Word to the Wise
Monday, April 8, 2019 - 5th Week of Lent - Mon
[Dan 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62 and John 8:1-11 or, in Year C, John 8:12-20,877]"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life......." He spoke these words while teaching in the treasury in the temple area. But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. [John]
All the gospel scriptures for this week are taken from the Gospel According to John. In my estimation, this gospel is the most dramatic of the four gospels because of its many contrasts: light/darkness, above/below, sight/blindness and the vividness of the scenes: e.g. marriage feast at Cana, the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, the raising of Lazarus. There is also a lot of legal terminology: testimony, judgment, etc. Add to all of this are Jesus' "Amen, amen I say to you...." statements and his "I AM" declarations. Finally, there is the reference to Jesus' "hour," which appears throughout the gospel
Today's gospel scripture features a number of these characteristics. Jesus says "I AM the light of the world." All of these statements take us back to Moses and the burning bush where God says, "I AM WHO I AM." Jesus also speaks of his "testimony" as being self-evident because he and the Father are one! Finally, the last line speaks of his "hour." We might remember his reply to his mother at the marriage feast of Cana when he says to her, "Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." [John 2:4]
It could really make for a profound appreciation of the drama of the last days of Lent and all of Holy Week if one simply takes the Gospel According to John and reads it. The themes announced early in the gospel repeat themselves. The scenes show how people come to faith. This is not just ancient history but a confrontation to the reader to ask, "Do I believe in Jesus as the one whom God has sent?" AMEN