Prior to class, I copied down the notes on the white board. 1) “Dear John, You're fired. Sincerely, Herb”, and 2) “Dear John, Things are tough. We can't afford you anymore. You're fired. I'm sorry. It's not my fault. It's just circumstances. Sincerely, Herb”. At first I didn’t think they had anything to do with the Gospel of John, but our instructor said she would explain it later.
She began tonight's lecture by reviewing the talk about the Wedding at Cana. The point of the story is not turning water into wine, but is to reveal Jesus’ identity as the son of God; taking up the position of the bridegroom to Israel. Although there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that the story at Cana did or didn’t happen, and although some might argue that the Bible is (just) a book of stories, these stories were inspired by faith and faith is imparted by these stories.
After David captured the city of Jerusalem he took the Arc there and made it his capital. It’s interesting to note that before the temple, the Jews did not have a sense that God lived with them continually. The tent and the Arc were signs of God’s presence, but He was not necessarily confined to them. In time however, the Temple was understood to be the permanent place for God. It assured them that God was with them and that His actual presence was there continuously.
David knew that if you wanted God to dwell with you, you must be faithful to the covenant and seek good and not evil so that the “Lord your God will be with you”. Later with Jeremiah and the prophets God's presence in the Temple became a sign of judgment. Still later Ezekiel proclaimed that once Jerusalem returned to their God then He would return to the Temple. This idea that God might depart and then return is found in the Gospel of John in the themes of darkness (separation from the Glory of God) and light (communion with the Glory of God).
The Temple was the center of political and social life, a place for proclaiming official news, a source of work, and a source of taxes. The Temple tax had to be paid in the local currency and animals had to be purchased for the sacrifice, so travelers coming from other lands needed the money changers to worship in the Temple. The money changers were not the problem: Jesus wasn’t trying to interfere with the worship of those from faraway places; Jesus was upset with the money changers who were cheating the poor and innocent for personal gain.
The Temple also gave those in power superiority over all other Jews, but Jesus was now proclaiming that He was the place where the people should meet God. Bringing down sacrifice and ending the sacrificial system was seen as an attack by those in power within the Temple system. Essentially the approach to sacrifice as a way to manipulate and placate God was now over. Jesus was saying “You no longer need this”, God is not a vending machine in which you put time or money or talents and out comes salvation or ever-lasting life.
Remember that in the story of the Wedding at Cana (the beginning of Jesus’ ministry) there are only 6 jars, which is an incomplete number, suggesting that the worship of the Jews is incomplete. Jesus himself is the seventh jar indicating that the worship of God is being perfected in Jesus. Jesus said “You destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days”. He was the new means of atonement, and there was no longer any requirement for sacrifices at the temple. These actions at the Temple set him in conflict with those who are in opposition to him. Keep in mind that John’s represents those in opposition to Jesus as the Jews, but this is only symbolic.
The foundational image of the temple was misunderstood by the Jews and disciples who are unable to move beyond the literal words of Jesus. They experienced a struggle for understanding, “How can you do this”, “It took 46 years to build the temple”, there was both acceptance and rejection. The disciples seem to have understood His meaning and therefore they represent the community that understood the Temple of His body to represent the believing community that comes later. “They came to believe the words that were spoken”.
First, the Temple was understood to be a building, and then in revealing the identity of Jesus as the bridegroom and the new temple, the Temple is understood to be the person of Jesus, and even later the Temple is understood to be the church, the community of believers. We are the new Temple, an Christological symbol of the community of believers. In Jesus’ teaching the destruction and rebuilding of the Temple points to what Jesus will accomplish in each of us, “Let your hearts not be troubled”. Prayer does not change God, prayer changes us. While Jesus is with us he provides living water and healing, and we should also be sources of comfort and healing.
Next our instructor asked us to discuss, amongst ourselves, the story of Nickodemus and to find examples of symbolism in the story. My little group of three found a few: Re-birth = heaven, wind = spirit, light = truth, darkness = evil, serpent mounted = healing, and Jesus glorified = eternal life. Talk about a proud little group of three. Other groups found: water = source of life, flesh = word becoming flesh, and a few others.
