Word to the Wise
Wednesday, April 3, 2019 - 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. " [John]
In the Gospel According to John, when Jesus begins a statement with "Amen, amen, I say to you......" that is a sign we should pay close attention! Today's gospel scripture contains two of those statements. It is also an example of a pattern in this gospel in which a "sign" is followed by a discourse or dialogue in which important truths are revealed. The quotation above comes from one of those discourses.
Most of us probably think of eternal life as something that comes after we physically die. Jesus assures us that eternal life begins when we believe in him and in the One who sent him! Scripture scholars refer to this as "realized eschatology" since the world has not yet come to an end, but we are already enjoying the eternal life God has promised at the end of time.
The Gospel According to John was strongly influenced by events occurring in the Christian community at the time of its composition. The issue of belief in Jesus as the one whom God has sent was resulting in Christians being expelled from synagogues. The result of this is shown in much of the adversarial language in this gospel. The basic challenge is whether or not one does or doesn't believe in Jesus' word. The discourse that will follow the sign of the multiplication of loaves and fishes will test the faith of the disciples. That includes us! AMEN