Saturday, December 28, 2019

29 Thomas Becket, 1170  was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He engaged in conflict with Henry II, King of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral

Of all the possible revelations that could have come out of former F.B.I. director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, viewers probably wouldn’t have guessed a medieval reference would be among them.
During his appearance before the committee on Capitol Hill, Comey was asked about how he interpreted President Donald Trump’s request to drop the F.B.I.’s investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn.
“When a president of the United States in the Oval Office says something like ‘I hope’ or ‘I suggest’ — do you take that as a directive?” Sen. Angus King (I-ME), asked.
“Yes,” Comey replied, before referencing a request by Henry II in 1170. “It rings in my ear as, kind of, ‘Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?'”
King replied he was just about to quote the same, observing that the next day, that same priest, Thomas Becket, was killed. He went on to say to Comey, “We’re thinking along the same lines.”
If you’re not a history a buff, no fear — the Peter O’Toole/Richard Burton starrer Becket, from 1964, features the famous exchange:
·         
·        30 Frances Joseph-Gaudet, Educator and Prison Reformer, 1934
·        31 Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Bishop in the Niger Territories, 1891


OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 63: 7 - 9 (RCL)

Isai 63:7 (NRSV) I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD,
the praiseworthy acts of the LORD,
because of all that the LORD has done for us,
and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, "Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely";
and he became their savior
9 in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
but his presence that saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.


Isaiah 61: 10 - 62: 3   (ECUSA)

Isai 61:10 (NRSV) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.


Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 3: 3 - 7, 14 - 17   (Roman Catholic)

Sir 3:3 (NRSV) Those who honor their father atone for sins, 4 and those who respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure.
5 Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children,
and when they pray they will be heard.
6 Those who respect their father will have long life,
and those who honor their mother obey the Lord; 7 they will serve their parents as their masters.

14 For kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
and will be credited to you against your sins;
15 in the day of your distress it will be remembered in your favor;
like frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.
16 Whoever forsakes a father is like a blasphemer,
and whoever angers a mother is cursed by the Lord.
17 {Humility} My child, perform your tasks with humility; {Heb: Gk [meekness] }
then you will be loved by those whom God accepts.


PSALM 148   (RCL)

Psal 148:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the LORD!


Psalm 147: (1 - 12) 13 - 21 (ECUSA)

147   Laudate Dominum   (ECUSA BCP)

1  Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God! *
     how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!

2  The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *
     he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3  He heals the brokenhearted *
     and binds up their wounds.

4  He counts the number of the stars *
     and calls them all by their names.

5  Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *
     there is no limit to his wisdom.

6  The Lord lifts up the lowly, *
     but casts the wicked to the ground.

7  Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; *
     make music to our God upon the harp.

8  He covers the heavens with clouds *
     and prepares rain for the earth;

9  He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *
     and green plants to serve mankind.

10  He provides food for flocks and herds *
     and for the young ravens when they cry.

11  He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *
     he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;

12  But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *
     in those who await his gracious favor.


13  Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
     praise your God, O Zion;

14  For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
     he has blessed your children within you.

15  He has established peace on your borders; *
     he satisfies you with the finest wheat.

16  He sends out his command to the earth, *
     and his word runs very swiftly.

17  He gives snow like wool; *
     he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

18  He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
     who can stand against his cold?

19  He sends forth his word and melts them; *
     he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.

20  He declares his word to Jacob, *
     his statutes and his judgments to Israel.

21  He has not done so to any other nation; *
     to them he has not revealed his judgments.
     Hallelujah!


Psalm 128: 1 - 5   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 128:1 (NRSV) Happy is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.


NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 2: 10 - 18   (RCL)

Hebr 2:10 (NRSV) It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For the one who
sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying,
"I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you."
13 And again,
"I will put my trust in him."
And again,
"Here am I and the children whom God has given me."
14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

