Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 - 4th Week of Easter - Wed
[Acts 12:24-13:5a and John 12:44-50]"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. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness." [John]
In reading and meditating on the Gospel According to John, it is important to remember the historical context that is reflected. That context was adversarial. Those Jews who accepted Jesus as the messiah were experiencing rejection and being cast out of their synagogues. The evangelist aimed criticism not only at those who rejected Jesus outright, despite the signs he worked, but also those whose faith in Jesus was weak and they feared the consequences of bearing witness. Nicodemus may, at least initially, have been an example. Recall that he came to Jesus at night!
Over and over again in the Gospel According to John we are told that Jesus is the one whom the Father has sent. He comes into the "world" as light into darkness. [cf. John 1:3-9]. This is echoed in today's passage. The fundamental existential situation is that of belief versus unbelief. This gospel shows again and again the process of "coming to belief" in the encounters of Jesus with various figures: the royal official, the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, Martha, Mary Magdalen, Thomas the apostle. It is a process of leaving darkness and coming into light, leaving blindness and gaining sight I recall vividly the comment of a student I received into the church many years ago. I asked him why he wanted to become a Catholic and he responded, "I'm reaching for the light! How brightly does that light shine in each of us? For those of us who claim to believe in Jesus, how does our everyday life reflect this? It is not simply a matter of piety and multiplying devotions but our love of neighbor as well! We cannot accept Jesus and reject our neighbor. If the Gospel According to John seems confrontational, perhaps that is what we need to understand Jesus and his mission. AMEN