2024_09_23 Insight Post- Kim Feld
This week’s reading- Mark 1:16-20, Mark 3:17, Mark 5:37-43, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 9:51-56, Mark 10:35-45, John 19:25-27, John 21:24-25, Acts 3:1-11, Revelation 1:1-4
This week, we are reading about John, one of Jesus’ disciples who wrote one of the biographies of Jesus, the books of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John (although the author is not named, they are attributed to him), and the book of Revelation. John is another fascinating character in how he is described. Jesus nicknamed John and his brother James “Sons of Thunder,” yet there’s a tenderness about John that we see displayed in scripture. Jesus even goes so far as to entrust his mother, Mary, to John while he hangs on the cross. It seems there was a close bond between them.
History tells us that John was the only disciple who was not martyred but died of old age, possibly while ministering near Ephesus. Scripture doesn’t give us details of John’s life beyond his exile on the island of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. But our reading in Acts gives us a picture of his role in forming the early church.
I love the description of John near the cross at the end of Jesus’ life. John 19:25 tells us of the four women who were there (including Jesus’ mother, Mary, and Mary Magdalene), while verse 26 describes John as being nearby. I envision John giving the women space in their grief yet standing by to be of service while grieving himself. It is such a beautiful picture of Jesus’ concern for Mary when He tells her that John is now her son. Equally stunning is his trust in John by telling him to consider Mary as his mother now. We don’t know what that looked like, but John 19:26 tells us, “From that time on, ths disciple took her into his home.”
When I think of character traits of John, loyalty and compassion come to mind. In the small portion of the reading we are doing this week about John, we see those traits lived out. His life and words give us an example to follow.
Kim Feld
Executive Director of Education and Outreach