To ancients, the present world was controlled by angels; however, the “coming world” (v. 5), the way of being beyond time, was not. The author sees the source of the quotation in vv. 6-8 as irrelevant, for all scripture is to him the word of God. As translated here it shows that God has made humans, in this earthly life, inferior to angels; however in eternal life humans will be superior to “all things” (including angels.) We do not see this now (“as it is”, v. 8), but “we do see Jesus” (v. 9) – who became human temporarily, and is now exalted (“crowned”) as a consequence of dying. He died so that, as God’s gift to us, he might take on our deaths. (See v. 14: Jesus, in sharing our humanity, destroyed the “devil”, who caused death to be separation from God.) God is creator of all things; they exist for his purposes (v. 10). It was per God’s saving plan (“It was fitting”) that God, in bringing many of us to share eternal life, should bring Jesus, the one who goes before us (into eternal life) and points the way for us (“pioneer”), to the completion of his mission “through sufferings”.
We share with him (“the one who sanctifies”, v. 11, sets us apart, for God’s plans) the same “Father” (God, and also proto-human, Adam) through the birth of Jesus. This the author demonstrates by quoting from three psalms (vv. 12-13). The glorified Christ praises God in the midst of the “congregation”, ekklesia, church. Perhaps in v. 13 the author alludes to the context in Isaiah: there Isaiah states the trustworthiness of God’s word – that others have rejected. (In v. 14, “flesh” is human nature, in its weakness.) Hellenistic Judaism held that God did not plan for humans to die, that the devil introduced death into the world. Jesus came to help believers (“descendants ...”, v. 16), not angels. Christ, as compassionate and trustworthy “high priest” (v. 17) ended severance from God in death, through removing sin. Jesus was “tested” (v. 18), tempted to desert his mission throughout his life, so he is able to help those whose faith is weakened now.

Verse 5: “subject ... to angels”: For the present world being under the dominion of angels, see the Septuagint translation of Deuteronomy 32:8 and Daniel 10:13. [ NJBC]
Verses 6-8: The quotation is the Septuagint translation of Psalm 8:4-6. It is also applied to Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15:27 and Ephesians 1:22 (and probably in 1 Peter 3:22.) The use of this psalm by various New Testament authors probably shows that it belonged to a common early tradition of Old Testament interpretation, possibly because v. 5 speaks of “the son of man”; however this is in synonymous parallelism with “man” in v. 4. To Christians, it would have recalled the designation of Jesus as Son of Man. [ NJBC]
Verse 8: “subjecting all things”: The author sees all things as already subject to Christ. For the same idea, see Ephesians 1:22; however, in 1 Corinthians 15:25-27, Jesus’ reign has indeed begun, but the subjugation of all things to him will only be completed at his final triumph. See Hebrews 10:13 for the same idea. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: For the idea that Jesus’ exaltation is a consequence of his humiliation, see also 12:2 and Philippians 2:6-11. [ NOAB]
Verse 9: “by the grace of God”: A few manuscripts have apart from God, meaning that in death he was abandoned by God. A scholar suggests that these manuscripts may be right, on the grounds that this is the more difficult reading. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “taste death”: i.e. its bitterness. See also Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 49:18; Matthew 16:28. [ NOAB]
Verse 10: Humans attain glory through Christ.
Verse 10: “for whom and through whom all things exist”: The concept that all things God has made find their purpose in him is also found in 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Romans 11:36. [ NJBC]
Verse 10: “make ... perfect”: This notion is characteristic of this letter: see also 5:9; 7:19, 28; 9:9; 10:1, 14; 11:40; 12:23. ( 5:9 and 7:28 also have to do with Jesus’ being made perfect.) The Greek word, teleioo, is used in the Septuagint translation of priestly consecration, translating the Hebrew phrase to fill [the hands]: see Exodus 29:9, 29, 33, 35; Leviticus 16:32; 21:10; Numbers 3:3. For the corresponding noun, see Leviticus 8:33. This cultic notion of perfection is certainly present in Hebrews. But Jesus’ priestly consecration involved his obedience learned through suffering (see 5:8-10) and his being perfected means also that through that obedience he was brought to the full moral perfection of his humanity. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 10: “pioneer”: The Greek word is also translated as “Author” (in Acts 3:15) and “Leader” (in Acts 5:31). The designation of Jesus as leader announces an important theme in Hebrews: the journey of the people of God to the place of rest (see 4:11), the heavenly sanctuary, in the footsteps of Jesus, their “forerunner” (see 6:20). [ NOAB]
Verse 11: “those who are sanctified”: i.e. ceremonially cleansed and perfected through Christ’s blood: see 10:10, 29. By this means we have access to God. [ NOAB]
Verse 11: “is not ashamed”: because he shares human nature. [ NJBC]
Verse 12: The quotation is Psalm 22:22. This psalm, a lament by an individual, was widely applied, in the early Church, to Christ in his passion: see Matthew 27:43, 46; Mark 15:34; John 19:24. The author of Hebrews places the sufferer’s joyous praise of God on the lips of Jesus. [ NJBC]
Verse 13: The quotations are from Isaiah 8:17 and 8:18. If C. H. Dodd is correct in thinking that the author of Hebrews also considers the original context of his quotations, he (as did Isaiah) states his confidence in the truth of prophecies many had rejected. [ NJBC]
Verse 14: See also Romans 6:23. [ NOAB]
Verse 14: “flesh and blood”: For flesh contrasted with the spirit of God, see also Psalms 56:4; 78:39; Isaiah 31:3; 2 Chronicles 32:8. “Flesh and blood” meaning human beings does not occur in the Old Testament proper; however it is found in Sirach 14:18 and 17:31. In the New Testament, see also Matthew 16:17; Galatians 1:16 (NRSV: “human being”); Ephesians 6:12. [ NJBC]
Verse 14: “so that through death ...”: Hellenistic Judaism held that death was no part of God’s plan for humans and that it was brought into the world by the devil: see Wisdom of Solomon 1:12-13; 2:23-24. The connection between sin and death was broken by Christ when he, through his high-priestly work, removed sin: see Romans 8:3. [ NJBC]
Verse 15: "fear”: The fear here is that death severs one’s relationship with God (see Isaiah 38:18 and Psalm 115:17-18) and also that death, being connected with sin, is more than a physical evil; in 1 Corinthians 15:26, death is the “last enemy” to be destroyed by Christ. This Jesus realized: by his death, the way of unending life with God was opened up to all who obey him. [ JBC]
Verse 16: “help”: The “descendants of Abraham” are believers in Christ. NJBC points out that the Greek word translated “help” really means take hold of – in order to help, so suggests that the author is thinking of the Incarnation. The verb is in the present tense, so this action is continuing. See also 8:9: “took them by the hand”.
Verse 17: “merciful and faithful”: That the high priest be merciful is found in the Bible only in Hebrews; that he be faithful is part of the high-priestly tradition: see 1 Samuel 2:35. The author probably bases the use of “merciful” on what he sees Jesus as having been during his earthly ministry. For faithfulness as a priestly quality in Hebrews, see also 3:2, 6. That he be gentle (sympathetic) is found in 5:2-3. [ NOAB]
Verse 17: “to make a sacrifice of atonement”: Continually is implied. [ NOAB]
Verse 17: “the sins of the people”: The sins bring death and the fear of it to God’s people. This is a work of the devil: see vv. 14-15. [ NOAB]
Verse 18: “suffered”: Through death on the cross: see 5:7-8. [ NOAB]
Verse 18: “tested”: Tempted is another translation. In the gospels, Jesus is tempted to abandon his mission; the readers of this book are tempted to apostasy, infidelity. [ NJBC]
Matthew 2:13-23




