Unbinding

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Unbinding

Jesus Wept

Call Back to Life

I Am the Resurrection

Rise

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 11: 43 and 44

A good friend of Jesus, Lazarus, was very sick and passed away before Jesus could come to him. His sisters, Martha and Mary, were very upset but yet expressed their belief in Jesus. 

Jesus went to his grave in a cave, and He cried out in a loud voice,

"Lazarus, come out!"

The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. 

So, Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go."

Reflection

It is so easy to get wrapped up in things. Our worries can drive us crazy. Political conflicts can get us upset. Miscommunication with friends can cause resentments. Wars, homelessness, crime, poverty, disease can all frustrate us and make us angry.

We are reminded in this reading from John that Jesus faced these difficulties as well. Confronted with the death of His friend Lazarus and the grief of his sisters, Jesus wept. He could feel the pain of Martha and Mary and His own personal loss. Those who were gathered at the grave of Lazarus could see how deeply Jesus loved him.

Jesus calls Lazarus back to life. In an amazing and awesome moment, Jesus overcame that ultimate obstacle, death. He showed all who were gathered that He truly was the Resurrection and the Life.

This puts the issues that wrap us up and bind us in a completely different light. Yes, we get worried. Yes, we get anxious. Yes, we get angry. Yes, we get frustrated. We are human.

But we ask ourselves, " Haven't all of those difficulties been overcome by Jesus?"

He has told us, "I AM the resurrection." If death has been conquered, all of the "wrappings and bindings" that tie us up can be broken and disposed of. His power is awesome!

Jesus shows us His concern for us as we see Him weep for His good friend. He calls us in Love to be His friends also. 

Jesus invites us to rise from our concerns and to embrace the New Life He wants to share with us. He shows us how deeply He loves us and cares for us.

It's time for us to rise.

It's time to take our bindings off and walk with Jesus!

1. What are the concerns that bind you?

2. As you ponder the raising of Lazarus, how do you feel?

3. When you hear that Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus, how does that relate to your own experience of grief and loss?

4. What does it mean to you when Jesus says, "I AM the resurrection."?

5. What do you see in Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Blindness

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Blindness

Spiritual   Rejection

Wash Away the Clay

You Will See Him

I Am He

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 9:36

Jesus healed a man who was born blind on the sabbath and some of the religious authorities were concerned about it and questioned both the man who was cured and his parents. Jesus sought him out and He asked him if he believed in the Son of Man. He asked Jesus who the Son of Man was so that he could believe in Him. 

Jesus said to him:

"You have seen Him and the One who is speaking to you is He."

Reflection

There are so many ways we can be blind. I can remember cutting the lawn once and being very happy with how it looked. My wife came out and pointed out a spot that I totally missed. 

Then there is the spiritual blindness when I miss those times when I hurt someone's feelings or forget to reach out to someone who is ill. It is so easy to get so self-involved that we overlook our sisters and brothers who can use our help.

In our scripture from The Gospel of John, both Jesus and the man who was cured face rejection from the religious authorities. You have to admire the way they both respond to the negativity. They remain true to their beliefs.

The way Jesus cures this man is very earthy. Jesus takes some soil and His spittle and makes clay to put over the man's eyes. When he washes it away, he is cured.

This shows us how human Jesus is and how He uses the simple elements we find in nature to heal and to help others. He refuses to wait and to do the healing on another day. He reaches out to this man who has been blind for his whole life and cures him immediately. He is faithful to His mission to bring Good News to all of us, especially those who are most in need.

The man is truly remarkable. He tells everyone exactly who cured him by describing how he was cured. He tells them that it was the man who put the clay on his eyes. He even corrects the religious authorities by indicating that the man who cured him was from God. His courage is amazing.

Jesus sees this in him and reveals to him that He is the Son of Man. Jesus has opened the man's eyes on both a physical and spiritual level. He is blind no more.

Jesus comes to us today to heal our blindness. He embraced our humanity and walked with us. He knows that we struggle with our sometimes-limited vision and can walk by those who need our help.

He will be with us to put that clay on our eyes in both a physical and spiritual way. He wants to give us the courage to face rejection and misunderstanding.

As you wash your eyes in the pool of God's grace, journey with Jesus at your side to continue His ministry of healing and proclaiming the Good News!

1. Where have you encountered blindness in your life?

2. Have you faced any rejection as you have tried to spread the Gospel?

3. How has Jesus cured you of your blindness?

4. Who are those people whom Jesus wants you to heal today?

5. As you reflect on Kathy's photo, what do you see?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Well

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Well

Living Water

Drink    God's Revelation

I Am the One

Evangelize

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 4:26

Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well about living water. The woman was surprised that Jesus was talking with her and got into a conversation about the Messiah with Him. Jesus told her:

"I am He, the One who is speaking with you."

Reflection

A lot of conversations can go on around a well. It is a great gathering place for the community as people come together to fill their jugs with the precious water for cooking and cleaning.

The cultural convention during the time of Jesus was that women and men would not converse in public. This was even more the case when the woman was a Samaritan and the man was Jewish. Usually, the two would keep their distance.

It is obvious from the story in the fourth chapter of The Gospel of John that Jesus is not bound by these conventions. He is the one who initiates the conversation---much to the surprise of this Samaritan woman. She is shocked that Jesus would do this.

She is shocked again when Jesus reveals details about her personal life. Their dialogue turns to water, and Jesus expands her viewpoint by speaking about "living" water. Jesus has water that leads to eternal life. His water is not about satisfying a thirst for a time but forever.

The woman wants to drink of this water. Indeed, we all do! Who wouldn't want to take a drink that would give you life forever? 

The woman senses that she is speaking with someone who is Special. She begins to wonder if He might be the Messiah. 

Jesus responds to her and reveals that He is the One, He is the Messiah. She is the first one in The Gospel of John to whom Jesus reveals this. In some respects, you might think that she would be the last one whom Jesus tells. Another example of how Jesus defies our limited expectations of His ministry.

Where does this encounter lead?

It leads to four different examples of evangelization.

Jesus evangelizes the Samaritan woman. He shares who He is with her.

Jesus evangelizes the apostles. He shows them it is important to reach out to women and include them in ministry.

The Samaritan woman herself becomes an evangelizer. She tells the people in the town about Jesus and encourages them to meet Him for themselves. This was probably very challenging for her as we might imagine her reputation in the town was very shaky.

Finally, Jesus spends two days in the town speaking with everyone and sharing the Good News with them. This would have been unusual and against the conventions of the time for a Jewish Teacher to spend time with the enemy---the hated Samaritans!

This helps to shape us on our road as evangelizers. We can't let the customs and constraints of our culture limit our call to evangelize.

Jesus is offering us His Well. He is calling us to drink of that same living water that He gave to the Samaritan woman. He wants to nourish us and sustain us from His Well so that we can share it with all.

Drink up!!!

1. When have you come to the well to drink of the living water of Jesus?

2. Do you feel limited by the cultural conventions of today as you share the Good News of Jesus?

3. Why do you think the Samaritan woman is the first one in The Gospel of John to whom Jesus reveals that He is the Messiah?

4. How important is evangelization in your life?

5. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo of the waters?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)