I and My Father are one

Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one."

- John 10:19-30

After the healing of the man blind from birth, who was told to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam, Jesus has been in discussion with the leadership in the temple. The healing of the blind man was the sixth of seven signs in the Gospel of John (see I am the light of the world and For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind). In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the leadership again about His own identity, this time calling Himself the Good Shepherd. He said that His sheep know His voice, and the one who does not enter by the door, but by some other way, is a thief and a robber. "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." His sheep, He said, do not know the voice of strangers. But the leadership failed to understand His illustration. He began again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." He told them, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep." Moreover, He said, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." Jesus told them that He will lay down His life, and take it up again, for the sheep -- that this is a command of His Father.

Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" Importantly, John tells us here that there is a division among the leadership. Not all of them are united in seeking to persecute Jesus. We remember also the example of Nicodemus, who defended Jesus' legal rights, and who also was taught privately by Him. When John's Gospel uses the term "the Jews" it is to refer to the leadership at the temple, not the whole of the Jewish people. Almost all the people in the Gospel (with few notable exceptions), believers and non-believers alike, are Jews. Clearly however, as the recent readings have told us, this controversy and division about Jesus also extends among the people.

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. The previous events, over the past many readings (starting with this one) took place around the Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn festival. This is now approximately three months later. My study bible says, "The occasion of Christ's presence in Jerusalem is again a religious festival, the Feast of Dedication (Hannukah), the festival of lights. This Feast commemorates the rededication of the temple to the God of Israel after the Seleucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes, desecrated the temple in 167 B.C. The leaders of Israel's past are commemorated, many of whom were literal shepherds." Many of the events that take place at the temple are described by John as being in one part of the temple or another. Perhaps it is useful to understand the magnificence and splendor, as well as the huge size of the renovated temple. It was an architectural wonder at the time of Jesus, one of the tremendous building projects of Herod the Great.

Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you." The leadership demand to know what has already been told to them. Jesus begins to repeat His answers, from the previous reading. He is the shepherd of the sheep. Here, he gives witnesses for them. The works or signs of the Gospel bear witness to His relationship to the Father; they are done in the name of the Father, and bear witness (are "signs") to God the Father's presence, and hence the relationship of the Son.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one." Those who are His sheep will be kept with Him, they abide in Him, finding pasture -- and He will keep them with Himself eternally. This is all in the power of the Father's hand, through the power of the Father, which nothing can undo. There is no greater power than the Father. Further, He and the Father are one.

Let us consider relationship again from this reading. The power comes, ultimately, from the Father, rests with the Father, in the hand of the Father -- and nothing can break this power. But it is not only the Father in this circle. So "giving" is this power, that Father and Son are one. And the relationship extends further. It extends to the sheep. The sheep, who abide in Christ, will be promised eternal life, because nothing and no one can snatch them from the hand of the Father, given to the Son in full and equal measure, and extended thereby to relationship with the sheep. When Peter makes his confession of faith, Jesus has said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." Ultimately this circle of faith extends from the Father through the Son and to and through all of us, and back again. By the Father's hand, God's presence -- in Jesus' signs and even in us, nothing can break this circle of faith. That is, nothing but our own free will to embrace that faith within ourselves or not. Of that mystery of faith, I can say nothing, only that it is evident that we are given the power to choose. So, for today, the question becomes, how do you embrace that faith, that power of God that is working through this relationship? Are you aware of the tremendous presence that is with you and within you? This bond is unbreakable. Through all things, through the darkness of the world, the sheep hear the voice of the Shepherd. He and the Father are one. With this cross, there is always a way forward through the darkness, into the certainty of that sheepfold. What is the way for you today? The answers may surprise and lead where we don't expect, but it is the power and hand of God the Father working through all. Can you allow for this strength in your life?

