The Passion Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:56

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ ¹⁷Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; ¹⁸for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ ¹⁹Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ ²⁰And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. ²¹But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. ²²For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’ ²³Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.

The Dispute about Greatness

24 A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. ²⁷For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

28 ‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials; ²⁹and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, ³⁰so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

31 ‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, ³²but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ ³³And he said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’ ³⁴Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.’

Purse, Bag, and Sword

35 He said to them, ‘When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘No, not a thing.’ ³⁶He said to them, ‘But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. ³⁷For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, “And he was counted among the lawless”; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.’ ³⁸They said, ‘Lord, look, here are two swords.’ He replied, ‘It is enough.’

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. ⁴⁰When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ ⁴¹Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ⁴²‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ [[ ⁴³Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. ⁴⁴In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.]] ⁴⁵When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, ⁴⁶and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; ⁴⁸but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’ ⁴⁹When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, ‘Lord, should we strike with the sword?’ ⁵⁰Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him. ⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? ⁵³When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!’

Peter Denies Jesus

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. ⁵⁵When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, ‘This man also was with him.’ ⁵⁷But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ ⁵⁸A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ ⁵⁹Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, ‘Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.’ ⁶⁰But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about!’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. ⁶¹The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ ⁶²And he went out and wept bitterly.

The Mocking and Beating of Jesus

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; ⁶⁴they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ ⁶⁵They kept heaping many other insults on him.

Jesus before the Council

66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. ⁶⁷They said, ‘If you are the Messiah, tell us.’ He replied, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe; ⁶⁸and if I question you, you will not answer. ⁶⁹But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ ⁷⁰All of them asked, ‘Are you, then, the Son of God?’ He said to them, ‘You say that I am.’ ⁷¹Then they said, ‘What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!’

Jesus before Pilate

23

Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. ²They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’ ³Then Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He answered, ‘You say so.’ ⁴Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no basis for an accusation against this man.’ ⁵But they were insistent and said, ‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.’

Jesus before Herod

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. ⁹He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. ¹²That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

Jesus Sentenced to Death

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. ¹⁵Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶I will therefore have him flogged and release him.’

18 Then they all shouted out together, ‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’ ¹⁹(This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) ²⁰Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; ²¹but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’ ²²A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’ ²³But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. ²⁵He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. ²⁸But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” ³⁰Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” ³¹For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’

32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ ³⁴Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. ³⁵And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, ³⁷and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ ³⁸There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ ⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ ⁴²Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ⁴³He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. ⁴⁷When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ ⁴⁸And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. ⁴⁹But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus

50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, ⁵¹had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. ⁵²This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. ⁵⁴It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. ⁵⁵The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.

On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

This week, we celebrate passion – the passion of Christ for us, God’s people. A passion that took Jesus to the cross, to prove the love of God, for his creation.

Although, this week commemorates Jesus’ passion the Gospel reading we have just heard makes reference to the passion and zeal of others. In the Gospel reading we see Mary’s love of Jesus driving her to anoint his feet as an act of devotion, passion and friendship. John also contrasts Mary’s unselfish love with the passion of Judas for money and dishonesty. All Judas is concerned about is how much he can make from the man he once passionately believed in and followed. Judas’s passion for wealth is all consuming, sad and ultimately a cause of his death. Mary’s passionate feelings for Jesus are humbling and touching; a simple act of love that few of us would shirk from doing to one we deeply loved.

Think of people like Martin Luther King jr, the young man killed in Tiananmen Square or those who chose to protest on issues that they passionately believe to be wrong or right. Driven by their passion to try and change the world.

Passion makes a difference. Passion can change the world and those with strongly held passions can teach us much about having a goal in life, a vision for the future. For passion encourages hope and hope in its turn fires passion but you have to have a sight of what it is you hope for in order to let your passions drive you forward.

What is your passion?

What is your vision?

How do you see the future?

What do you hope for?

And what are you going to do about it?

This week challenges us to be passionate activists for the sake of Christ, for the sake of our fellow beings in the world and for God’s creation. If you take nothing else away from today’s readings just remember that God calls you to live a passionate life. A life fuelled with a desire to do experience an existence that is fulfilling and demanding. And a life in which all God’s people are treated with respect, fairness and dignity and to have a passion for respect, fairness and dignity is all about living the Gospel message to the full.

