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Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."
- John 12:20-26
Yesterday, we read that a great many of those from the temple in Jerusalem knew that Jesus was arriving for the Passover; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! The King of Israel!" Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt." His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!"
Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified." My study bible explains that these "Greeks were Gentiles who believed in the God of Abraham, having come to participate in the Passover feast. That they were still called Greeks shows that they were not yet full proselytes (converts). Since Jesus had taught His disciples not to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5; 15:24), the disciples approach Him before bringing these inquirers. Glorified refers to the Savior's death on the Cross. Christ's obscure response indicates two things: (1) the answer these Greeks are seeking will not be found in words, but in the Cross; and (2) the Cross will be the event that opens all manner of grace to the Gentiles."
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." My study bible tells us that this image of the grain of wheat dying in order to bear fruit shows us that Christ's death will give life to the world. It says, "In many Orthodox churches, boiled wheat that is sweetened and spiced is served at memorial services for the departed faithful to affirm God's promise that those who have died in Christ will rise again to life." This passage is also frequently read at memorials and funeral services in many churches.
Jesus is clearly speaking here about His death that is to come. He goes willingly and with the knowledge that "unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." But when He then characterizes an attitude, it tells us something much greater: "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." This characterization goes further than the prediction of His sacrifice so that many, many others may live. It tells us something about a basic disposition toward life that has to do with selfishness as opposed to the openness to God and God's purposes. The whole image gives us a picture of someone who holds onto life with a closed fist, afraid to give any of what he or she knows. To let go, to open the hand and pray to God, and to receive God's word, is an entirely different attitude altogether. This traditional ancient picture of prayer, called orans from the Latin, depicts a position of hands raised. One can see this in catacomb paintings (see here and here, for examples of New and Old Testament images -- the latter is Noah praying). More famously, perhaps, is the image of the Virgin as Platytera in the Greek ("Wider than the Heavens") with hands opened, arms outstretched, bearing the Creator of the universe within herself (see here). And most specifically, we also see icons of the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist praying to Christ enthroned in majesty (Deesis, a depiction of prayer or supplication), with arms extended with palms open and head bowed, the traditional posture of prayer (see here and here). Particularly the latter (Deesis) shows us a traditional prayer posture, with palms open, head bowed toward Christ as God -- an image of the openness to God we wish to cultivate, holding nothing back, grasping nothing, but with palms open in acceptance of what God will bring us in our lives, or even, perhaps, take away. This is the image Christ gives us as He prepares for what is to come in His own earthly life. It is the image of allowing the grain of wheat to fall that it may produce more, the image of what it is to not love one's life so much that it is not open to God's will. It is the image of openness to God's work, to the Spirit as it may move within us and in our lives, to God's will that may transform our own ways of thinking and being in the world. It is the opposite of selfishness. Let us remember that His words are with us always, instructing us in how we live our lives, what we give to God -- even in how we pray. St. Paul said, "I die daily." There may be all kinds of little "deaths" which we open to in order to receive what is more productive, what may glorify God the more, in greater abundance. Can we keep this in mind in our lives, in prayer?