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

- John 10:1-18

Over the course of the past two readings, we have been reading about the man blind since birth, whom Jesus healed. This is the sixth of seven signs in John's Gospel, and the only one in the whole bible in which a person blind from birth received sight. His disciples asked Jesus who sinned that the man was born blind. Jesus told them that the blindness was an occasion for God to be revealed. He said, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." He spat on the ground and made a clay, put it on the man's eyes, and then told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. After this the man could see. The neighbors who knew him asked who healed him, and took him to the Pharisees. The Pharisees told him that Jesus was a sinner, and healed on the Sabbath, but the formerly blind man said that Jesus was a prophet. In yesterday's reading, the Pharisees called the parents of the blind man, questioning whether he was truly blind since birth. The parents verified his blindness, but out of fear of the leadership wanted to say nothing about the healing, saying, "He is of age; ask him." Then the Pharisees questioned the blind man, insisting that Jesus was a sinner. The blind man replied, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." He later told them, "Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing." Then they cast him out of the temple. Jesus found the blind man later, and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him. Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains." In today's reading, Jesus continues speaking with the Pharisees.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. If we think of the man who was blind, we have a kind of analogy to the sheep that respond to the voice of the shepherd, the voice they know, and trust. The man could not see, but he responded to the voice of Christ, the voice that knew him deeply, knew his "name" in some sense, as he was truly called. Jesus called to this man, first for healing, and then for true sight. As he was cast out of the temple, he came into the fold of Christ, and into faith.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." My study bible notes: "In calling Himself the door, Jesus signifies He will bring His flock into an enclosed sheepfold with a central gate. Normally a hired guard would tend the gate while the shepherds rested through the night. But Jesus is the tireless Shepherd, always guarding the entrance. No one can enter except by way of Him." To go in and out and find pasture gives us a sense of true rest, of abiding in Him. That is, the sheep have found their true dwelling place, where they may take rest, find peace, and the things which they need for life.

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep." Now we begin to glimpse the revelation of what makes the true Shepherd, and that quality is love. Not only has He come out of love that these sheep may have life and have it more abundantly, but that He will also lay down His life for the sheep. There is no greater love than this.

"But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep." Who is a person who doesn't really care? One who is selfish, thinks only of himself -- one who would leave the sheep to scatter. My study bible says, "The hireling, the noncommitted religious leader, is contrasted with the shepherd, one who considers the sheep his own. The hired hand looks primarily after himself."

"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." Jesus speaks now of the Body of Christ, those believers, or sheep, who will also come from other flocks. They too will respond to His voice, those whom He calls by name, because He knows us deeply and truly, who we are within ourselves. My study bible says, "Other sheep are the Gentiles, who will be brought into the one flock under the one shepherd. Hence, the Church cannot be divided along denominational, ethnic, cultural or family lines."

"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." Here, we seem to have a true turning point in the Gospel. The division between Himself and the leadership is going to come to a head, and He will voluntarily lay down His own life in order to be glorified, as the Father has commanded. My study bible says, "The Lord makes it clear this atoning death will be voluntary. Though He is God, He does nothing apart from the authority of His Father. If we seek to experience God's love and His power, we do so as Christ Himself does: by obeying willingly the Father's commands. As He laid down His life for us, we lay down our lives for Him, willingly and out of love."

Let us consider the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep. He is love, as John will write in His Epistle that God is love. Jesus knows us, more deeply than we know ourselves. When He calls us by name, He calls us by a true name, the person that we truly are within, and even in time as He leads us in faith, into the place where we may take rest in this pasture, and in the abundance of life that He promises to us. We know the hirelings, those who do not care but only for themselves - those who wish to use the sheep for their own selfish purposes. Ultimately, it is all about the love between the Father and the Son, and then extended to the sheep, among the sheep, and reciprocated back in faith. How do you experience this calling? How do you experience this rest, this pasture? The door is there for us. The Good Shepherd is ready to lead, with truth and with love. How do you respond?

For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had ever been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself."

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?" Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses, as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from." The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing." They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains."

