Thoughts for the Day

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Today is the Feast Day of John, the disciple of Jesus. The words from today's scripture is not from his Gospel but from his First letter. The four Gospel writers are known as Evangelists because they passed on the good news of Jesus Christ to others. Evangelists 2,000 years ago did not usually have the gift of prophecy nor the pastoral responsibility for a church, they were mostly travelling preachers taking the news to different parts of the world.

So who was John? Well the church has always thought that he was the "disciple whom Jesus loved", and the writer of John's Gospel. That still leaves the question whether he also wrote the Epistles of John, and there are some complicated discussions by theologians about differences in grammar and vocabulary concerning this. Suffice it to say, I am going with the belief that John the disciple wrote the Gospel of John and this First Letter of John.

Saint John was thought to be the youngest disciple and son of Zebedee and Salome, as well as brother to James. He was born around 6CE in Bethsaida, in Galilee, and died aged around 93 years. His sign that he is an 'Evangelist' is an eagle, and he's usually shown as holding a book or writing in a book or scroll. It's worth looking at church stained glass windows to find this. There are numerous legends about him. In the 2nd century Polycrates the bishop of Ephesus claimed that John's tomb was at Ephesus, but this is just one of the stories lost in the mists of time.

The most important thing to remember about John is his wonderful writing and in particular Chapter 14 of the Gospel, and Chapter 4 of his first letter. You might like to refresh your memory of these (see Further Thoughts)

Lord Jesus,
we thank you that John
heard your call while cleaning his fishing nets,
and answered that call.
We thank you that he was a true and faithful disciple
passing his faith onto many others.
May we copy his example in following You,
passing all that we learn onto others,
and living a life of hopeful faith.
Amen.