Reading Plan for Oct. 18 - 24

October 18, 2026 | John 4:43-54
Reflection:
Take note in today’s reading how important “belief” is, and remember, “belief” is only one way of translating this key concept in English. Pistis is the Greek word that we can translate as “faith, trust, or belief.” For some reason, English translations of John focus almost solely on “belief” as a way of understanding human response to the wonders of God they encounter in Jesus. Try changing “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way” to “The man trusted the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way.” Trust suggests a developing relationship between Jesus and those who place faith in him and the God who is operative in and through him. There are parallels to this story in the other gospels (see Mark 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10), so today’s reading will sound familiar. It is interesting that this story takes place at Cana, like Jesus’ first miracle of turning water into wine.  Think about how far this official travelled to see Jesus, about a 20-mile journey from Capernaum. How far would you walk (travel) for the chance that perhaps you’d experience healing? Thanks be to God that Jesus is close to us, wherever we are. 

October 19, 2026 | John 5:1-9
Reflection:
In the Gospel of John, Jesus travels back and forth to Jerusalem during his ministry. There are several important things going on in this passage. One is that a very specific location is noted: the pool of Bethzatha (Bethesda) by the Sheep’s Gate, with a specific description: it has five porticos. This place was rediscovered by archaeologists in 1888; the description from scripture actually helped with the identification. Second, at an actual place of healing, no healing is actually taking place. This may function symbolically; the temple isn’t that far away. Perhaps this story is meant to be heard as a critique of the non-sacredness of the most sacred place. Maybe. Thirdly, Jesus challenges the standard religious rules by healing on the sabbath. This is will the stage for what happens next. Fourth, Jesus asks the man if he really wants to be healed. The man doesn’t answer. He makes excuses for his non-healing. It’s someone else’s fault. Jesus bypasses the man’s non-answer, and he heals him anyway. Have you ever experienced the grace of God, even at a time you weren’t really clear you wanted the change that would come with it?

October 20, 2026 | John 5:10-18
Reflection:
When we read the Gospel of John, we need to pay careful attention to how John uses the term “the Jews” throughout his account of Jesus' ministry. The Greek text of these scriptures uses the word “Ioudaioi,” which could easily be translated as “Judeans.” If we used the word “Judeans” throughout the letter, it would suggest that the conflict is between those Jews from around Jerusalem and those Jews from “up north” in Galilee, namely Jesus and his followers. This doesn’t totally solve all the problems, though. It really does appear that John pits Jesus against “the Jews” as if he is not one of them. Other gospel writers refer to Jesus’ opponents as “scribes & Pharisees.” This makes it sound like it is the religious authorities who are opposed to Jesus’ ministry, and not all of the Jewish people. In this passage, we see that Jesus questions strict interpretation of Jewish law codes, pointing out hypocrisy. Notice how when Jesus reveals himself to the man, things get worse for Jesus. Jesus takes opposition as an opportunity to reveal more of who he truly is. What beliefs do you hold that maybe Jesus himself might cause you to question?

October 21, 2026 | John 5:19-29
Reflection:
In today’s passage, we hear Jesus make some profound theological statements about the relationship between the Father and the Son. Notice the tension in Jesus’ words that say “the one who believes has eternal life” and also “those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.” No wonder there has been a divide in the greater Christian family about how one attains eternal life: faith or works? Listen for the deeper theme of “it’s all in the hands and will of God” throughout this passage. Jesus affirms that even the dead will have the chance to experience the saving grace of God. What puzzles you most about today’s passage? What brings you most comfort?

October 22, 2026 | John 5:30-47
Reflection:
If we start at the end of the passage, we will again hear how important the word “believe” is in John’s Gospel. “If you had believed Moses, you would have believed me.” When we come back to the beginning of the passage, we hear the word “testimony” at least a couple of times. Testimony is a key component in coming to belief. Eyewitnesses and scriptural proofs build the case for coming to trust and have faith. In John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks as one who has a higher vantage point; he seems to see the bigger picture that everyone else is missing. It’s almost like Jesus in John speaks from hindsight, like the post-resurrection Jesus is sharing insights earlier in the story, giving people clues as to what’s actually going on. What has been more meaningful to you in your own faith, the testimony that others have offered about Jesus and God, or your own experience? Jesus calls us to encounter “testimony” in scripture and to meet the living God in daily life, so that we come to believe and trust on a deeper and deeper level all the time.

October 23, 2026 | John 6:1-15
Reflection:
Christians often speak of the three “offices” of Jesus: prophet, priest, and king. In this passage, the people respond to Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand by saying, “Surely, he’s a prophet!” Others respond by trying to make him a king. Jesus act of sharing divine food may suggest a priestly role, but that’s not overtly stated. The other gospel writers tell this story (sometimes twice), but what makes John’s telling different is that this feeding of the 5000 takes place “near the time of Passover.” It’s at another Passover feast that Jesus shares divine bread, which Christians come to see as his very body. The other gospel writers do not add the tag lines about his being a prophet or king. John seems to draw our attention to the role Jesus plays: fulfilling, on the one hand, all the hopes about a Messiah, and on the other hand, transforming expectations about that very Messiah. What role of Christ is most important to you: prophet, priest, or king? Or is some other role Christ plays essential to your faith?

October 24, 2026 | John 6:16-21
Reflection:
The story of Jesus walking on water must have loomed large in the early Christians’ remembrances of Jesus. Only Luke does not tell some version of this story. (If you want to read the other version, they occur at Mark 6:45–52 and Matthew 14:22–33). What makes John’s telling unique is that the disciples immediately reach safe harbor when Jesus appears. (It is unclear if Jesus actually gets into the boat or not.) Perhaps the way John tells this story would give hope to the early Christians who struggled without Jesus physically present to them. In what ways does this story deepen your own faith?