- John 9:18-41

From the Friday before last, the readings have concerned themselves with the events in John's Gospel that surround the Feast of Tabernacles, at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus has just engaged in an extensive dialogue with the leadership at the temple, in which He told them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." For this, making Himself equal with God, they sought to stone Him. But, hiding Himself, He went out of the temple, and passing through the crowds, He eluded them. In yesterday's reading, Jesus met a blind man as He passed through the crowds. Jesus' disciples asked, ""Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Jesus spat on the ground, made a clay with His spittle and put it on the man's eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool called Siloam, used for temple rites at the Festival. When he returned, seeing, the neighbors wondered how this was possible; the seeing man told them that "a Man called Jesus" had done these things, but he did not know where Jesus was. The neighbors took the formerly blind man to the Pharisees. They asked how he gained his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had ever been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself." His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." The leadership (referred to as "the Jews") want to discredit the miracle by claiming the man could not have been blind since birth. As we noted in yesterday's commentary, this is the only miracle in all of the Bible that concerns a man blind from birth. We noted at the beginning of the story, with the question from the disciples, that it was common belief in the ancient world that personal sin was the cause of affliction. The parents are sought out, as additional witnesses, in order to prove that he has been blind since birth. But his parents are not going to be of much use because of their own fear of the leadership. My study bible notes that the age of legal responsibility was 13.

So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this man is a sinner." "Give God the glory" is an "oath formula," says my study bible, "used before giving testimony or before confessing guilt." With Jesus not present, the leadership call Him a sinner, although previously they could not answer when He asked, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" Clearly, they are trying to intimidate the healed blind man.

He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?" The formerly blind man has been told to "Give God the glory." My study bible notes that, "Ironically, the formerly blind man will indeed give glory to God. The more he is pressed, the more tenacious he becomes in his belief." This is a kind of hilarious question asked in all innocence ("Do you also want to become His disciples?"), and one can imagine the outrage of the leadership, and perhaps the hidden laughter of the crowd watching this encounter.

Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses, as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from." The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing." In Matthew's Gospel, an outraged leadership asks Jesus, "Do you hear what these [children] are saying?" And Jesus replies, quoting from Psalm 8, "Have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise'?" Here, the babe, left by his parents to fend for himself, testifies to what they all know as experts in the Law and the Scriptures. Over and over again, Jesus has already replied to their questions about where He is "from" and from Whom He has been "sent" ("Sent" is the meaning of the name of the pool in which the man was told by Jesus to wash, "Siloam.") These questions truly center upon His authority. The miracle of sight is a sign (the sixth of seven in John's Gospel) which points to that authority, to the place where He is from, and God the Father from whom He is sent.

They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out. Now the formerly blind must become a target of accusation, so that his testimony is denied. He becomes an outcast by affirming himself as Christ's disciple, His "witness," telling the truth of his experience.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" In some ways, this reminds us of something early in John's Gospel, the encounter of Jesus with Nathanael. Nathanael must come and see Jesus for himself. So the blind man asked, "Who is He, that I may believe?" He already knows Jesus, and trusts Him through the experience. But now there is more "illumination" to come.

And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him. By experience, his faith is true. Let us regard this story carefully: first came experience, then faith, then deeper illumination as faith grows and Christ reveals Himself more deeply to the one with the capability for such faith. My study bible puts it like this, poetically: "Having opened the blind man's eyes, Jesus also opens the eyes of his heart." The light that was physical now becomes spiritual. He can "see" the divinity of Jesus.

And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains." Here we have the power of judgment in the revelation of the divine, in the grace that comes into the world. How do we respond? My study bible notes, "Jesus' coming brought judgment by increasing the accountability of those who saw and heard Him, but did not believe. The brilliance of Christ's light becomes an illumination to some, but a blinding glare to others." Let us consider what it is to encounter grace; here again is the sword, two-edged, which cuts both ways. How do we choose in our encounter with Christ? There may be many, many such moments throughout our lives.

