Word to the Wise
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 - 4th Week of Lent - Wed
[Isa 49:8-15 and John 5:17-30]Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life!
When Jesus (or anyone else like this poor preacher) mentions "eternal life," I would wager that the term would have a "future" meaning for most folks. "Eternal life" starts when we die, right? At least we are hoping we qualify at that time! Would it occur to you that one could get a start on "eternal life" while still drawing breath on this side of the grave? In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, "Yes, indeed..." (cf. the quote above!). Notice the "present tense" of the verb. This is not an isolated quote. Jesus makes it clear that whoever believes in him and in the One who sent him HAS eternal life.
The field of theology that concentrates on our ultimate destiny is called "eschatology." The term that scripture scholars use for Jesus' promise of eternal life in the present is "realized eschatology." The Gospel of John features both the "realized" kind and the "future" kind, sometimes in the same section, as in today's gospel. I think that because we are culturally conditioned to think of "heaven" as a geographic location on the other side of the grave, it is very difficult to imagine that our "present" life has anything in common with it! We think of our faith as the payment for our "ticket" to the "Promised Land." In today's gospel, Jesus tells us that when we believe in him, we are ALREADY in the Promised Land!
Faith in Jesus, we are told, is its own reward and not a down payment on a white robe and golden harp! The power of our faith is such that St. Thomas Aquinas defines the "New Law of Christ" as the Holy Spirit working in our hearts through faith in Christ. Our efforts to keep focused on the eternal life that is ours now may be halting at times, and there is suffering to endure, but those efforts are the essential asceticism of Christianity. Keeping the eyes of our faith on Jesus, and not on the chocolate we give up, could be one of the best benefits of the Lenten season, especially if we keep it up once Lent is over! Getting a "head start" on eternal life is an offer we can't refuse! AMEN
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