Tagged: logos

John 1:(1-9), 10-18

This text is used for the Lectionary Year C on January 3, 2016.

John 1 1-18I’m never entirely sure what to do when the lectionary hands me a set of verses, half of which are in parentheses.  Does that mean those verses are a suggestion or does it indicate they are less crucial to the liturgical season on hand? Or does the lectionary committee simply mean to honor my skill as a preacher treating me like a quarterback with an ability to call an audible after a quick look at the congregation.  “This bunch looks engaged, I think I’ll unpack the cryptic prologue,” or “This group looks like they’ve been to a Christmas party thrown by Christians who’ve found their freedom in Christ, I better stick with the basics.”

Then again I find that I’m always asking that sort of question of John, no matter what the season is or what verses I’m assigned.  I have to slow down for John more than any other gospel.  It has been said that the fourth evangelist provides waters in which elephants can swim and children can wade.  John is consistently assigned the eagle when the church is distributing the images of the four creatures found in Ezekiel and Revelation.   Why?  Because with that eagle we share a high-flying omniscient perspective.  That’s helpful because in John we are constantly looking at the layers of meaning.  Take for example Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus in chapter three when Jesus tells him that he will be “lifted up.”  The Greek word is hypso and it can me just that, lifted up, as in Jesus was lifted up off of the ground on a cross or it can mean exalted, as in being an elevated object of worship.  John uses this kind of double entendre often, leaving clever interpretation to his readers.

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