Probes: Deep Sea Diving into Saint John's Gospel: Questions for Individual or Group Study by Peter Kreeft

Author:Peter Kreeft [Kreeft, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Spirituality & Religion
ISBN: 9781642290882
Publisher: Ignatius Press
Published: 2019-08-05T05:00:00+00:00

E742. (A) Compare the sisters’ petition to Jesus in verse 3 with another Mary’s petition at the wedding at Cana (2:3). How are they similar? (B) How do they express more faith than a longer petition would do?

743. Why does Jesus deliberately speak ambiguously in verse 4?

744. This is a long six-part question, but an important one, and the answers are clear. (A) John says that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus so when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was” so that Lazarus would die. Does that look like love, to let a friend die when you can prevent it? (B) Does God do the same to us? Does he let us die when he can prevent it? (C) If so, does he do that to us for the same reason he did that to Mary and Martha: not because he does not love us but because he does? (D) Let’s think logically about it. As I write this, a very dear friend is dying of cancer. All our prayers for her recovery were answered with a No. There are only five possible explanations: (I) There is no God, just random chance that governs the world. (II) God exists but lacks the power to do this good thing, this miraculous cure. (III) God lacks the wisdom to know that this miracle would be a good thing for her. (IV) God lacks the love to care enough about her to do a miracle for her. (V) God lacks neither power nor wisdom nor love; he denies her and us this cure precisely because he is all-powerful, all-wise, and, most important of all, all-loving. Now which is more likely: that God lacks existence (answer I) or power (answer II) or wisdom (answer III) or love (answer IV) or that it is we who lack them (answer V)? (E) In light of this answer, should we thank God for his Nos as well as his Yeses? (F) Is that hard? Does it take faith to do that? (Remember your answer to question A.)

Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” (11:7–10)

H745. (A) Why do you think Jesus gave an obscure and indirect answer (vv. 9–10) to his disciples’ very clear and direct warning (v. 8)? (B) Can you figure out what he means by that answer and how it relates to Lazarus?

Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.

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