And a sword will pierce your own soul too (Luke 2:35)

This year’s Lent Course by the Diocese of Edinburgh is entitled “Lent: a season of Pilgrimage”. It invites us to turn to sacred time and space and deepen our walk with God, with each other and with ourselves.

The pilgrimage route of Santiago de Compostela was one of the most significant pilgrimage routes of medieval times.  It still exists as a web of journeys leading across Europe. You may have walked part of it. There are many points of origin, but one goal; the shrine of St James the Apostle in northern Spain. In the villages along the Way of St James, there stands at many of the village squares large stone crucifixes where pilgrims can pray and mark yet another stage of their journey. Especially in the province of Galicia, where Santiago lies, these crucifixes are unique. Made of stone and standing some five metres high, they have Jesus at his death on one face, and Mary in her own agony on the opposite face. He is nailed to one side, dying; she stands on the other side, weeping.  On some of these crucifixes, an iron sword pierces Mary’s breast. Jesus’ suffering is her own. A sword pierces her own soul, as foretold in Simeon’s prophecy.

In the fifth century, Mary was given the title, theotokos, meaning God-bearer. In the Eastern Church this has often been depicted in icons down the centuries. As mother of Jesus, she bears the Son of God into the world. As such, she indicates to each of us our common vocation: to bear Jesus into the world. To nurture Jesus. To show him to others, the way a mother proudly shows off her child.

In her Lenten book entitled “I am with you”, the American priest and theologian, Kathryn Greene McCreight writes that “Jesus is a living person. He is not just a generic human reality separate from his own specific identity.  Mary is one of the only two personal locators (ie someone who  connects a reader directly to a story)  in the creeds who pinpoint Jesus’ non-mythic presence. The other such person is Pontius Pilate. Mary bears the Christ. Pilate murders him. We each are meant to be God-bearers”.

On this “Laetare” Sunday (otherwise known as “Refreshment Sunday”) traditionally being a day of celebration during the austerity of Lent, with the delights of rose pink vestments and altar frontals, our gospel reading with only three verses is direct.  Despite the surprise at what Simeon had told them Jesus’ parents must also have been  dismayed by those unexpected words which summarise the work and fate of Jesus:-

“This child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too”.

We are not told in the gospels when Joseph died. We do know that Jesus’ mother, Mary, was with him as she watched him die. Sometimes I listen to the haunting Stabat Mater, depicting this scene,  composed by Giovanni Pergolesi (1710-1736) during his final illness.  It still sends shivers down my spine.

As we continue our pilgrimage through Lent, may we know God’s presence, whether in times of blessing or sadness, and seek some consolation and comfort from Mary, Mother of God.   

Jesus, Eternal Word of the Father,

You shared our humanity.

May we so live in your love

That we come to share in your divinity.

Luke 13:1-9

Today’s Gospel tells of two horrific incidents – a massacre of Galilean pilgrims in the Temple in Jerusalem carried out on the orders of Pontius Pilate, and the collapse of the Tower of Siloam which resulted in the deaths of 18 people. One is clearly an example of moral evil, the act of a ruthless political leader. The other may have been an example of natural evil, the collapse of a building due to an earthquake.

We can infer that when Jesus asks:

“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way, they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?

He is responding to a question of the kind that all of us have asked at times:

“Why do innocent people suffer? Why does God permit it?”.

These questions have the strongest possible resonance at the present – for Pontius Pilate, read Vladimir Putin. Our news is dominated by reports about people who have been killed and injured in the Ukraine as a consequence of unprovoked aggression, including some who had sought shelter in a mosque in Mariupol.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus emphatically attacks the belief that bad things happen to people because God is punishing them, but he does so in a challenging way. The Galilean pilgrims slaughtered by the Romans were, he says, no worse than other Galileans, and the eighteen people killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed were no worse than the other inhabitants of Jerusalem. He is reminding his hearers that, while they do not deserve to suffer and God does not inflict suffering on them, they are not innocent. They need to repent.