There are many elements to today's story to look at. First of all, there is the point of choosing. The formerly blind man has this complete divine healing experience. He cannot deny it for all the social pressure put upon him to do so. He is a witness, he bears witness to his "simple" truth: that before he was blind, and now he sees, and it was Jesus who made him see. But this casts him out, and even his parents will not enthusiastically support him, leaving him on his own to witness for himself. Often, we may find that faith does this in our lives, taking us out of one community, but placing us in another, which is the Body of Christ, the community of faith. Separation is also indicated in the responses to both the witness and to Christ Himself. The illumination, the "showing forth" of grace in any form becomes an occasion for such a choice. Of course, here is a story about an encounter with Christ Himself as Son of Man, incarnate in the flesh. But in my experience, my study bible's note about accountability holds true. When I feel I have an answer in prayer, it becomes for me a matter of greater weight than it was before. How will I respond? Do I have faith? What do I do with that faith, and to whom do I take it if I need help with discernment? For the believer, these things become important questions. Faith, and especially grace, will confer a kind of accountability that wasn't there before. So let us consider today the intermingling in the story of responsibility, of truth, of just judgment and righteousness, and of illumination. In recent passages, Christ has both said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" and "I am the light of the world." So much depends on how we encounter this light, and embrace this truth, even if it separates us from the familiar and those who may wish to reject us for it. What is your encounter? Your truth? How does this light illumine you? It may just teach you and give you God's strength, to stand in that place of truth and light.

I am the light of the world

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he." Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" He answered and said, " A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight." Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know."

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."

- John 9:1-17

We've been reading passages in John's Gospel which take place during the events of the Feast of Tabernacles, at the temple in Jerusalem. These readings began over a week ago, with the one of Friday before last. In the most recent of these readings, Jesus has been in dialogue with the leadership, after they tried to trap Him with the woman caught in adultery. In the most recent reading, on Saturday, Jesus continued this dialogue, emphasizing even more clearly His relationship to the Father. He said, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." Then they answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Jesus replied, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death." They replied to Him, "Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the Prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?" Jesus told them, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." They tried to stone Him then, but He eluded them through the crowds, and passed through the temple.

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" My study bible tells us that "of all the miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth." The assumption, common in the ancient world, is that affliction is always a consequence of personal sin. Of course, we understand all kinds of afflictions and troubles to be a result of sin in one form or another, but Jesus will open up for us a different perspective, and doesn't share the view that it necessarily must be the result of personal sin.

Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." What a powerful perspective this is! And how it will have an impact on our understanding of our faith. Affliction, in the work of Christ, may become an occasion for the revelation of God!

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Repeatedly, John's Gospel has spoken of Jesus as the light of the world, and that His disciples should reflect that light in their lives. Here, my study bible notes, "Jesus speaks of the urgency of bringing light into the darkened world, for the duration of His time upon the earth is limited."

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Siloam, we remember, is the pool from which water was brought as a libation to the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. My study bible points out that this pool was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a considerable distance from the temple. So this man, going from the temple to the pool, would make a strange sort of contrast, with the clay upon his eyes, to the formal procession. But in another sense, He is as Israel being led through the darkness, in faith. The Feast's procession commemorates the time the Israelites were given water from the rock. In connection, Jesus has taught that with His water, one will never thirst, and He taught of the living water that He will give, the Spirit. The blind man's seeing return to the temple has been historically viewed in the Church as an allegory to baptism, the need of a darkened world for the light of life in the baptism of water and the Spirit. It is the sense of a new Deliverance for all, especially from the darkness of sin and affliction in the world.

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he." Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" He answered and said, " A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight." Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know." Here John's Gospel interestingly draws out the story for us. We see the witnesses to this transformation, and in their curiosity is revealed a little about how others may view those who become changed, transformed in faith. There are some things we know, and some things we don't, but we may grow in that faith and understanding. Blindness, and gradual sight, become an allegory for us all. We may not understand how faith works, nor know how to explain what has happened, before we feel, know and see its effects.

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." Again we read the controversy of healing on the Sabbath. This tremendous miracle, the sixth of seven in John's Gospel, isn't the focus of those who are truly blind. My study bible puts it this way: "That the Lord opened the eyes of the blind man recalls Isaiah 35:5, with its messianic significance. As the story progresses [here and through several readings to come], the once-blind man gradually comes to an awareness of who Jesus is, while the Pharisees lapse into deeper darkness." It is another illustration of the power of His truth, which has been compared to a sword (especially by St. Paul). Our response to this light of grace determines how and what and to what extent we see. This sword of light will open up divisions that cut through all things we think we know, all bodies and unities we may understand. Here it opens up more controversy among the Pharisees. It invites all to think, to respond, to reflect, to accept or to reject.

My study bible points out for us that this passage (which will extend through tomorrow's reading), along with chapters 3 and 5 of John's Gospel, was read on the Saturday night of Easter in the ancient Church, when Christian catechumens were baptized. It notes, "It reiterates the paschal themes of washing, illumination, healing, faith, conversion, and salvation." But what we can see here is the gradual illumination of the blind man, through faith. In today's passage, it ends with his assumption that Jesus must be a prophet. He is going by the effects of grace, accepted with faith (expressed by his stumbling walk through Jerusalem to the pool whose name means "Sent"). So our faith can be the same. Life is a journey, just as it was for ancient Israel as they walked in faith into what they did not know. We walk into our own darkness, with the light of Christ and its gradual illumination, the living water that quenches a thirst and continues for us as we continue in faith. I'm sure each person can unfold that story for others, and one's own story of faith continues to unfold in one's own life. Does that light for you gradually dawn brighter and brighter? Are there "laws" and "theories" you may have set for yourself that would set limits on its power to surprise and illumine what you didn't know, to open up new places for your own understanding? Let us not forget that sword, that it may cut through all things, and also create division: your past and your future, even old associations and new. We walk into that light with faith, we seek the water He promises for our thirst. How do you go into that journey today? Let us ask again, what is the Sabbath for? In Christ, the darkness of the world becomes an occasion for the illumination of the light of life. How can we participate in this?

Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM

"He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."

Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the Prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?" Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

- John 8:47-59

Over the course of the past week (beginning with last Friday's reading), we have been reading about the many events that take place during the Feast of Tabernacles at the temple in Jerusalem. In the recent readings, Jesus has been in a dialogue with the leadership, after they tried to trap Him. In yesterday's reading, He told the them, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus said that if they were truly children of Abraham, they would do as Abraham did. He told them, "You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. . . . Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

"He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" We remember that the term "the Jews" is used in John's Gospel to refer to the leadership that is against Jesus (some in the leadership are believers). My study bible notes that Samaritans were viewed as demon-possessed heretics. (See Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman beginning here.)

Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death." Here the promise of everlasting life is once again heard in John's Gospel, and it is a promise made real through faith, which Jesus has called the work of God. (In His discourse on the Bread of Life, Jesus said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.") Here, He elaborates for us what faith is and does. It is a relationship of true depth within us, as He has taught in His relationship to the Father, and the failure of some of the leadership to truly "hear." (See yesterday's reading.)

Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the Prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?" John's Gospel once again will use conventional understanding -- in this case of time and the eternal -- to open up our understanding. The leadership fails to understand Him at all, and so they ask the obvious.

Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." Here Jesus comes closer to fully expressing His identity. But all along He has been teaching that He is sent, He is the Son. His emphasis is on this relationship, but more powerfully He will express Himself in His replies. Again, His emphasis is also on the relationship to Abraham, and how they are not like the one they claim as their father.

Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. Again, they fail to understand what He's talking about, when Jesus' statements reflect an eternal nature. But in His teaching, "Before Abraham was, I AM," there is no mistaking what He is getting at. This I AM is a name of God in the Old Testament, the one given to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:13-15). My study bible says, "To the Jews this pronouncement was a direct, explicit, and unmistakeable claim to perfect equality with God. John places special emphasis on the use of the expression for the purpose of revealing Christ as God. In context, this statement illuminates what He began saying in verse 51, that those who keep His word will neither see nor taste death. Only God has power over death, and Jesus is claiming such power." But Jesus, we can see, is powerfully and clearly revealing Himself, although it is not yet "His time" (the hour of His Passion, Crucifixion, and death). Though they seek to stone Him, He eludes them and leaves the temple through the crowds.

It's interesting to consider Jesus' actions. Although it is not yet "His time," He has fully revealed Himself to the leadership, in ways that will make many of them angered, and give those who seek to trap Him the "evidence" they need. But everything proceeds in stages. And there are those, we have been told, who believe in Him, even among the leadership. John's Gospel has built for us a pattern of crescending conflict and controversy surrounding Jesus, and this tension continues to build as He continues to reveal His word, His teaching, the things given to Him from above, from the Father. He will not stop, but will continue. This is His mission, to reveal this truth that He is given, so that those who do believe may remain with Him through an eternal life. Ultimately the message is about love and relationship, through faith. When Jesus teaches, "I honor My Father" and "I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges," He is speaking more to us than only about His personal identity. In context, the message to us is also clear, that we too must seek this relationship in order to judge righteous judgment. If we are to discern what is of God, then we need also to meet that place of discernment in faith, to seek the glory and honor of God, not merely of ourselves. In this reflected light of God's glory, we take our dignity, light, honor, and this is relationship. This is love and faith. How do you seek this glory and honor for yourself? How do you find the truth of faith? How do we seek discernment for our lives? It begins in the heart, the place of spiritual eyes and ears. Can we hear, who profess this faith? Jesus' teaching tells us that this for all time, the eternal mingling with the temporal; the I AM is for Moses, for Abraham, for his audience at the temple, and for we who hear this word. Therefore, this gospel, His teaching and what we learn from it today, lives for us today. What do you learn from it for yourself and for your own faith?

And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"

Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."

They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

- John 8:31-47

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued teaching at the temple after the events of the Feast of Tabernacles. (The readings centered upon Jesus' attendance at this feast began with last Friday's reading.) Jesus is in dialogue with the leadership, who have sought to trap Him. He told them that where He is going they cannot follow; they tried to understand this and asked if this means He is going to kill Himself. He said, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." He told them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." As He spoke these words, many believed Him.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." What is the truth that makes us free? What are we freed from? Jesus' teachings will elaborate precisely what this means. For now, let us consider the power of faith, and what it brings us. Often it will be a different way of life, a different way of looking at things that pulls us "out of the world."

They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." These are the unbelievers among the leadership who continue to argue -- they are incensed that He could suggest they need freedom from anything. But Jesus' words illumine what He's getting at. Once they fall into the trap of their jealousies and all the things that motivate them to persecute Him and accuse Him, they are slaves to that sin. They must find a way to their freedom.

"And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father." By adoption, the Son can make us also sons. Here Jesus combines sonship with discipleship, an invitation to all of us, each of us. My study bible notes that "Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples (learners). Abiding in His word is not something reserved for an elite class of zealots." The freedom of the Son is true freedom, because His invitation is an eternal one of discipleship and sonship. Why does His word have no place in them? They cannot rely on a righteous ancestor (Abraham) but must be like Abraham themselves. They call Abraham their father, but Christ tells them their father is what they follow in their hearts.

They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father." My study bible asks, "Who are the true children of Abraham?" There is no middle ground here. We cannot rely on a righteous ancestor, a holy history, even a beautiful church nor Christ Himself -- if we fail to do as He tells us, if we fail to be like Abraham and love the word of God in our own hearts and lives. Their father, He says, is not Abraham because they do not do as he did. Let us consider the great Patriarch Abraham. A visitation from the priest Melchizedek brought Abraham the faith for which he would leave all and start a new life. In this sense, he too was taken out of his own world in exchange for one promised to him by God, through faith.

Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word." Jesus speaks of Sonship and relationship, the spiritual reality of His union with the Father. He asks why they cannot hear His word -- that relationship extends to each of us. This implies for each of us that something in us must hear. Just as with the leadership, conceited with pride, we cannot rely merely on the past, an ancestor, a beautiful history. We must hear for ourselves and join this relationship. This is the work of God.

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." My study bible says, "They are not able to listen to His word because they are not willing to learn from Him. Spiritual truth can be genuinely heard only if there is willingness to know God and to do His will." Jesus makes a great contrast here. Do we embrace lies, or are we willing to face and hear the truth? This passage also makes it clear that we can't rely on anything external to ourselves to make us holy people by some form of inheritance or identity. Rather, identity comes from choice in a spiritual sense, the depths of the choice we make to love God, or not.

I think that John's Gospel really seeks to fathom the reality of the spiritual power of this relationship within us. But it does so with a kind of starkness that is so vivid it is often hard to see and to understand. Here, the Gospel has given us those like Nicodemus, who are willing to hear Christ's word. He himself is a Pharisee. It also tells us in today's reading there are others in the leadership who do believe Him, who may become His disciples. St. Paul has written (in Ephesians 6), "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day . . . And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." In Hebrews 4:12, he writes, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart." John's Gospel today illustrates for us the power of that sword, that it will, indeed, cut through all things, all loyalties, and all that we think we know. We can't rely on the outer trappings of a great faith alone, no matter how wonderful and beautiful, nor all the good things it has given us throughout history, if we fail to do in our hearts what Christ asks, and to heed how we are called. Let us remember the two great commandments He has given us, summing up all the Law: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself." It all starts with love, so that we may truly hear. The Pharisees to whom He speaks today should all know this already, and yet many fail. Have we learned to love this truth? It will make us free of whatever seeks to bind us away from it. Christ's Spirit of Truth is here to help us just for this purpose.

You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come." So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?" And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." Then they said to Him, "Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him." They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." As He spoke these words, many believed Him.

- John 8:21-30

In yesterday's reading, we continued with the events at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus has been at the Feast of Tabernacles, and our readings since Friday have been concerned with these events at the festival. Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." Jesus was told by Pharisees that He could not bear witness of Himself. But He said, " It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also." He said these things as He taught in the treasury at the temple.

Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come." Jesus is speaking, of course, of His death and Resurrection. But repeatedly the questions have been centered on where He is from -- first debating what town He's from, that He is from Galilee and no prophet can come from Galilee (a mistaken reading of Scriptures), and also His words about the Father from whom He has been sent.

So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?" Again, we recall the term "the Jews" refers to the leadership of the temple. As John's Gospel so often does, their questions, framed with commonplace reference, misunderstanding Jesus' words, serve to open up deeper meaning and understanding in Jesus' reply. This is a rather ironic kind of a question, given that they plot against Him, and that His death is truly the thing to which He's referring, to which He will go voluntarily at the true "time".

And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." This profound statement should give us pause to think about life and the importance of our choices, the refusal of grace if we persistently refuse what is before us, the understanding that is offered and of which we are capable. It implies a profound sadness to my thinking, and also a profound responsibility. Jesus' words are teaching for us all. To be "from below" is to live life in the world without the light of life, without the spirit that gives true life to our flesh.

Then they said to Him, "Who are You?" And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him." They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. John's Gospel has given us Jesus' words many times that He is from the Father, He has been sent, He is the Son. He has told them many times that if they truly loved and knew the Father, they would know and understand Him.

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." As He spoke these words, many believed Him. Everything God the Father gives to Him, that He does and says. God who sent Him is always with Him. The Father will never leave Him alone, because of this bond. And the implication is that God will be with Him even in His death and Crucifixion, when He is "lifted up" as Son of Man. My study bible says, "Lift up has the double meaning of being nailed to the Cross and of being exalted by the Father upon the completion of His work." We get the kind of refreshing break in the tension of this entire dialogue at the temple when the Gospel tells us that "as He spoke these words, many believed Him." John's Gospel has given us the sense of the great struggle Jesus has to make Himself known and understood. That struggle is truly the tension that may go on with faith in each of us, and even with one another.

What is the struggle with faith? Many people believe they have no need of it at all. Jesus says, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world." He has told us that He is the light of the light of the world. In John's Gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus will teach His disciples that He has taken them out of the world. As He prays to the Father for His disciples, He will say, "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." To be "from beneath" is to be untouched in the struggle for faith, to be unbelieving, to lack understanding. Christ promises us a world transfigured in the Last Day, but the struggle for faith is the struggle for our own "transfiguration," our own internal "change of mind" through Spirit, that which comes from above. (The Greek word for "repentance" means "change of mind.") The Spirit, the grace He will leave us, is always working in ways we can't know to help us in this struggle. What comes from above? What enlightens your understanding and helps you grow in faith? What forms does this struggle of love take for you? Let us remember the love that calls us through this grace, that wishes to quicken and enlighten our lives, to give us life and love so that we may walk in His light. Where do you find it for your life? Let us remember that Jesus has also taught what it is to be hard-hearted, to refuse all understanding. He who has ears to hear, let Him hear. Our spiritual ears are within us, where the Spirit knocks, and grace always asks to enter. It is John the Evangelist who will also write for us, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."