Seeds

John 12:20-36 (The Message)

There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?"

Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus.

Jesus answered, "Time's up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.

"If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.

"Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? 'Father, get me out of this'? No, this is why I came in the first place. I'll say, 'Father, put your glory on display.'"

A voice came out of the sky: "I have glorified it, and I'll glorify it again."

The listening crowd said, "Thunder!"

Others said, "An angel spoke to him!"

Jesus said, "The voice didn't come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me." He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.

Voices from the crowd answered, "We heard from God's Law that the Messiah lasts forever. How can it be necessary, as you put it, that the Son of Man 'be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

Jesus said, "For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn't destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don't know where you're going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You'll be children of light."

...Anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.

As we walk the path of Holy Week, maybe all the lessons point directly to this truth.

Jesus' act of love and giving in the cross is the ultimate example of letting go.

He could have fought, could have resisted. He chose to contain his power and wrath, even as he was misunderstood and mistrusted.

We would be greatly mistaken to somehow equate his "letting go" with any weakness or lack of fortitude.

In fact, just the opposite is true.

Have you ever been misunderstood? Have you ever felt wrongly accused?

It's so hard not to "hang on to life as it is" when those things happen to us. It's so hard to let go, and trust God to bring the redemption that we need and for which we long.

Jesus' example teaches us to let go...to drop our ego...to embrace God's strength, not our own. To become an example to others of wheat, buried in the ground. When it dies, it brings forth life. Real life, that lasts.

It's Tuesday...and we take another step toward Friday...and Easter Sunday.

May Christ be with us today and forever.

Prayer: We listen to Jesus words, "Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over." The teaching is not easy, but we know that it is the narrow way of life. Wherever we need to die to self, and to the world, we pray that you would be at work within us, leading us toward real life in you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: John 13:21-32