Whoever serves me, the Father will honor

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.

- John 12:20-26

Whoever serves me, the Father will honour. These, in my opinion, are significant words given the context of the passage. It is the festival, the time of year when Jews from all over the Diaspora will be coming to Jerusalem for the Passover. In addition, at this time in history, devout or religious Gentiles would also be attracted to Judaism and to the festival in Jerusalem. There were Jews who became Hellenes (Greeks) and Greeks who became Jews; there was a cross-fertilization of cultures, mores, values and especially religious understanding. So, these Greeks are Gentiles who are attracted to Judaism, either God-fearing or full proselytes, who have come to the Passover festivities. They speak to Philip who is from a Greek-speaking region in Galilee (and who bears a Greek name).

Jesus' response to this request - that these Greeks would like to meet him - seems rather strange at first glance. But when we come to understand, in the context of this writing, that people from outside the immediate Jewish community, Gentiles, have begun to have heard of Jesus and wish to meet him, then it is not so strange a signal for Jesus' pronouncement. The time is near, he knows, for his death. And, as his word and his teachings are now moving into the wider world (especially among Greek speakers, as Greek was the lingua franca) it is a signal that his job is done, and there remains but the last great act to accomplish. In this context, it is easy to understand the words Jesus utters - that he will remain not a single grain, but through death will bear much fruit.

Therefore, now the Gentiles have begun to hear of him and be attracted to him, and it is a signal that followers and fruit will be borne not just from the immediate world of the Jews but also of the Gentiles, around the world. These words, then, Whoever serves me, the Father will honor, are meant to be understood as applicable to all of the world, to people all over the world who will hear of him and who will believe. It is therefore this signal to Jesus that his mission has come about to its final level - and his words tell his apostles what will be and what they will all become. They must go out to the world for whom his words will also apply.

As language is communication, I think that we must understand the depth of this meaning here: the Word goes out to all the world, it reaches out and does not stay confined within itself. So deep is this emptying that it is unto death - but it is in this emptying that the Word finds its fruit, Jesus finds his followers. We will see at the bestowal of the Spirit that each hears and understands in his own language. For now, this is the first significant incidence of the importance of such communication to all and its reflection on the nature of Spirit and faith.

How do we communicate our faith? Is it open and willing to attend to all? What does it mean to empty in imitation of the One who emptied unto death? Jesus' words are meant for his followers from everywhere in the world:

Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.