RBWords

     "Word," "truth," and "free" are the repeated themes of the gospel passage today from the Gospel According to John.  They are part of the increasingly sharp opposition between Jesus and "the Jews."  However, in our secular age of increasing indifference or agnositicism (if not atheism) the adversaries to Jesus may not be religious at all!!!  The three terms invite a brief reflection on each.

     "WORD" is not simply sounds that create meaning.  WORD is personified in the Gospel According to John.  "And the WORD was made flesh." (John 1:14.).  Jesus' WORD is not just teaching ABOUT God but revelation OF God in the person of Jesus. "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM!" (John 8:53)

     "TRUTH" is not to be equated with "fact," but does include it.  Perhaps the meaning is closer to what we would call REALITY.  The reality of God becoming incarnate is the TRUTH that Jesus proclaimed and that we, in turn, proclaim.  TRUTH is a person.  "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6)

     "FREE" is the word that challenges us because we do not want to admit to being less than free people.  In the Gospel According to John, "sin" is the refusal to believe in Jesus as the One whom God has sent.  In today's passage, Jesus' adversaries take the word, "free," in the sense of the sociological state of slavery.  As descendants of Abraham in faith, they considered themselves to be free people, especially after the Exodus event.  Jesus confronts them with their lack of belief, which he considers slavery.  

     Jesus is the WORD that is the TRUTH that sets us free from the darkness of unbelief.  It is this reality that we proclaim to a secular WORLD.  AMEN