John 12:34 · World English Bible
John 12:34 Meaning The Multitude Answered Him
The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”
What does John 12:34 mean?
The confusion is the confusion of every mind caught in time. They were taught that the anointed one lasts forever, so when he speaks of being lifted up, of the form passing away, they cannot follow.
From the Ego v. Being reading below.
John 12:34 through 1 lens
The same verse, read by one tradition.
Ego v. Being
EGO & BEING
Ego v. Being
The confusion is the confusion of every mind caught in time. They were taught that the anointed one lasts forever, so when he speaks of being lifted up, of the form passing away, they cannot follow. Forever, to them, means endless time, one moment added to the next.
But the eternal is not time stretched out without limit. It is the timeless depth of this present moment, which clock time can never contain. The form must be lifted up, which means the identification with form must be raised and released, so that what never dies can show itself. They ask who this Son of man is because they are seeking a person who will go on and on, and that is the one place the answer can never be found.
Ego v. Being lensGo deeper in the app
Ego v. Being lens
Live John 12:34 today
- Sit quietly for five minutes without trying to figure anything out. Let the question you have been chewing on just sit there unanswered.
- The next time someone asks you something you do not know, say I do not know, and leave it there. No filling the gap with a theory.
- When you catch yourself scrolling for an answer today, close the tab and sit with the not knowing for one minute. See what is still there when the explaining stops.
What have you been trying to understand that might only be lived?
The same truth in other traditions
Zen
The finger pointing at the moon is not the moon. Those who study the finger never look up.
Upanishads
Not this, not this. Whatever you can name and hold is not the thing you are looking for, because the thing you are looking for is what is doing the looking.
Tao Te Ching 1
The way that can be named is not the way. The moment you put it into words you are holding a word.
Free · No account needed
Read all of John 12 through 17 lenses
Lensightful opens every verse of the Bible through the traditions you choose. Save readings, ask a follow-up question, and get one verse a day.
Get Lensightful on the App Store