John 1:9-11
Who is Jesus? part 9
In last week’s post, John the Baptist got a quick shoutout before being brushed aside faster than a toddler avoiding vegetables. The grand entrance, “There was a man sent by God,” teases you with anticipation, only to deflate it with the classic letdown: “But it’s not about him.” It’s like the plot twist you never asked for!
OK John the Evangelist, what are you getting at? What is the point of this?
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9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
John 1:9-11
If that was a letdown, brace yourself for this: “The true light was coming.” What a brilliant setup, only for your hopes to be crushed with a dramatic “And was rejected.” Talk about an emotional rollercoaster ride!
This is where different philosophies meet, and the collision could have been a disaster. Hebrew philosophy talks about Wisdom as a woman who created the world but is rejected (Prov 8:22-31 and Prov 8:36). The parallels between what Proverbs chapter 8 says about Wisdom and what John said about light are profound. So why didn’t John say wisdom? He wasn’t writing for Jewish people, although they may have noticed the connection; he was reading to people influenced by Western philosophy, which had dangers.
The perilous situation stemmed from the presence of two rival factions in Western philosophy: the Epicureans, dedicated to the pursuit of a simpler, more enjoyable life, and the Stoics, adherents to the idea that virtue alone holds true value. Attempting to juggle these three conflicting ideologies is akin to inviting chaos for tea.
Instead, he wrote a song, this is the start of the third part.
But this part of John’s introduction to his Gospel is about conflict. The word people is implied here, the Greek says ‘own things.’ Verse 11 says (if you literally translate the Greek), “He came to his own things, and his own did not receive him. ” This follows on from creation, as mentioned in verse 10, so is John really saying, “He came to his own creation, and his own did not receive him?” The creator is rejected by creation.
This is like a Gothic Horror reversal, where the creator, Victor Frankenstein, snubs his creation without even giving it a name! I’m totally on the side of the so-called monster in that tale. And in John’s Gospel, the creator – previously known as The Word and then The Light – gets the cold shoulder from creation. It’s the ultimate cosmic rejection!
Fortunately, that’s not where the tale comes to a halt. Like a suspenseful TV show, the creator doesn’t give up on his creation in John’s Gospel. It’s like the ultimate cliffhanger, leaving us all on the edge of our seats, eagerly awaiting the next installment.
That enstallment is next week.
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Making an ass of myself 