Galatians 3: 23 - 25, 4: 4 - 7   (ECUSA)

Gala 3:23 (NRSV) Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,

4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6 And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.


Colossians 3: 12 - 17 (18 - 21)   (Roman Catholic)

Colo 3:12 (NRSV) As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.


GOSPEL: Matthew 2: 13 - 23   (RCL)
                   Matthew 2: 13 - 15, 19 - 23   (Roman Catholic)

Matt 2:13 (NRSV) Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Her'od is about to  search for the child, to destroy him." 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Her'od. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
16 When Her'od saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremi'ah:
18 "A voice was heard in Ra'mah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
19 When Her'od died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." 21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archela'us was ruling over Judea in place of his father Her'od, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazore'an."

“Wise men from the East” (v. 1) came to Herod the Great asking “‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?’” (v. 2) They have visited “the child with Mary” (v. 11). “paid him homage” and “offered him gifts”. They have now returned to “their own country” (v. 12). A divine messenger warns Joseph to flee with his family. The wise men “tricked” (v. 16) Herod by leaving “by another road” (v. 12). In Hosea, “my son” (v. 15) is Israel, the people of God. A verse that recalled God’s acts to save Israel from bondage is now applied to Jesus, he who offers to save all people. (Herod has all the infants in the Bethlehem area killed because he fears that Jesus may succeed to his throne, rather than a son of his.) In Jeremiah (v. 18), Rachel weeps over the exile of her sons; a mother’s grief is unique. V. 20 is much like God’s words to Moses, as he sends him to lead Israel out of bondage. Jesus is the new leader of God’s people. Herod Antipas, Herod the Great’s son, governed “Galilee” (v. 22) benignly compared to the way his brother “Archelaus” governed Judea. Joseph may also have chosen to make his home in “Nazareth” (v. 23) because he could find work on the reconstruction of neighbouring Sepphoris. The quotation is not from the Old Testament. Perhaps Matthew is provoking his readers to think; perhaps he harks back to Isaiah 11:1: “a branch [nezer] shall grow” out of Jesse’s “roots”. David was Jesse’s son.
© 1996-2019 Chris Haslam

