Day Seventy-Five -- Then their eyes were opened

Luke 20:20 to John 5:47

Back when I was around 18 years old I went to my rector, The Rev. Daniel Kilmer Sullivan, and talked to him about wanting to know more about the Bible.  Oh, I had been baptized and confirmed in the Church, faithfully attended Sunday school and youth group, and had listened to scripture readings and preaching during worship, but had never had anyone give me any direction as to how to actually "get into" the Bible.  He wrote me out a plan, and it started with first reading the Gospel according to Luke.  If he told me then why I should start with Luke and not with one of the other Gospels I have forgotten it.  My own advice to people over the years has been to first read Mark since it's the shortest of the four gospels, and I wanted to give them something I thought they would finish.  I now see the wisdom of my former rector's suggestion, for Luke provides such a powerful portrait of Jesus in his willingness to minister to everyone - especially those on the margins of society.  This Jesus, Luke shows us, was not above breaking social norms and crossing boundaries and expectations of "proper" religious behavior.  This is not Jesus meek and mild, but the God who seeks out everyone.  I only wish I could have talked to Fr. Dan about this before he died several years ago.

This day we finish up Luke's account and begin the Gospel according to John.  The differences are immediately apparent, and the cosmic opening of John brings to mind the very opening words of Genesis: "In the beginning . . ."   John is letting us know that something transformative is afoot that will not leave any part of creation untouched.  Maybe even water will be turned into wine, and people will be born again from above?

The Road to Emmaus