Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 - 2nd Week of Easter - Wed
[Acts 5:17-26 and John 3:16-21]"God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." [John]
This quotation from the Gospel According to John used to appear as a citation on banners in football end zones - JOHN 3:16!! I'm not sure how many people went looking for the big white bible on the coffee table to find out what it said, but the words are important because they contain the fundamental message of the Gospel According to John and are the words that we Christians live by!
In telling the story of Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus, the evangelist introduces Jesus as light confronting darkness in a kind of court battle. This theme will echo throughout the gospel. At stake is eternal life, the light and the truth. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night! He gradually moves toward the light and will appear as one of Jesus' burial attendants at the end of the gospel.
The Easter Vigil and the regular baptismal ceremony feature light and the profession of faith. We are challenged by our baptism to live in the light and the truth so that our actions may be clearly seen as "done in God." AMEN