and only Son, who lives in the closest intimacy with the Father, has made him known. (Verses 14-18)

The word translated “lived among us” is a Greek word that literally means tented with us.  What a rich symbol for the Jewish people, who knew the stories of the Tabernacle of God through the wilderness wanderings!  The tabernacle had many images that helped to define the Lord God to Israel.

So, what ways did the Word of God define the Lord God of Israel – indeed the Lord God of all creation?  There is truth.  Truth is important to the author of the gospel of John.  Truth is too easily censored and bent to the will of humanity.  Truth came through Jesus.

Sometimes truth hurts.  Sometimes that hurt is necessary for healing to happen – a necessary surgery for health.  Sometimes hurt is meant only to tear down.  This type of hurting “truth” neglects the other things that Jesus set up camp with – grace and love.

When truth is tempered by grace and love, the hurting is only for a while and is for the good of all creation.  What is grace?  It is undeserved favor.  God, through Jesus, extends to us an amazing grace.  Even as we sought to tear down the will of God, God reached out to us to heal us in the only way possible – through the obedience of Christ and his sacrifice for our sins.  Jesus lives through resurrection.  What an amazing grace!

Then, there is love.  Sometimes love hurts.  It is no surprise that there are popular songs that teach us this truth – albeit in a less than accurate way.  True love hurts in a healing way.

These are the riches of God – love, grace and truth.  All three came through Jesus Christ – the Word of God.  What a beautiful camp set up in our neighborhood.  Let us join this camp rather than the camps of this world where bickering and division and partial truths are the hallmarks.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out