What is Jesus’ abundant life all about?
We know that in John 10:10 Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (NRSV). But what does he mean?
That is the question I want to answer in this series of posts. I am exploring the cultural and grammatical context of the phrase, how the author uses the same words in other places, and possible modern applications.
The ultimate end goal is to write the book, Abundance Reconstructed, which invites the reader to consider what Jesus’ abundant life might look like on the other side of Christian deconstruction.
“Then how were your eyes opened?” Much like, “Who sinned?” the question binds itself to one way of seeing the world. The man is transformed, but his transformation holds little sway in the crowd. Given that they soon bring the man to the religious leaders of the day, it is clear that they recognize the…
“Who is this?” That’s the question asked when the man born blind and in God’s spitting image, the man who was sent to wash returns with sight. Is he the man who used to sit and beg? Is he someone like him? Apparently, the answer is …
After covering the blind man’s eyes with mud, the one who God sent to continue the divine creative work sends the man to a pool that means “sent” to wash. When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying…
After covering the blind man’s eyes with mud, the one who God sent to continue the divine creative work sends the man to a pool that means “sent” to wash. When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying…
Jesus’ response to the man born blind moves to reveal him as someone made in the spitting image of the divine. At least that is a playful way to talk about Jesus’ actions that answer the question, “What now?” When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva…
We are born in the void. We return there even after presence finds us. So how does God light up the darkness? We see it described metaphorically in the Genesis account. Jesus does this work throughout his time on earth. He also invites his followers to participate in it. But how are we to live…
Before exploring where we ended last time before we consider how the man born blind uses his freedom, it is important to reflect more on life in the void. This is especially true for those born into the void who never experienced an early return to presence. This topic is important to me because, as…
Is there a better question to ask about the man born blind? The disciples saw the man and from their world of transcendent-enchantment asked, “Who sinned?” The assumption is that it must be the man or his parents. In our world of immanent-disenchantment we ask, “Who’s to blame?” We use frameworks like meritocracy and victimhood…
Is there a better question to ask about the man born blind? The disciples saw the man and from their world of transcendent-enchantment asked, “Who sinned?” The assumption is that it must be the man or his parents. In our world of immanent-disenchantment we ask, “Who’s to blame?” We use frameworks like meritocracy and victimhood…
Like the meritocracy, victimhood is another way we seek to answer the question, “Who sinned?” The Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you…
Like the meritocracy, victimhood is another way we seek to answer the question, “Who sinned?” The Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you…
Last time we left off with the claim that an embrace of meritocracy is one of two primary ways we 21st Century Americans like to answer the question, “Who sinned?“ It is a question that is really about blame. We need to know who is at fault? While in an ancient world built on transcendent…