He explains that need in a parable, the parable of the fig tree in the vineyard. It was common practice in those days to plant fig trees in between the rows of vines – fig trees have quite shallow roots, so they don’t take up too many nutrients from the soil. The fig tree in the parable had been there for three years – and that’s significant – it’s the length of time that a fig tree needs to come to maturity. If a fig tree doesn’t produce any fruit in its third year, it almost certainly never will, and the landowner’s wish to cut it down is therefore understandable and sensible. The fig tree is a waste of space.

The gardener in the story pleads for a second chance for the fig tree, promising to dig round the tree and to treat its roots with manure.  ^“If it bears fruit next year, well and good;” he tells the landowner, “but if not, you can cut it down.”

I’m sure that this particular passage has been chosen for one of the Sundays in Lent because Lent is a time when we are encouraged to reflect on how fruitful we are, to find nourishment for our shallow roots. We are still here, despite the changes and chances of this transitory life, and the fact that we are still here can be seen as a God-given opportunity for the repentance – the turning round of our lives – of which Jesus speaks.

Christianity isn’t a self-help or a self-improvement programme. We aren’t called to be the gardeners of our own souls, and we certainly can’t sort ourselves out by our own efforts. To use the language of the parable, it is God who is the gardener and who provides the manure. Our Lenten disciplines are about allowing God the time and the space to do that.

Going back to what lay at the root of the question that Jesus was asked – that why question, why does undeserved suffering happen? I feel sure that the question was, in part, prompted by fear. When bad things happen to people, whether as a result of human evil or natural disaster, we are afraid. Will it be me next? Or someone I love? And somewhere in the background, moving into the foreground when there are wars and rumours of war, moving into the foreground as we get older, is the awareness of our own mortality.

I think Jesus’ answer to his questioners lovingly acknowledged the fears from which their question arose. They felt vulnerable and fragile, as do we in these alarming and uncertain times. Jesus understood those feelings but he did not provide a knock-down theological answer to the mystery of undeserved suffering. Rather what he said to them was, in effect, this:

“Yes, you are vulnerable and fragile. And so am I. But that part of you in which the fears have arisen can become a place of change, growth and fruitfulness. It can become the place in which, because you acknowledge the fragility of your life, you learn truly and fully to value it and to live it, to have life and to have it abundantly.”

And that is to move from a fear about our own fragility into repentance – and repentance shouldn’t be thought of wholly or mainly as a backward-looking process – a cataloguing and confessing of past wrong-doing. It should be seen more as forward looking – as reflecting on what God calls us to be and to do, and then acting on that.

As he answers this question, Jesus is heading for Jerusalem and for the extraordinary climax of his ministry in which he will show that God’s answer to the question “Why do bad things happen to good people” is to take the bad things upon Godself and suffer them and die – like the Galilean pilgrims – on the orders of Pontius Pilate. In doing so he placed God at the very heart of the mystery of undeserved suffering.  For us, despite the best efforts of theologians, it remains a mystery, but the Passion and the Resurrection of Christ are a pledge that, although human life cannot be made safe, nothing

“…will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

There’s something about mountains. The way in which rock pushes up from the surface of the earth to be enveloped by the sky, is beautiful and inspiring. The sight of them has often led my thoughts into prayers; heaven and earth becoming one.

The Gospel reading for today, talks of earth and heaven merging into one. Jesus has gone up a mountain (we are not told which one) with his three closest companions. On the mountain some rather strange events take place, culminating in a disembodied voice proclaiming that:

“This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him.”

That voice is an echo of the same voice that at Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan proclaimed:

“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17b

It is a voice that sets Jesus ‘aside’ - that makes him special, that says to those who hear it that this man is my (the Lord your God’s) chosen one. He is the one that I, God, have decided to use to show you how much I love you. It is a voice that gives authority to Jesus and to everything he says and does from then on. It also seeks to tell those who hear this voice who Jesus really is.

