Word to the Wise
Thursday, March 14, 2013 - 4th Week of Lent - Thurs
[Exod 32:7-14 and John 5:31-47]The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf.
The "fall out" from Jesus' action in healing the beggar at the pool shows up in today's gospel scripture. This is expressed in adversarial terms because Jesus is challenged by the religious authorities about his healing on the sabbath, which they considered to be a violation of the Law of Moses. Jesus' response to their complaint is to stand on the authority of the One who sent him. The "works" that he (Jesus) does are the testimony to his authority to act. Furthermore, Jesus attacks the faith of his adversaries by saying that if they really believed in Moses as they should, they would believe in him (Jesus). "For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
Much of this adversarial talk reflects conflict that was taking place at the time the Gospel of John was composed. The early Christian community interpreted the Torah in the light of their experience of Jesus. There was a conflict of faith. If one accepted Jesus as coming from God, the whole Old Testament took on an entirely different meaning. This is as true now as it was then, but it is important to understand this in order to understand what was taking place in today's gospel scripture. The conflict back then had serious implications because those Jews who were accepting Jesus were being expelled from their synagogues! I suspect the ugly sin of anti-semitism has some of its roots in this.
Our own lives of faith must inevitably come into contact with those who do not interpret the scriptures or believe in the way we do about Jesus. At the present time, we in America are just beginning to understand the reality of Islam! The Second Vatican Council published a document by the title NOSTRA AETATE ["IN OUR TIMES"] which challenges all the church to come to know and respect the religious traditions with which we share a common root in Abraham. We can best testify to our own faith by our example and by our desire to understand where the "other" is coming from. An "adversarial" stance will not get us anywhere. AMEN
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