RBWords

     It's risky to sum up any book in the Bible in a single sentence!  However, the gospel portraits of Jesus are tempting in that regard.  The Gospel According to Matthew tempts me to say, "Jesus is the new Moses."  The Gospel According to Luke tempts me to say, "Jesus brings a new moment in time."  The Gospel According to Mark says to me, "Jesus is the Messiah - take him or leave him!"  In the Gospel According to John, the one statement that continually strikes me and sums up that gospel for me is, "the One whom God has sent." [John 3:34]

Today's gospel scripture echoes that idea.  "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me."   

     If Jesus is the one whom God has sent, all things are possible for him and, indeed, the "messenger" becomes the message!  Things do not just happen to Jesus in the Gospel According to John.  Jesus is in charge the whole way and goes about his appointed mission.  We can join him and participate in a great drama of salvation in the encounters with disciples, Nicodemus, the wedding feast at Cana, the Samaritan Woman, the multiplication of the loaves, the Man Born Blind, the raising of Lazarus, the washing of the feet of the disciples, the trial before Pilate, the appearance to Thomas...... In a day or so, we will begin reflecting on the discourses at the Last Supper.  A rich feast awaits us.  AMEN