Verse 13: Jesus begins to meet opposition as soon as he is born. He will meet opposition throughout his life. If the flight to Egypt occurred much before Herod died in 4 BC, this verse would place Jesus’ birth many months or even a few years earlier. [ BlkMt]
Verse 15: The quotation is Hosea 11:1. In Exodus 4:22, God tells Moses to inform Pharaoh that “Israel is my firstborn son”. [ NOAB] Matthew sees in the Hosea verse a divine action which points forward to the calling of Jesus out of Egypt. The quotation agrees with the Hebrew rather than with the Septuagint; either he translated directly from the Hebrew or he used a Greek translation other than the Septuagint. [ BlkMt]
Verse 16: “Herod”: i.e. Herod the Great. He was vassal king under the Roman emperor 37-4 BC.
Verse 16: “wise men”: Members of a caste of wise men, variously associated with the interpretation of dreams, Zoroastrianism, astrology and magic. They may have been from Persia, East Syria or Arabia. They were the scientists of their day.
Verse 16: “Herod ... killed”: In Egypt, Pharaoh had ordered the killing of all male offspring (see Exodus 1:16) – a classical example of genocidal misuse of power. NJBC suggests that the number of children killed in the Bethlehem area was probably twenty or fewer.
Verse 16: “two years old or under”: This implies that Jesus had been born some months before, but no two years before; Herod leaves a margin of error. His character is accurately depicted here: he even killed members of his own family. [ BlkMt]
Verse 18: The quotation is Jeremiah 31:15. [ NJBC]
Verse 18: “Ramah”: Some 9 km (6 miles) north of Jerusalem. This town is the scene of national grief inflicted by an enemy in Jeremiah 40:1: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in fetters along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon”. [ NOAB] Ramah is on the road a conqueror would take in leading captives from Jerusalem to Babylon: see 1 Samuel 10:2. [ BlkMt]
Verse 18: “Rachel”: She was Jacob’s wife, and died in childbirth. Per Genesis 35:16-20, she was buried near Jerusalem. In Genesis, Rachel grieves not because her son dies but because she dies in giving birth to him. Perhaps Matthew wishes to associate Jesus with Jeremiah – as the suffering prophet of the New Testament: see Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Matthew 26:28. In the first century AD, Jeremiah lived on in end-time hopes: see 2 Maccabees 2:1-12; 15:13-16. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 20: This verse is like Exodus 4:19, in which God sends Moses back to lead his people out of bondage. [ NJBC]
Verse 22: “Archelaus”: He was Herod the Great’s son, and was almost as cruel as his father. Another son, Herod Antipas, governed “Galilee”. Archelaus was deposed in 6 AD, and exiled. [ NOAB]
Verse 23: “‘He will be called a Nazorean.’”: There are two possibilities besides the one mentioned in Comments:
  • In view of the preceding verses, that the reference is to Nazareth – an insignificant town not mentioned in the Old Testament
  • That Jesus is likened to a Nazirite, a person consecrated (dedicated) to God upon their own vow or a parent’s vow. 1 Samuel 1:11 strongly suggests that Samuel was a Nazirite. Samson is explicitly named as one: see Judges 13:5, 7. Joseph is called a nazir in Genesis 49:26 (“set apart” in the NRSV) and Deuteronomy 33:16 (“prince” in the NRSV). Both Samuel and Samson were consecrated by vows uttered when they were still in their mothers’ wombs. Perhaps Jesus should be viewed as a Nazirite in the sense of being consecrated to God from the womb. [ HBD]
The three interpretations are not mutually exclusive: Matthew may have intended all three.
Comments: Sepphoris: This town was sacked in 4 BC. While tetrarch of Galilee, Herod Antipas rebuilt the city and resided there until he made Tiberias his capital. [ HBD]
© 1996-2019 Chris Haslam




John 1: 1 - 18   (ECUSA)

John 1:1 (NRSV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.



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