I Can't Imagine!

John 15:1-8

1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

Reflection

Abide in me... What does this mean? Abide?

First off, abide is a verb. Abide is something that I must do. Abide gives me an action to take. Abide in me... should I take this as a command?

A definition I have seen reflects the meaning of abide to be an acceptance. How do I accept? What am I accepting?

It seems in this passage Jesus is telling us to accept him. To accept him not only because Jesus wants us to accept him but even more, to accept him because without him we are on our own to live and die, and that will be that. Jesus is offering us a chance at eternal life in him. In him and through him we can have eternal life, salvation, and a life that is beyond anything we could ever imagine on our own.

When we "abide" in Jesus we live a life and bear fruit of which we can't even begin to understand on our own. Without this "abide" we bear no fruit. We receive no nourishment to support anything. Without Jesus we can't even support our own life. Without Jesus we dry up and die and become fuel for the fire.

But what if... what if... we accept?

Jesus' words will be with us. We bear fruit. We receive nourishment. Everlasting nourishment that glorifies God, and we are disciples. We become new and refreshed and wonderful creations of God that are created for life and love, and eternally connected to the only source of life through the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Abide in me... What does this mean?

It means life with endless possibilities and endless love in the God of you and of me and of all creation. I CAN'T only imagine! Surely I will be surprised by the endless mysteries God has in store for me. And that is more than all I need.

Prayer

I can't imagine! Nope, Lord, I can't imagine, but I accept the awesome gift of life you offer as I abide in you... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

They Gave Him a Piece of Broiled Fish

Luke 24:36b-48
36 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 37 They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate in their presence. 44 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

Reflection
So there I was. Yes! I was with all of them when suddenly Jesus appeared. Where did he come from? How did he get in? I suppose at some time Jesus must have been One with that door he came through. He must have been in the door and the door in him, because here he was, right before our eyes. Surely he was like a ghost or something. Surely! Only ghosts can be One with the door! Only ghosts can go through wood and just show up after all. Yep! I was there with them.

But then Jesus says, "Nope! I'm not a ghost!" Yea... right! Even I has a hard time believing this! He came through that door after all and here he was. So Jesus goes on to show us his hands and his feet. Gross! Hands and feet that were One with the wood of that cross just a few days back. The same hands and feet with holes in them! Come on, Jesus, give us a break here. I bet, if I could, I could thrust myself right through those hands and feet just like you, Jesus, thrust yourself through that closed door. Admit it, Jesus, you're a ghost! You may be the Holy Ghost but you're a ghost!

I'm still not sure about all of this. So, just to prove that he wasn't a ghost, Jesus does something with me that nails it, pun intended. They hand me to him and he eats me! Jesus eats me! Jesus chews me up and swallows me and down I go. There I go right into the belly of Jesus! Talk about a reversal of the Jonah deal! I'm in the belly of Jesus! And the stomach acid starts to work on me and before you know it Jesus' body is making me One with his blood. OK! I believe, Jesus! You are not a ghost! You are flesh and blood.

So, I once was a fish. What am I now? I'm one with the body and blood of Jesus now. This whole situation doesn't make a bit of sense to me. Jesus came to prove that he was flesh and blood, Jesus came through this door to prove that he was real but look what he made me!

Then Jesus goes on to tell the disciples that they are witnesses! Come on Jesus! What about the poor ol' fish you just ate!

So what do the disciples do? They go and tell. Sure Jesus makes me One with him in his body and blood and the disciples go and do likewise. They tell of Jesus who gave his body and blood to save them from sin by the actions that Jesus took upon himself. Jesus makes them One with himself through his body and blood given upon that cross and resurrected to new life. Body and blood through the bread and wine  that these new believers take into their own real bodies to digest and become One once again with Jesus.

Talk about a mystery! And I'm just a little ol' digested fish after all!

Prayer
Jesus... I believe! As I tell of your suffering, death and resurrection; I know of your forgiveness and new life. A new life in the here and now, in the flesh and blood while I am One with you... today.... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen