The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our familiarity with the “John 3:16 “ slogan to challenge us to follow the prompting of the Spirit to love the world.
Love the World
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John are persecuted.
* [5:17–42] A second action against the community is taken by the Sanhedrin in the arrest and trial of the Twelve; cf. Acts 4:1–3. The motive is the jealousy of the religious authorities over the popularity of the apostles (Acts 5:17) who are now charged with the defiance of the Sanhedrin’s previous order to them to abandon their prophetic role (Acts 5:28; cf. Acts 4:18). In this crisis the apostles are favored by a miraculous release from prison (Acts 5:18–24). (For similar incidents involving Peter and Paul, see Acts 12:6–11; 16:25–29.) The real significance of such an event, however, would be manifest only to people of faith, not to unbelievers; since the Sanhedrin already judged the Twelve to be inauthentic prophets, it could disregard reports of their miracles.1
Psalm 34 is praise for deliverance from trouble.
* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22).2
The Gospel of John is the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus that reveals how God so loved the world.
* [3:16] Gave: as a gift in the incarnation, and also “over to death” in the crucifixion; cf. Rom 8:32. * [3:17–19] Condemn: the Greek root means both judgment and condemnation. Jesus’ purpose is to save, but his coming provokes judgment; some condemn themselves by turning from the light. * [3:19] Judgment is not only future but is partially realized here and now.3
Mary Lee Brock comments that today we are invited to explore the impact of John 3:16: “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.” In these joyous days of the Easter Season there can be no better focus than this simple yet profound statement of our Christian faith. It is no wonder that when selecting a verse from the Bible to place on posters, bags, plaques and placards, “John 3:16” is the choice. Yet it is not enough to simply promote the verse, we must accept the mantle of responsibility for the glorious gift from God to live our faith.
In this season of Easter as we celebrate the promise of eternal life from God’s loving gift, we need to ask ourselves how we can invite others to this celebration. We can ask God to show us what prison walls such as greed, envy, fear, and distraction are holding us from fully living our faith. We can pray for the grace of courage to speak what we know to be true. We can strive to respectfully meet others where they are as we share the joy of our faith in God. Our words and our actions can be guided by this final line in today’s Gospel from John: “But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.”4
Don Schwager quotes “The Intensity of God's Love and Our Response,” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.
"The text, 'God so loved the world,' shows such an intensity of love. For great indeed and infinite is the distance between the two. The immortal, the infinite majesty without beginning or end loved those who were but dust and ashes, who were loaded with ten thousand sins but remained ungrateful even as they constantly offended him. This is who he 'loved.' For God did not give a servant, or an angel or even an archangel 'but his only begotten Son.' And yet no one would show such anxiety even for his own child as God did for his ungrateful servants..." "He laid down his life for us and poured forth his precious blood for our sake - even though there is nothing good in us - while we do not even pour out our money for our own sake and neglect him who died for us when he is naked and a stranger... We put gold necklaces on ourselves and even on our pets but neglect our Lord who goes about naked and passes from door to door... He gladly goes hungry so that you may be fed; naked so that he may provide you with the materials for a garment of incorruption, yet we will not even give up any of our own food or clothing for him... These things I say continually, and I will not cease to say them, not so much because I care for the poor but because I care for your souls." (HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 27.2-3)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 5:17-26 comments that the risen Christ has asked us, his beloved brothers and sisters, to leave our “prisons” behind and go. These are prisons of fear or discouragement or unworthiness or lack of confidence or complacency. Maybe we’re locked up but don’t realize it. Maybe we don’t recognize what is holding us back. God doesn’t want us in chains; he wants to set us free to go wherever he is sending us.
Today, ask God if there is any prison door you need to walk through. Believe that the Holy Spirit wants you to experience the freedom that Christ has already won for you, and then take some action, however small, to begin to break out of that prison. Jesus has set you free so that you can accomplish his work in the world. One step at a time, you can, like the apostles, Go and take your place. “Lord, open my eyes to the ‘prisons’ that keep me from doing your will.”6
Friar Jude Winkler notes the futility to fight against God’s Will as the experience of Peter and John shows. The text from the Gospel of John calls us back to the prologue of this Gospel. Friar Jude concludes that our freedom to reject HIs relationship breaks God’s heart.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Christian author Rachel Held Evans (1981–2019) who has an expansive understanding of how Christians, as the body of Christ, can celebrate the sacraments together.
Indeed, the word sacrament is derived from a Latin phrase which means “to make holy.” When hit with the glint of love’s light, even ordinary things become holy. And when received with open hands in the spirit of eucharisteo, the signs and wonders of Jesus never cease. The 150-plus gallons of wine at Cana point to a generous God, a God who never runs out of holy things. This is the God who, much to the chagrin of Jonah, saved the rebellious city of Nineveh, the God who turned five loaves of bread and a couple of fish into a lunch to feed five thousand with baskets of leftovers to spare. This God is like a vineyard manager who pays a full day’s wage for just one hour of work, or like a shepherd who leaves his flock in search of a single lamb, or like a father who welcomes his prodigal son home with a robe, a ring, and a feast. We have the choice, every day, to join in the revelry, to imbibe the sweet wine of undeserved grace, or to pout like Jonah, argue fairness like the vineyard employees, resent our own family like the prodigal’s older brother. At its best, the church administers the sacraments by feeding, healing, forgiving, comforting, and welcoming home the people God loves. At its worst, the church withholds the sacraments in an attempt to lock God in a theology, a list of rules, a doctrinal statement, a building.7
The Love of God for the world calls us to live with compassion, mercy, faith, and that the Spirit calls us to be in the world.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment