He must increase, but I must decrease

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.

Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, ' but 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

- John 3:22-36

Yesterday, we read Jesus words:   "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.   It's a time when both John and Jesus are practicing active ministries.  As we know, many of Jesus' disciples were John's disciples first.

Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  The Baptist's disciples testify to the "drawing power" of Jesus' ministry.  We note that in the next chapter of the Gospel of John, we are given to understand that Jesus did not baptize directly, but His disciples baptized (John 4:2).

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, ' but 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  John's acceptance of this news is an example to all of us not only of humility, but of what it means to embrace the truth.  My study bible says that John is called the friend (or "best man"), while Christ is the bridegroom.  The bride is the Church, the people of God, those who have faith.  It says, "John confesses his role in the coming of the Messiah -- that he is witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, and thus he rejoices in that celebration."

"He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand."  We see the fuller expression here of John's humility in faith, and, again, it stands as an example to all of us.  My study bible  puts it this way:  "He renounces earthy glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  By allowing Christ to increase in him, John himself finds true glory.  This statement further indicates the end of the old covenant.  As the law vanishes, the grace of Jesus Christ abounds."    The liturgical calendar also reflects the "decrease" of the old covenant and the "increase" of the new:  John the Baptist's birth is universally celebrated in the Church on June 24th, at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky, while Jesus' birth is celebrated December 25th (in some cases, early January), when the sun begins to increase.

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  My study bible points out that John echoes the teaching of Christ Himself here.  It also points out the absence of the word "alone" -- quoting St. John Chrysostom:  "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  (See also James 2:14-24.)

John the Baptist's humility is an example for all of us.  It's not so much that he accepts Christ for the sake of faith, so to speak.  It's not so much even that he tends to diminish himself and his role in comparison to Christ.  Rather, it's his clear and complete embracing of the truth that's so impressive, and we have to think about what that means in terms of a mind that is prepared to accept so fully what the truth actually is.  Let's think about John's situation.  He's widely respected and known as a holy man.  He has many disciples.  Even the leadership from the temple goes out to the Jordan in order to be baptized by him.  And yet, even as he's preaching repentance and preparation for the Kingdom to come and for the One who is to come, we're given reports of his scathing tone to the Pharisees who come out for his baptism:  "Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"  (Luke 3:7).   At this point, John the Baptist's ministry holds tremendous sway with the people, and it's not long before his criticism of Herod's marriage becomes an annoyance to the point of his arrest.  It's because John is so widely revered that the criticism becomes a focal point for the use of power to arrest him.  So John is at the height of his ministry now in this scene, and yet we hear his words:  "He must increase, but I must decrease."  As a prophet, and we consider him to be the greatest in the whole history of the lineage of the Old Testament prophets, John knows what is happening and what must happen.  He is the herald and the forerunner to Christ, and he accepts with perfect faith the truth about what is happening here.  The Bridegroom is at hand, and the Baptist is the true friend of the Bridegroom.   Can we accept in our own lives such perfect faith in the truth, even when it seems to diminish us?  The Baptist's faith goes beyond just acceptance here.  And it goes beyond just a recognition of the truth.  This is a spiritual truth in which the Baptist rejoices.  John's testimony is this: "The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."   It's so much more than acceptance; even in the hints that he will decrease, John's joy is fulfilled in Christ.  He knows that Christ is the One sent by God, the One to whom John's ministry has been pointing and for whom he's been preparing the way via the baptism of repentance.  Christ is the one who speaks the word given by God.  He is the one to whom all things have been given.  When John tells us that "God does not give the Spirit by measure," he's testifying to the fullness of the Messiah in the person of Jesus, the one upon whom the Spirit rested in John's vision at Jesus' baptism.  His humility, and acceptance, and joy are all great examples to us, but they are more than that.  They are the things about this holy man that we must imitate in our own lives of faith.  Can we accept Christ's position vs. our own ideas and understanding?  Do we turn to Christ and embrace, in the fullness of truth that John does, what God gives?  And can we feel the joy of fulfillment in whatever it is that is the truth of God?  Whatever "place" we have, can we rejoice in the role as friend of the Bridegroom?  This is a great order for each of us, a call to each of us, and it's a place we may share with the Baptist in our own way.  His humility isn't a "put down" of who he is, it's a lens to see through, and clearly.  It's the lens for the truth.  Can we be the same as he is?  Can we serve the truth as he does?

This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil

 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

- John 3:16-21

Yesterday, we read that when Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.  There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  My study bible says that this passage is necessary to augment what comes just before:  it's the reason why the Son must be crucified ("lifted up" as we read in yesterday's reading, above).  Jesus declares God's great love not only for Israel but for the world, God's creation.  My study bible says, "This single verse expresses the whole of the message of John's Gospel, and indeed, of salvation history."

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."  My study bible tells us that while Christ came to save and not to condemn, human beings have free will.  We can reject this gift we're offered, and become condemned by that rejection.

 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."  Here's the crux:  it's all in how we respond to the gift, to the light.  Do we want it, or do we not want it?  John's Gospel clearly states why we wouldn't want it; we don't want our deeds to be exposed in the light.

These are Christ's words given to us in John, that "God so loved the world." It's "the explanation for everything," if we want to put it that way.  Science gives us studies in which "the theory of everything" might be explained, but if we really want the key, well, here it is.  The key to everything is love.  God loves us as a Father.  So much so, the Only-begotten came into the world to save that relationship, to bring us back to God, so that our lives may be as rich as possible with life in abundance.  It's really that simple, and yet it is also so complex.  How do people reject love?  How do they reject that kind of love?  Human beings tend to make things so complex, don't they?  Some people confuse abuse with love.  Some people claim that love means tolerating all kinds of behaviors that are damaging to relationships, to a marriage, for example.  Forgiveness also comes in the great example of Christ, as part of love.  But His kind of forgiveness comes two ways in the Gospels:  via repentance, and via a plea to the Father on behalf of those who really don't fully understand what they are doing.  And so, we have love again, the love that more than anything else wants a full reconciliation with us, with each of us.  How do we live that love?  How do we follow His example?  How is condemnation also a part of this picture?  I think the text is telling us that this is up to us.  Do we want this love, or do we not want it?  It is like a marriage, it seems.  It's a relationship offered, the deepest possible bond.  But it's up to us to choose it for ourselves.  Do we want the place this love is taking us toward?  Are we willing to do our part?  Can we bring everything we are, everything we have, into this relationship of love?  John tells us there are reasons why it's rejected, that there are deeds desired and harbored that are in some way evil.  The Greek for this particular word for evil means "overly laborious" and its root is in the word for "pain."  So we get the image of what kinds of deeds are done that hides from this light:  things that cause others pain, inflict toil or distress.  We're all familiar with the "evil" things of the world that take up time, cause endless labor to deal with, delays and turmoil and toil.  This is the kind of "wickedness" described by this word.  Imagine the pain caused by selfish acts whose bad effects can last decades or a lifetime, causing others enormous distress which needs a great deal of work to heal:  murder, thievery, manipulation of all kinds.  Think of the hatred harbored that brings pain and toil to others, even needless misery.  Harassment is also something that, it seems to me, falls into this category.  These are the acts kept covered in a darkness that doesn't want the light.  So, the love is on offer, and it's our choice how we respond.  Do we really treasure the one thing necessary?  Do we have any idea how great is this gift?  Are we willing to bring everything to its light?

How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

- John 2:23-3:15

Yesterday, we read that the Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."  So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. 

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.  But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.  This is the first Passover reported in the Gospel of John; there are two yet to come.  It is via this information that we know Jesus' ministry lasted three years.  What we have already evidenced is Jesus' use of discernment; "He knew what was in man."  Clearly, our faith does not come only from being convinced by "signs."  There is more to faith than that, something deeper within the heart.

 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."   My study bible tells us that Nicodemus believed Jesus was from God, but his faith was still weak, as he was afraid of his peers and thus came to Jesus by night.  Later on, his faith will grow to the point of defending Jesus before the Sanhedrin (7:50-51) and making a bold public expression of faith by preparing and entombing Christ's body (19:39-42).  According to some early sources, Nicodemus was baptized by Peter and forced to flee Jerusalem after he was removed from the Sanhedrin.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  The phrase born again can also be translated born "from above."  The word in Greek comes from "above" but it can also mean "from the beginning" (similarly to the expression "from the top" one supposes).  But the clear implication is of a heavenly birth.  My study bible calls it "the heavenly birth from God through faith in Christ."  It says that this is baptism and our adoption by God as our Father (Galatians 4:4-7).  A note reads:  "This new birth is but the beginning of our spiritual life, with its goal being entrance into the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"  Nicodemus takes Jesus' words at face value.  This is a device that will frequently be used in this Gospel, as a method of showing us "signs" through language.  Jesus refers to a deeper or higher meaning, a spiritual meaning attached to what we know.  This is part of the purpose of the Incarnation.  Misunderstandings like this will occur throughout John's Gospel, as opportunities for Jesus to explain the spiritual realities He brings to the world.  As my study bible puts it, "Christ uses these opportunities to elevate an idea from a superficial or earthly meaning to a heavenly and eternal meaning."

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."  Jesus refers directly to Christian baptism here, when speaking of being born of water and the Spirit.  My study bible tells us that this means the new birth consists of "being joined to Christ in the water of baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit through anointing or 'chrismation.'" In this way, salvation is more than forgiveness or mental acceptance of teachings; it's being "given union with God through Christ, a right and full relationship with the Holy Trinity, and the restoration of our full humanity."  

"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.  So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"  Jesus gives us a play on words:  in the Greek, the word "pneuma" is used to mean both wind and Spirit.   (It also means "breath.")  My study bible says, "The working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source and destination of the blowing wind.  Likewise, the Spirit moves where He wills and cannot be contained by human ideas or agendas."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."  According to St. John Chrysostom, when Jesus speaks of earthly things, he's referring to the grace and baptism that are given to human beings.  These are earthly in the sense that they are bestowed in the Incarnation, they occur in the world and are given to us creatures.  Heavenly things, says my study bible, "involve the ungraspable mysteries of the eternal generation of the Son from the Father; they relate to His eternal existence before all time and to God's divine plan of salvation for the world."  It adds that a person has to first grasp the understanding of how God works among human beings before one can begin to understand things that pertain to God Himself.  John's Prologue tells of "heavenly things."

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."  Jesus immediately connects the "heavenly things" with what will happen in this salvation plan of the Incarnation.  My study bible says, "Moses lifted up an image of a serpent to cure the Israelites from deadly poisonous snakes (Numbers 21:4-9).  This miracle-working image prefigured Christ being lifted up on the Cross.  As believers behold the crucified Christ in faith,  the power of sin and death is overthrown in them.  Just as the image of a serpent was the weapon that destroyed the power of the serpents, so the instrument of Christ's death becomes the weapon that overthrows death itself."

The mysteries of God and our faith are in some ways too "awesome" to think about.  They're so high above us sometimes; and yet, in other ways -- particularly through the experience of faith -- they're imminently graspable.  First our passage today tells us about baptism.  Somehow the elements of the earth, particularly that of water (which covers approximately 75% of the world and makes up approximately the same percentage of our bodies) combines with the Spirit to allow us to be reborn in spirit, to give us adoption by grace and a relationship to God the Trinity.  This can only happen through the Incarnation and is, indeed, a purpose for the Incarnation:  to bring us into the deepest possible relationship with God.  We can talk about this and explain it and try to understand it as deeply as possible.  But the true test of understanding comes via experience.  We may not be able to explain the experience, either, but we know its effects.  Just like the example that Jesus gives of the wind, we "can't tell where it comes from and where it goes."  But we can see its effects, we "can hear the sound of it."  A person who has had experience of prayer and how it works in us is someone who knows how it has worked for them and in their lives, even if full explanations of "heavenly things" are impossible.  One can experience a change without being able to fully explain it, and one can certainly grasp what it means that all things are possible "with God's help" when one has experienced that help.  I can't say how many people have shared with me the impossible task of explaining to another how they got through a situation with strength they knew could not have come from themselves, but came via prayer.   Insights come in prayer that one may well understand as remarkably greater than anything that has come from racking one's mind about a solution to a problem.  But try to explain it to someone who wants to scoff.  Experience tells us so much that can't be conveyed through theory or other explanations, and still leaves room for mystery.  How do we find that we become close to God, to Christ?  How do we explain that the persona of a saint may become someone from whom we feel love and hope?  It's experience that brings us these insights and wisdom; and yet, the "heavenly things" remain elusive in explanation.  We can just see the effects in our lives, and live the experience of faith, and grow in it as we continually put our faith back into where we've come and the Person from whom the grace has come.  And there we come back to baptism.  Baptism is something that works with us throughout our lives.  This "living water" is something that continues to give within ourselves, our hearts the place out of which we're promised will flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).  Again, it is the faith journey of experience that helps us to grasp this; explanations can't really do it justice.  But Jesus ties all of this gift of grace in with what is to come in His earthly ministry:  His "lifting up" on the Cross.  Via this act He gives the gift of eternal life, a life that is added unto everything that is "earthly" -- just as baptism works with the earthly element of water combined mysteriously with Spirit.  Christ's "lifting up" elevates our lives with it, molds together in faith our lives with His life, and with life itself -- the life in abundance that He promises (John 10:10).  I think we get it wrong if we think that "eternal life" is only about life after life in this world.  It's not.  The "eternal" of  "of the ages" as the Greek more literally reads (meaning the length of an age, rather than an earthly lifetime) is something that tells us of the quality of this life that is given to us, not merely its length or that it is heavenly.  Jesus promises this quality of life not only in an "eternal age" but rather here and now, through faith:  a transcendent kind of a life.   And just as He promises "life in abundance" it is the same with His promises of peace and of joy that pass the usual human understanding of the sources of these feelings.  It's John's Gospel that gives us those promises too -- see John 14:27 and John 15:11.  All of this is bound up in the image of baptism we're given in today's reading:  the union of the earth with the heavenly, the meaning of the Incarnation, and the gifts He's here to bestow.  It is the Kingdom that has come near, that is within us and among us.  Above all, we characterize all of these things as love, because it's love in which we're held, brought closer into relationship, and bestowed with a Kingdom as heirs.  That's the real reason for the mission, the real explanation we're always looking for.  How do we know love?  It is experience that teaches, and this is something -- the great bedrock -- we find in the real experience of our faith and the working of Spirit through our lives. Jesus will teach that His sheep will know Him and His voice; through the experience of love we recognize, and through the experience of love we also discern the false -- that to which we must not commit ourselves, as in His example above.

Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up

 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. 

- John 2:13-22

Yesterday, we read about a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."   Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.  When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables.  And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"  Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."    My study bible explains that those who sold oxen and sheep and doves were trading in live animals that would be used for sacrifices.  The money changers traded Roman coins for Jewish; Roman coins bore the image of Caesar and were considered defiling the temple.  It suggests that this cleansing of the temple points to the necessity that the Church be "kept from earthly pursuits."  It says, "As each person is considered a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19), it is also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters."  In the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) this event happens at the beginning of Holy Week, which is the last week of Jesus' ministry on earth.  John's however, places it here, at the beginning.  There are those Fathers, among them John Chrysostom, who teach that these are two separate events in which Jesus performed the cleansing of the temple.  If that is so, it teaches us something of the significance of this event and its central meaning to Christ's ministry.  The quotation of Scripture is from Psalm 69:9.  Again, in the significance of the act is Christ's fulfillment of the images of the Old Testament.

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"  But He was speaking of the temple of His body.  Therefore when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.  My study bible explains that since Jesus isn't a Levitical priest, His authority to cleanse the temple is challenged here.  In John's Gospel, use of the term "Jews" indicates most often specifically the religious leadership.  It is used somewhat as one would use a name for a political party, reflecting historical realities of John's time in which persecution became fierce for those who followed Christ.  Here, it refers to the chief priests and elders.  My study bible says, "As Christ is careful not to reveal Himself to scoffers, He answers in a hidden way:  the ultimate sign will be His death and Resurrection."  In the earlier verses, the disciples recall Old Testament Scripture fulfilled in Jesus.   Here, Jesus Himself is prophetic, and they will remember after His Resurrection.

In today's passage there is a lot of "fulfillment" happening.  We get a sense of what prophecy does and is, and how prophecy is embodied in Christ and in the moments of His ministry.  Here there are two prophecies fulfilled:  one from the Psalms (69:9) and the other directly from the spoken word of Jesus:  "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."   It's not quite clear to me exactly when the disciples reflected upon the Psalms and Jesus' fulfillment of this Scripture.  Did it happen immediately?  Perhaps they discussed it among themselves.  But we're given a clear timeline regarding Jesus' direct saying about destroying the temple:  it's when He had risen from the dead that His disciples remembered this saying.  Either way, we get a sense of what the word of God is all about, and how fulfillment of this word works, how prophecy works.  If we consider the entire body of Scripture the word of God then we have a sense of how Jesus -- as the personal human incarnation of the Word -- is at work.  Whether written by David or the Prophets, it's the Word that has spoken through them, via the Holy Spirit.  As it's said in the Creed, "He has spoken through the Prophets."  St. Peter writes that "prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit"  (see 2 Peter 1:19-21).  So, in the end, we have a kind of seamless reality that permeates everything, and is not measured by time but rather works through it.  In other words, the reality spoken of by one Prophet, or another word of Scripture, or the words of Christ Himself, works as a sort of seamless whole.  Each complements the other, and in Christ it is all fulfilled.  Perhaps it also lends itself to the understanding that in the life of Jesus Christ (as told by the Gospels) new things are always being revealed to us now, in the fulfillment of His Church, and His work in the world via the Spirit and the promise of the Kingdom that is near to us.  Whatever way we wish to think of the Word, we have to remember that life as lived via this ministry is about a Kingdom that goes through all things, and meanings and values that come to us regardless of time.  Even in the present moment, everything is relevant -- but we need that window in which we look with the eyes of those who see and the ears of those who hear:  capable of discernment in spiritual terms.  In that way, there is nothing that is irrelevant, but rather, everything holds the promise of the Word.  Can we hear today what this cleansing of the temple is all about?  Let's remember the reference to the fact that we ourselves are temples of the Holy Spirit.  How best do we cultivate a clearer discernment?  This Lent, what do we need to "clean up" that gets in the way?  Let's think about His example, in this first Passover reported by John, and His last in Holy Week.   Where is our zeal?

Whatever He says to you, do it

 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

- John 2:1-12

In our previous reading, we read about the "fourth day" of Jesus' ministry, as included in John's Gospel.  On this day, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"   Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."   Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

  On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.  This wedding, my study bible points out, is the setting for the first of seven signs which are performed by Jesus in the Gospel of John.  It tells us, "John uses the term signs to show that these miraculous actions point beyond themselves to the truth that the Kingdom of God has come among us in the Person of Jesus Christ."  The setting of this wedding is significant, as in the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolized the union of God with His Bride, Israel.  Here Jesus' ministry begins in Galilee which had a large Gentile population.  We recall Nathanael's disparaging question about Nazareth (of Galilee) in Saturday's reading, above -- and the fact that so many of Jesus' earliest disciples are also Galileans.  My study bible calls this Galilean beginning a sign of the spread of the gospel to all the world.   The "third day" means it's now two days after the previous one reported -- but it also sets a "Resurrectional" tone.  My study bible says it shows that the marriage of God and His Church will be fulfilled in Christ's Resurrection.  It also notes that other parallels between this marriage at Cana and the Resurrection account in 20:1-18 are that "both involve a woman named Mary who makes an appeal, and in both passages the disciples are invited to witness the event."   My study bible also notes that John's Resurrection account (20:11-18) has a striking similarity to Song of Solomon 3:1-5, again showing the unity between marriage and our Lord's Resurrection.  Jesus' presence at this wedding gives a blessing to the institution of marriage itself, showing it to be "holy and honorable" (Hebrews 13:4), says my study bible.  This event occurs on the "sixth day" according to John's Gospel (we began with John the Baptist's testimony), which corresponds to the sixth day of Creation in Genesis, in which God created man and woman (see Genesis 1:26-31).

And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?  My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."   My study bible says that this is an example of Mary's gift of intercession.  It explains, "Even now, Mary continually speaks to her Son on our behalf and is our preeminent intercessor before His Throne."  It adds that her capacity as intercessor is confirmed as Jesus grants her request here.  And there is another aspect to this passage:  wine is symbolic of life, so that gives two levels of meaning to Mary's statement that they have no wine.  My study bible suggests they are:  (1)  that a marriage is not complete without the presence of Christ; and (2) that the old covenant was unable to bestow life even on the most faithful people.  A note also explains that, contrary to certain modern usage, Woman is a sacred title in Scripture, an address conveying deep respect and distinction.  Jesus' question to Mary here is more literally read, "What is that to Me and to you?"  Jesus' response suggests that it's not yet His time to be revealed as Christ.  That her request is fulfilled, however, teaches several things according to my study bible:  (1) that Christ is Lord over hours and seasons and is not subject to them (after all, turning water to wine normally involves a process of time); (2) that the wedding party needed to be aware of their lack of wine first so that they might learn that it is Christ who fulfills all needs; (3) that we need to have perseverance in our petitions before God (Matthew 15:21-28); and (4) that the intercessions of the righteous have great power (James 5:16).

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water."  And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast."  And they took it.  The waterpots were made of stone because stone would not contract ritual impurity, according to rabbinical teaching.  The number six is significant, says my study bible.  It's one less than the perfect seven, and "indicates that the Law, illustrated by water being reserved for Jewish purification, was incomplete, imperfect, and unable to bestow life."  The water changed into wine is symbolic of the old covenant being fulfilled in the new, which is capable of bestowing life.  The overabundant (filled to the brim) gallons of wine illustrate the overflowing  grace Christ grants to all.

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior.  You have kept the good wine until now!"  This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.  After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.  My study bible tells us that the Fathers see this transformation as prefiguring the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

What are we to make of the insistence of Jesus' mother, Mary, at this occasion  Let's remember this is the first sign John's Gospel gives us.  Although Jesus has chosen disciples, and is now known publicly as a teacher, His word to His mother is discouraging!  "My hour has not yet come" is clearly meant to tell her that it's not His time for revelation.  But her confidence, her faith, is something else.  She clearly knows about His mission, His identity.  If not in the fullness of all that the promise of Gabriel to her meant at the Annunciation, this woman is closely identified with her Son, clearly a part of this ministry.  We can see that they all travel together as sort of a great family -- He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples -- to Capernaum after the wedding.  And of course this is not the only time an insistent woman will somehow "persuade" Jesus (if we can really use that word) to do something revelatory against what would seem to be His reservations to the contrary.  We can, in some sense, parallel this with His conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:1-42, after she asks Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."  Again, another parallel with that scene is the abundance of the "living" water Jesus teaches her about, like the water that fills these waterpots turned to the symbol of life, the wine.  Indeed, we can make the case for insistent women all throughout the Gospels in so many events!  (See, for example, the woman who touched His hem, the Syro-Phoenician woman, and of course Jesus' relationship with the sisters of Lazarus, which we will read about when John gives us the seventh and greatest sign in his Gospel, the raising of Lazarus).  All of this is to say we go back to this key relationship to the woman who gave birth to Christ, the one who serves as "chief intercessor" to so many faithful.  In this text, written by the disciple whom Jesus would call upon to care for His mother after His death (John 19:26), we're given hints about her relationship to her Son, her privileged position of understanding His identity long before anyone else did, and sharing the mystery of His life.  Her faith in Him is complete confidence, but the Church reads her prompting here as intercession on behalf of those who have no wine.  One simply has to wonder what kind of woman it would take to be mother to Jesus, who could love and bear Him into the world, be faithful throughout His ministry, and through the hardships to come?  She is the saint who prays for all of us, whose compassion and understanding has been testified to throughout the history of the Church and those who call upon her as saint to pray for them as well.  But let us remember her confidence, and most of all her loving Son who accepts her request on behalf of everyone at this wedding feast.

Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"   Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."   Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

- John 1:43-51

Yesterday, we read that on the third day covered in the life and ministry of Jesus in John's Gospel, John the Baptist stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

  The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  My study bible explains to us that no deceit means both having a pure heart and being straightforward with others. This word, deceit, in the Greek can also mean "bait."  In other words, a crafty person who seeks to lure others might offer something attractive (like a false compliment).  But Nathanael speaks his mind plainly, without flattery! 

Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"   Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."   Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."   My study bible says that what happened under the fig tree isn't stated, but refers to St. John Chrysostom, who teaches that this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and that in fact Jesus was praising Nathanael for being diligent and careful in His search for the Messiah.  It says that Christ's foreknowledge and His capacity to see into Nathanael's heart stir him into this confession of faith.  Perhaps what Jesus means here is that before he was called by Philip, Jesus had already perceived a disciple in the man beneath the fig tree.

And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  My study bible tells us that the title Son of Man is a title of the Messiah that had a level of mystery in its meaning, indicating a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God (see Daniel 7:13-14).  In an Old Testament prophecy, it was Jacob who dreamed of a ladder which connected earth to heaven, upon which the angels of God were ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  Jesus is this "ladder" who unites heaven and earth -- and therefore is this the Son of Man.

"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  I think it's an important question.  Cyril of Alexandria refers to Nathanael as someone who's obviously learned, because he's studied the prophets.  Chrysostom comments that Nathanael is surprised because he knows the Christ is supposed to be from Bethlehem, not from Nazareth.  The answer, of course, is to "Come and see" for himself.  Later on in John's Gospel, we'll read that the Pharisees disparage Christ in a similar way to Nathanael's, asking Nicodemus sarcastically if he was from Galilee too, as "no prophet has arisen from Galilee"  (John 7:52).  But even that is a mistake, as Jonah came from Gath Hepher, a town in Galilee.  But the popular disparaging of the region as one which included many Gentiles is apparent here.  The thing many ancient commentators remark on is how all of these earliest disciples (Philip,  Andrew, Peter and presumably John) are also from Galilee!  John Chrysostom writes that the Galileans were "somehow of a more boorish and dull disposition than others. But even in this Christ displayed his power. He selected his choicest disciples from a land that bore no fruit"  (Homilies on the Gospel of John 20:1).  It takes us back to yesterday's reading, in which Jesus proclaimed Peter "Rock," just as He names Nathanael "an Israelite in whom there is no guile."  Being the Christ, Jesus sees into the true nature of His creations, these people He chooses as disciples.  Some commentators point out the parallels of Nathanael to Jacob, of whom it was also said that he was a "plain man" (Genesis 25:27) and so like one "in whom there is no guile."  It is Jacob who would be called Israel (Genesis 35:10), and so Nathanael is like Jacob in Jesus' remark that he is "an Israelite indeed!"   As my study bible pointed out, it was Jacob who dreamed of a ladder on which angels were ascending and descending, and so Christ confidently predicts to Nathanael that he will see the same -- and it is a revelation of the fullness of who Christ is.  All of this serves to send us once again the message -- as in yesterday's reading -- that God's notion of perfection and how our faith works is never going to be a worldly image of what perfection is.  Somehow the Nathanael sitting under that fig tree (which can also be a symbol of sin, a kind of blindness), the one who wonders how anything good can come out of Nazareth, is also the one who will "see angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man," just like Simon is also Peter, who is the rock of the Church.  Jesus Himself will be disparaged for His Galilean origins.   But all of this serves to teach us about our faith, and that "with God all things are possible."  Yesterday, I quoted from St. Paul, who was told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  In the choosing of these first disciples, we are repeatedly reminded that Christ's "perfection" isn't our perfection.  It's a perfection viewed in the eyes of love, a perfection made of what Christ or Logos brings to the world, as stated in John's Prologue:  grace and truth.  It is Christ of whom the Evangelist wrote that all had "received of His fullness, and grace for grace."    This is what we see in action in the choosing of these Galilean disciples, by a man from such an "unlikely" place as Nazareth.  May we be blessed with His sight and vision of love, and grace, and truth! 

Behold the Lamb of God!

 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone). 

- John 1:35-42

Yesterday, we read that, on the second day covered in this beginning story of the ministry of Jesus, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).  My study bible notes that the Lord's first disciples had been followers of John the Baptist.  They were Andrew, Simon (also known as Peter, or Cephas), Philip, Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew), and an unnamed disciple.  Some Fathers suggest the unnamed disciple was John the Evangelist, author of this Gospel, as it was a common literary device for a writer not to give his own name.   Today's reading can also be seen as the parallel to the third day in the Genesis creation story.  My study bible says that the declaration that Peter or Cephas is to be the foundation of the Church parallels the gathering of the waters and the establishment of growth on the land in the third day in Genesis 1:9-13.

In the creation story of Genesis (on the third day), God says, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth."   In today's reading, we have the declaration that Simon shall be called Peter, or Cephas.  Cephas (pronouned "Keefas" in the Greek rendering) is an Aramaic word for rock.  (Petros, from which we get the English name Peter, is Greek for rock.)  The parallel here to the earth in Genesis is that we need a firm foundation for bringing forth the fruits Christ wishes of us, and Peter is declared that foundation.  He's not the first disciple to follow Jesus, that's Peter's brother Andrew.  Sometimes I like to think that Jesus' name for Peter is little bit playful, as well as entirely truthful about him.  After all, Peter is the one in the Gospels whose exuberance often undoes him.   Perhaps most spectacularly, Peter declares he would die before betraying Christ, and yet he went on to deny Him three times in the courtyard of the high priest's house on the night of Jesus' trial.  This event is so significant that it is covered in all four Gospels (Matthew 26:33-35, Mark 14:29-31, Luke 22:33-34, John 13:36-38).  And we can't help but think that there's a great message here.  After all, why would all four Evangelists report this rather incredible failure on Peter's part, if he is indeed Cephas, or Petros, the rock, and so declared by Jesus?  It's another one of those central paradoxes to our faith, and that is so significant, that it is the power of our faith itself in Christ that creates of us the people He wishes us to be.  It creates of us the fruits He wants us to bear, with His help.  When Jesus names Simon Peter, He's indeed speaking of the true person He's created Peter to be, the one whom Peter will become in faith, as disciple and apostle, and leader of the apostles.  With the bestowal of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, all lives will change.  Peter will show himself to be the rock that bears the fruit of the Church, the fruit of the faith of Christ, one who will lead the way in strength, and go to his own death as foretold also by Jesus in this Gospel (see John 21:15-19).  It's one of these essential understandings of faith to see the "weaknesses" in Peter and the truth about what faith and God's power, grace and truth, will bring out of him, make of him, for all of us.  We don't have to be the perfect human vessels we think we have to be for God's power to work through us.  It's a central paradox of faith, and stands human (or rather, "earthly") reasoning on its head.  We don't have to be Superman, or a super-hero, for our faith to work and produce its fruits.  Perhaps the most characteristic statement of this truth comes from Saint Paul, who was told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."  (See 2 Corinthians 12:1-10.)   In tomorrow's reading, we'll get yet another hint of how human ideas of perfection are not what God looks for, not the source of the fruits we're given in this ministry.  Let us remember this central paradox of our faith, as we head through Lent.  What is it God calls us to be?  How does Christ love us?  How do we really bear the fruits of His faith?

Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."

- John 1:29-34

On Monday we began to read the testimony of John the Baptist, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"   This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  My study bible tells us that John's declaring Jesus as the Lamb of God recalls Isaiah's "Servant of God" who dies for the transgressions of His people  (see Isaiah 53:4-12).  Christ is the true Paschal (or Passover) Lamb.  He offers Himself for our deliverance from darkness and death (1 Peter 1:18-19).  My study bible refers us to the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who taught that Jesus came to John this second time in order for John to make this declaration and thus stop anyone from thinking that Jesus needed baptism to wash away sins.

And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."   My study bible notes that as the Spirit remained upon Him, this is a sign that Christ possesses the Spirit in His fullness from all eternity.  He did not receive the Holy Spirit at His Baptism, but rather, this is a vision in which it was revealed to John the truth that the Holy Spirit has always rested on Christ.  This is the second day we're given in John's Gospel.  (Monday's reading gave us the first.)  That the Baptist declares Christ baptizes with the Holy Spirit means it's a greater baptism than his own of repentance, performed with water on earth.  My study bible suggests this parallels the separation of water above from the water below on the second day in Genesis 1:6-8.

Once again we return to themes of the Creation story from Genesis as paralleled in John's Gospel.  It's the birth of Jesus' mission into the world, His ministry.  In today's reading, He is revealed as the Christ, the one on whom the Holy Spirit rests.  To baptize with the Spirit is a greater gift than we can imagine, because to touch the world with the Spirit is to bring the world back to God, to rectify, to allow all things to find purpose and meaning -- mirroring back the Creation and all of its promise.  This is what we find on this "second day" in Jesus' ministry.  And we note, as always, the central importance of human beings and of all of creation to this story and this possibility.  Everything is involved.  John the Baptist, the great prophet, must be present to receive this vision.  He must have disciples present, those who come from all around Israel in order to prepare for the coming of the Lord, those who seek.  And the elements of the world must also be involved here.  Water from the earth is used in John's baptism to repentance but must also play a role in the baptism that is to come, in which the world's waters are blessed for this "greater baptism."  In the Eastern Church, the traditional view of this day of Jesus' baptism is just that:  Christ doesn't need the baptism of repentance, but instead His baptism blesses the waters of the world for all the rest of us, so that we may receive the Christian baptism He will in turn offer in His Church.  That the Spirit rested upon Christ is so significant and so interesting.  Later on in John's Gospel, Jesus will explain to Nicodemus:  "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from, and where it goes:   so is every one that is born of the Spirit"  (John 3:8).  In Jesus' explanation, we have a picture of the Spirit mysteriously moving like the wind, to His own purposes; but here on this "second day" the Baptist reveals that the Spirit rests permanently on Christ.  Let us remember that He is the One to whom we go for what we need, for the grace and truth of which we wish to receive -- and "grace for grace" as we read in the Prologue to this Gospel.  There is a reason why we must remember this central figure to our faith, and why we seek to participate "of Him and through Him and to Him" - Romans 11:36.  In Him rests what we wish for, what we pray for; grace and truth are His to give.  Let us look to the light as we go toward the great Paschal Resurrection through Lent.  He is the Lamb of God.

I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord'"

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Make straight the way of the Lord,"'
as the prophet Isaiah said."

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

- John 1:19-28

Yesterday, we began John's Gospel with the verses that are called its Prologue:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.   There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

  Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  After the Prologue, in which we are introduced to just who Christ is, we begin with Jesus' ministry.  Everything begins with John the Baptist -- an essential figure who is both the last and the greatest of Old Testament type prophets.  He was widely regarded and revered in his own time as a holy man, thus the questions from the priests and Levites sent from Jerusalem.  John, in humility appropriate to such a figure, does not point to himself, but to the One whom he declares is coming.  He quotes from Isaiah 40:3.  Paralleling Genesis, John's Gospel began with "In the beginning."  Starting with today's reading, the Evangelist goes on to give us seven days in the beginning ministry of Jesus.  Today's lectionary reading constitutes the events of the first.

 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bathabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  John distinguishes his baptism from the one which is coming.  My study bible says that the call to repentance was traditional for prophets -- John's baptism doesn't grant remission of sins but prefigures and prepares people for the baptism of Christ which is to come.  It says, "John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit (literally "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin."   Of this "first day" in John's Gospel, my study bible says, "John the Baptist bears witness to the Light -- the Christ -- in the presence of the Jews.  This parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.

I think it's important to understand John the Baptist and his role in Jesus' ministry.  He's like the prophets of the Old Testament who are all pointing to the Christ, just as John's quotation from Isaiah tells us.  The humility of these prophets is exemplary.  They are people who live to God, to do the will of God, to serve.  John's reputation as a holy man was understood also through his radical poverty:   putting aside all attachments that would distract from a life devoted to serving God.  In this way, the prophet "hears" clearly, performs his mission with utmost dedication, and inspires others to repentance and to holiness.  But his message is clear; it never points to himself but to the One who is coming.  It is that "One" that gives meaning and purpose to the life of the prophet.  While the Baptist and the whole of the lineage of the Old Testament did not have the blessings that Christ would bring -- such as John alludes to here when he speaks of the difference between his baptism with water and the one that is to come (more about this in tomorrow's reading) -- John's complete dedication to serving God makes it possible for him to tell the people and to prepare them for the One who's coming.  Many of Jesus' disciples were first disciples of the Baptist, and it is John the Baptist who leads them to Jesus.  But, as we say, the blessings of the Spirit that are to come through Christ are available to us.  John serves as an example of devotion, but we who follow have so much more available to us to draw us closer to God, to Christ.  We have the ministry about which John prophesies here, we have the Scriptures and the whole of the tradition of the Church:  the saintly and holy, the work of the Spirit in our lives, and so much that is there to guide us and lead the way.  We look to John and his radical humility and poverty (an example of "poor in spirit" as well) and see his complete devotion to the purposes of God.  Can we find it in ourselves to make such an effort, even in the slightest?  Let us remember the great value others have placed in what we now have, the sacrifices made for it, the devotion it has inspired.  Let us use the gifts we're given to find the Light John points toward.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

- John 1:1-18

On Saturday, we read the end of chapter ten in Mark's Gospel:  Jesus and the disciples, traveling toward Jerusalem, came to Jericho.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.   Today the lectionary cycle begins John's Gospel, and we're invited in to consider the deeper things of His ministry and His life in the world.  Who is He really?  These first verses of John give us the theology that we understand as Christians, so central to our faith.  Christ is the Word, but more than that, He already "was" in the beginning.  John parallels the Creation story in Genesis, but this Gospel speaks of Creator.  My study bible says that "was" indicates existence without reference to a starting point, emphasizing the Word's (Logos) eternal existence without beginning.  Logos can mean "wisdom," "reason," and "action" as well as "word" which are all attributes of the Son of God.  "Word" not only "names" things into being, but shapes identity and meaning to all things.  That the Word was "with God" tells us of two Persons but in eternal communion:  Father and Son.  That the Word was God speaks of the divine nature, and co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.   The Word is co-Creator with the Father and the Holy Spirit, fully participating in the divine Godhead.  My study bible says, "Will, operation, and power are one in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Thus, the heavens and the earth are the works of the One who made them, while the Son was not made but is eternally begotten of the Father."

 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  My study bible explains that only God has life in Himself.  The Word, being God, is the source of life, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  And this life is the light of men -- we start to understand the relationship between God and humanity.  We receive the divine light.  My study bible says, "By participating in the life of the Son, believers themselves become children of the light. . . .  Moses saw the divine light in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2); the whole nation saw it at the Red Sea (Exodus 13:21); Isaiah saw it in his heavenly vision (Isaiah 6:1-5); and the three apostles saw it at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-5).

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  My study bible tells us that darkness indicates both spiritual ignorance and also satanic opposition to the light.  It says, "Those who hate truth prefer ignorance for themselves and strive to keep others ignorant as well (3:19)."  The word comprehend is a good translation of the original Greek word, which means both to "understand" and "overcome" (as in the expression "to take in").  Thus, my study bible says, "darkness can never overpower the light of Christ, nor can it understand the way of love."

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  John the Evangelist here speaks of John the Baptist, but the emphasis again is on the Light coming into the world, on Christ. 

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.   Here we have the seeming contradiction embodied in the free will of human beings:  our Creator comes bringing Light into the world, and yet we don't know Him, and many of His own do not receive Him.  Thus, says my study bible, they can neither know nor recognize Him.  Those who accept Him have His light.

  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  The Greek word for right here also means "authority;" it indicates a gift of God rather than an inalienable right.  The distinction is important, and essential to the understanding of our faith.  My study bible says, "Those who receive Christ become children of God by adoption (Galatians 4:4-7) and by grace inherit everything Christ is by nature.  . . .  To believe in His name means to believe and trust in Him who in His humanity took the name Jesus as Word, Son, Messiah, and Savior."   Adoption is a spiritual reality; it's not a matter of ethnic descent (of blood) as it was in the Old Testament, nor natural birth (the will of the flesh), nor even by our own decision (the will of man).  My study bible explains, "Becoming a child of God is a spiritual birth by grace, through faith, and in the Holy Spirit.  This is accomplished and manifested in the sacrament of Holy Baptism"  (see 3:5-8).

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  My study bible has a long note on this single verse.  It explains that the Word became flesh clarifies the manner in which the Son and Word of God came to His people; it points specifically to His Incarnation.  "The Word became fully human without ceasing to be fully God.  He assumed complete human nature:  body, soul, will, emotion, and even mortality -- everything that pertains to humanity except sin.  As God and Man in one Person, Christ pours divinity into all of human nature, for anything not assumed by Christ would not have been healed."  That He dwelt among us is literally written He "tabernacled" or "tented" among us in the Greek.  It's a reflection of the Old Testament image of God's presence dwelling midst Israel in the ark of the covenant and later in the temple.  But here, the eternal Word comes and dwells in and among humanity itself, even as a human being.  His glory, says my study bible, refers both to the divine power shown by His signs and wonders and to His humble service to mankind, shown most perfectly on the Cross (all of which is expressed in John's Gospel).  In both ways Christ reveals that He is the One sent from the Father.  That He is only begotten of the Father tells us that He has no beginning, and yet the Father is His source from eternity.  My study bible says He is called only begotten because there is no other born from the Father.  (The Holy Spirit exists eternally from the Father through another mystery called "procession."  See John 15:26.)   The phrase full of grace and truth is meant to qualify both the Word and His glory.  Grace, says my study bible, is "Christ's uncreated energy given to us through love and mercy.  Truth includes His faithfulness to His promises and covenants and to the reality of His words and gifts."

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.   Surely these words are the witness of John, Jesus' close disciple, and one who would become guardian to Mary, His mother.  My study bible says, "In saying we have received of His fullness, the Scriptures confirm that God's grace can fill human nature to the extent of actually deifying it. . . .  In Christ, God's children become gods by grace (10:34-35), without ceasing to be human.  As metal thrust into fire takes on properties of fire (such as heat and light) without ceasing to be metal, so human nature permeated by God takes on the properties of the divine nature.  Grace for grace is a Semitic expression signifying an overabundance of grace."

No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  And Who is God?  Christ's revelation to the world is meant to more fully answer this essential question for us.  My study bible explains that no one can see God's true nature or essence (that is, to see God as God sees God).  Exodus 33:20 tells us that to see God is to die.  Therefore, only One who is divine could see God, and thus the Son is the One who may declare Him.  My study bible tells us that this revelation of God's energies can be received by the faithful; it notes that Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:21-23), Isaiah saw His glory (see Isaiah 6:1 and John 12:41). 

So Who is God?  Everything in this Prologue to John's Gospel tells us about God, and it tells us about the mission into the world, with God (in the Second Person of the Son) manifest as human being in the world.  John's Prologue tells us so much about Christ, and also about His mission.  He is the One who has seen God, knows God, is God.  He was God already "in the beginning."  He has become flesh and dwelt among us in order to reveal God to us.  Through His grace and truth this will happen.  John speaks as a witness when he writes, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace."  He speaks as witness not only for himself but for others, for all of us who were to come.  But the mission is a mission of love, and it is clear to all of us that God wishes to reveal Himself to us, to become closer to us and draw us closer to God.  The kind of closeness that Christ will teach is something that goes far beyond a worldly understanding of relationship.  In teaching us about communion, in giving us grace and truth, this revealed God will invite us to participate as fully as possible, "in Him and with Him."  John's Gospel will repeatedly give us words like this, words that teach us about relationship that is closer than anything else we can imagine.  In John 14:20, Jesus promises the disciples, "At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you."   There will be repeated promises of this kind of relationship, and it is only possible through our understanding of Christ as given through John, through this Prologue in today's reading.  Without the divine component of the reality that we accept as faith, we have no such promise.  It is a spiritual reality that God gives us and brings us and makes flesh, one that tinges our lives and makes it possible to be human being "indwelt" by the living God, the One who came to reveal God to us, and to invite us to closer relationship, to the fullness of the life He offers us.  How do you receive that light?  How do you understand its indwelling and its work?  The parallel to our previous reading, that of Bartimaeus the blind beggar, gives us a hint.  Jesus brings light to the eyes of Bartimaeus, and in John's Gospel we read that Christ is the light of the world.  Let us remember the point, what our eyes are opened to here, and why this particular Gospel is just so important to our understanding of our faith.