It is important to Matthew and his Jewish audience that the events of the Transfiguration took place upon a mountain; because mountains were sacred places for the Jews. Mountains were seen as being places closer to heaven and therefore closer to God. Places that one could almost reach out and touch God or be touched by him and many important religious events took place on mountains; such as the ark coming to rest on Ararat after the flood and Moses receiving the 10 commandments. In the Orthodox Church almost every hill top and mountain has a small chapel on its summit; a sacred space to offer prayer to God and a place to encounter him as well. Mountains give us a chance to leave ourselves behind and to experience something other than ourselves.

This is what seems to be going on for Jesus and his companions; Peter, James and John today. The four of them left their old selves behind as they climbed to the peak of the mountain. The three disciples probably thought that Jesus wanted to walk and talk with them alone in order to tell them something important, away from prying ears. I doubt they had any idea what they were actually going to experience.

I wonder how they handled it all. I wonder how I might have handled it! Suddenly your friend and guide starts to glow and then two other figures from history appear and chat with him, especially as these two figures are the premier characters in the history of your people and then you hear a disembodied voice from nowhere. Weird or what?

I am not surprised that Peter, with his tendency for ‘foot in mouth disease’ suggests building dwellings for the three beings, as a way of keeping the event going. I like Peter because he often says and does the wrong thing at points of dramatic encounter. As soon as he suggests building the tents the voices shouts out – NO! You need only to listen to Jesus; you do not need the others because he is the one who speaks for me NOW, not them. The fact that you have seen Moses and Elijah conversing with him should be a visual confirmation to you of what I say. The giver of the Law and the senior prophet affirm him - he therefore embodies all the Law and the prophets in his being and in what he says and does, you need no one else.

It was following the affirmation of Jesus by the Law Giver and the prophet of prophets that Jesus set his sights on Jerusalem and all that awaited him there. Peter, James and John did not gain insight as to what was to happen to Jesus in Jerusalem or why but they were given a glimpse of something other than the ordinary. They may not have fully comprehended what it was all about but they would have been left in no doubt as to the importance of Jesus and that they were to follow him and to do his will until their lives end.

The image of Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus is very powerful for in that conversation all that they represented to the Jews was seen to be transferred to Jesus. Jesus is the Law, Jesus is the prophets, and Jesus is the voice of God. Jesus is more important than anyone else because he truly is the chosen one of God and as such can now be seen to speak directly for God. That revelation must have hit the disciples like an express train!

Then as suddenly as it appeared the vision disappeared. It was gone and Jesus was left alone. The disciples had experienced one of those moments in life when there is no fog, no haze, no cloud or trees or any obstruction of the truth of God. One of those rare times when God is clearly perceived and the reality of Jesus became apparent. The vision of those three disciples all those years ago not only transformed their lives but continue to transform ours today.

The disciples realised that they had been privy to a revelation that would change the world. For the disciples that vision was a point of clarity in their lives, for us it is an encouragement to listen to Jesus; just as they did because what he says is true. Life for the disciples had changed on that mountain, they too were transfigured and enabled to glimpse possibilities, to see beyond the mundane and hindrances to look into the ‘Promised Land’.

Visions enable us to see possibilities, to look beyond problems and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The disciples believed their vision and would ultimately give their lives for it too. Visions are vitally important to our wellbeing. We need to be able to vision the future for our lives, our relationships, our children and friends our country our faith. We need to be able to rise above the haze and fog and to see clearly where it is that God is calling us to go. People like Martin Luther King Junior and Nelson Mandela glimpsed the Promised Land and saw beyond racial and social divisions that kept people apart. They believed their visions and one gave his life for it, the other his freedom for many years.

On the mountain of transfiguration Jesus was given clarity of vision, an insight into his destiny and purpose. Peter, James and John were shown clearly who Jesus was and what authority he held. We too are given understanding in the account of the transfiguration as Peter says:

“...be attentive to this as a lamp shining in a dark place” 2Peter 1:19a

We do well to listen to what Jesus actually says in the Gospels because he and no other speaks directly for God, not Paul, not the epistle writers not the OT prophets only Jesus.

If Jesus speaks directly in the voice of God, what does he say to you?