Someone in the class asked about the baptismal story and whether this is where the idea of being “born again” comes from. Most believe that being born again or being born of the Spirit is a conversion experience. Our baptism is in fact a rebirth in Jesus which is a rebirth in the Spirit, which is understood as dying to your-self and rising to eternal life. It might be seen as being “born again”, however the conversion which follows isn’t a one-time experience; it’s an ongoing process.
Nickodemus is an example of a crypto Christian (secret believer), a representative figure of the Jews. He was part of the ruling leadership who comes to Jesus at night; in spiritual sadness. We see that by coming at night he is spiritually in the dark and he hasn't quite seen the light, even though he says, “We know that you are a teacher from God”. Jesus is the light shining in the darkness, the light of the world and the One who gives sight. Nickodemus voices a resistance to this idea of new life because he is afraid. He is a realist who is a bit frustrated, “How is this possible”. He is asking the question that we must all ask of ourselves, “Will we allow our life to be transformed by the possibilities given to us by God”, or will we continue to define how we understand God?
Nickodemus lives in the heart of every crypto Christian, believing because of the signs; but because of his inadequate faith and literal interpretation he is unable to understand Jesus. Jesus is replacing what it means to be a Child of God and in this narrative about being born of water and spirit vs born from the womb the evangelist gives us one of the clearest images of the femininity of God. Water is used in baptism and cleansing, giving us life via re-birth. Some see this as a strong image of God as Mother, spiritual rebirth and spiritual transformation. The replacement theology of this text is that every person is a Child of God not because of birth but because of their baptism in water and spirit.
We moved on to the story of the Samaritan woman, and the instructors question was “What is the main point of the story”? Again my little group of three listed conversion through belief, the message about the importance of doing god's work, willingness to spread the word, and the Water of Life. We also noted that although the Samaritan woman misunderstood Jesus’ meaning, she came to him in daylight in contrast to Nickodemus. Other students noted the importance of equality. Jesus’ acceptance of sinners and outcasts representing acceptance of all people: Jesus' offer of life to all. This story also is a type of story following a Biblical pattern, where a meeting at a well of future spouses as playing a salvation role in history. Josephs well in this story represents Ancient Israel.
Recall that in the previous story Jesus offers Nickodemus new life which he resists, He offers it again and it is resisted, and then He has the last word. This same narrative technique is found in the story of the Samaritan woman, and it turns out that this technique is used a lot in the Gospel of John. Many of the stories in John follow a structure or narrative technique called chiasm.
Remember my notes before class? They are an example of this technique:
- A – Dear John, (opening)
- B – Your fired. (statement)
- A' – Sincerely, Herb. (closing)
The second example would look like this:
- A – Dear John, (opening)
- B – Things are tough. We can’t afford you anymore. (explanation)
- C – Your fired. (statement)
- B’ – I’m sorry. It’s not my fault. (regret)
- A' – Sincerely, Herb. (closing)
In the story about the Samarian woman, the technique looks like this:
- A – v4:1-14 – Conversation with the woman
- B – v4:10-15 – Conversation about living water
- C – v4:16-26 – Conversation about true worship
- B' – v4:27-38 – Conversation about bread of life
- A' – v4:39-42 – Conversation with the town folk
In the story the woman came during the day, evidently trying to avoid others, and as in other stories light represents salvation and revelation while darkness represents rejection. In this story Jesus seeks out the Samarian woman (He really didn't need to pass through Samaria. Jesus had just come from the Temple, an area that represents leadership and high rank in Judaism. He has left an area of holiness to an area that is fallen away; separated from the covenant. He is a Jew, a man, and Holy while she is a Samarian, a woman, and sinful: He is purposely ignoring the rules of ritual purity. The woman is a seeker, questioning Jesus' willingness to talk to her.
She wants to know where true worship should take place, so we know that she is aware of the requirement of one place for worship. She was aware of the disagreement because she knows that the Temple in Jerusalem was not the original place of worship for the Jews. Notice that Jesus never says that it should be Jerusalem; instead He says that both places are superseded by a worship in Spirit. The woman begins as an outcast, who is known by Jesus who reveals her shame, yet during her conversation with Jesus she moves beyond her past. Jesus chose a rejected sinner and filled her with the good news about who she could be. Although her testimony could not be trusted (in legal matters) because she was a woman, she was believed by the others because she had been transformed. Her example of evangelization to others emphasizes the mission of the church to all people.
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