Peter Hallsworth writes:

John 12:20-24

The Greeks are looking for Jesus. 

So, the Greeks are looking for Jesus and this was a sign - a message if you like, that Jesus mission to the lost tribes of Israel was coming to an end and we have the beginning of the road to Jerusalem and the Lamb of God would be hung upon a cross so that - as the reading intimates - many more seeds would spring up.

 I told a story about a wedding where the groom did not turn up and when I got the news of this it certainly had a bearing on the event of the wedding. 

It was this a bit like what happened with Jesus, well not really, as the changes involved for Jesus were cosmic. 

Jesus’ blood surpassed the offering at the Temple in Jerusalem. the blood of Jesus can be called upon around the world - so opening out the mission to beyond the immediate area where Jesus ministered. 

Then we all read the story of the healing of the paralytic and looked to identify in the story with the main players.  (Luke 5 v 17 – 23)

I suggested that really the identification should be more and more with Jesus, having a soft heart and good ears to hear from the Spirit who will guide and convict. 

 We are to be little Jesus’ in our context and circumstances. 

But Jesus ability to respond to the Spirit requires a soft heart and ears to hear - a spiritual willingness on our part to be attentive to the work of the Holy Spirit. 

 Since we have received the status of Children of God following in the steps of Jesus, we can expect to develop the family attributes of being Jesus like with a soft heart and ears to hear. 

I then illustrated this heart and the hearing activity in the story of Bob a rich man retired in a nice suburb and how God led him to minister with the poor. 

How do we respond to:

1) increasingly identify with Jesus in gospel stories 

2) seeking a soft heart

3) seeking ears that are increasingly tuned in to the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

Reverend Peter Hallsworth CCBN