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 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

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught Nicodemus about baptism, and about being reborn again with water and the Spirit in order to enter the heavenly spiritual realm. He said, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." As they spoke, Jesus told Nicodemus that no one knows of the deeper mysteries of heavenly things except He who has come from above. He added, "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." In today's reading, Jesus continues His teaching to Nicodemus.

"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." The power and beauty of this statement permeates through the many layers of meaning in the teachings to Nicodemus. First, there is the sense in which we cannot enter into a heavenly kingdom unless we first are a part of that realm or that currency; we must be reborn in Spirit in order to do so. There must be something in ourselves that can live in a such a realm. And further, He will be "lifted up" as a sign to defeat that which is against that heavenly kingdom, and active in the world, and keeps human beings from being able to find the entrance to the kingdom for themselves. Finally, the "lifting up" is a true sign of eternal life in this kingdom, and done "so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." It all comes full circle with this statement above: the love of God is absolute and the beginning of all. It is so powerful and so overwhelming of all other things that God has sent His Son in order that we may have eternal life, and rest in Him and His kingdom. The spiritual reality of this mission is so that we may live with Him, in eternal reality.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." The full meaning and purpose of this mission is for salvation, for all of us to fully live - to have life as an eternal gift and reality for ourselves. It is so He may keep us all with Him, and lose none.

"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." A complex and difficult saying, but in some sense clear in the understanding of what has come before. Unless we become "like" that kingdom, how do we dwell in it? And how will we dwell in that spiritual reality if we have rejected it already? How do we become a part of its eternal life? The "name" here is very important, because it gives us a sense of belonging to a kingdom, the same way that any king or emperor or earthly kingdom of power may stamp its "name" on something and claim it as a part of its reality. If that "name" is rejected, how then does one belong to that kingdom, or how can one live as a part of it? Faith, or trust, is a sign of our acceptance of that authority.

"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." My study bible says here: "A profound insight: Goodness and a pure heart welcome the light, whereas evil deeds and malice resist the light and seek to hide in the darkness." I think the phrases here touch on an even deeper reality, that of the experiential nature of real faith and its power working in us. There is a kind of recognition that happens within ourselves that sparks faith. It depends upon what we love. If the "plank in our own eye" is so great that we are stuck in love for that, and it becomes an obstacle to spiritual sight, then we have in effect rejected the good. If we continue to act against what is good, then this is what we have embraced, put first, in our choices. It depends upon what our treasure is, where our heart is.

What we learn from today's lesson is manifold: we are a part of kingdom if we are reborn in Spirit, like meets like. But it depends also upon our choice: what do we love? Can we see the act of love in Christ's great sacrifice, and understand the sign of God's love as He is lifted up? Can we know who we are in this kingdom, in Christ, and find our way toward Him through love and trust? Or do we reject it all, and remain outside of it? Whatever way you look at today's reading, one thing is clear: He wants us with Him, in an eternal embrace and in love and trust. Which do you choose? What obstacles stand in your way?

Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God

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

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem during Holy Week. He made a whip of cords, and drove out the animals for sale, poured out the changers' money, and overturned their tables. He said, "Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" When asked what sign He would give that He had the authority to do this, He replied, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

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. My study bible points out that John's Gospel records three feasts of the Passover during Jesus' ministry; this gives us a historical understanding of three years of His ministry. I find it significant that, within the very early chapters of John's Gospel, we are told of the many signs performed by Jesus. But right away, we are left with the understanding of discernment. Jesus knows what is in the hearts of people, He is the heart-knower, and He does not entrust Himself to them. The play on words is interesting: in the Greek, they trust or believe in Him because of the miracles, but He does not entrust Himself to them.

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." Here is an interesting juxtaposition in John's Gospel, and in its own form, another teaching on discernment. Although many in Jerusalem claim to believe, Jesus does not entrust Himself back to them. But here, a Pharisee comes to Jesus by night - most likely to avoid the scrutiny of the others who are against Him after the cleansing of the temple we read about yesterday. Nicodemus believes. He will play a great and openly heroic role later in the Gospel after Jesus' death.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This man, a Pharisee who comes by night to talk to Jesus, is in turn entrusted by Jesus with this important teaching. Nicodemus has said he believes that Jesus is from God, and Jesus in turn teaches him about seeing 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." Nicodemus is drawn in to Jesus' teaching. What is on the surface a great mystery prompts him to ask more. This is a frequent "formula" in John's Gospel: just as the parables draw people into the riddles that seem to be posed, Nicodemus asks the obvious question, thinking only of the literal understanding of Jesus' words. Water and the Spirit, of course, refer to baptism. While baptism was already known (as we have read about through John the Baptist in the early chapter), the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. Our rebirth, then, is a rebirth in spirit in order to enter into a spiritual kingdom. Spiritual rebirth is, in some sense, a passport, a beginning, the capacity to enter, as like meets like.

"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." This brilliant metaphor that teaches us about the workings of the Spirit is also a play on words in the Greek. The word pneuma can mean either wind or Spirit. My study bible writes, "The working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source or destination of the blowing wind." Even today, with all of our sophisticated understanding and technology for tracking weather, the metaphor holds true. As I am watching television, we are all paying attention to the reports of the winds in Japan, and there is still uncertainty, and I would like to ask all my readers to please pray for the people of Japan (and elsewhere) who may remain in harm's way. But Jesus' words also remind us of His teaching elsewhere on the true effects of faith and spiritual work: "By their fruits you shall know them." These spiritual fruits are the evidence of that pneuma and how we know where it has been, but not where it comes from nor where it is going. In our rebirth, we become a part of that mystery and participate in its reality. In this, we understand, rebirth is a beginning, a key.

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?" Because he is a Pharisee and rabbi, Jesus expects Nicodemus to understand or to have the capacity for such understanding. But still, He entrusts Himself to Nicodemus, and reveals the teaching.

"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?" Nicodemus wonders at the possibility of all of this, how did it come to be so? But Jesus only testifies of Himself. What He has told Nicodemus is all about the workings of the Spirit in our world, and the rebirth that is possible through water and the Spirit. Jesus alludes here to heavenly mysteries that He cannot reveal. My study bible reports that St. John Chrysostom interpreted "earthly things" as being the mystery of new birth through baptism, and "heavenly things" as the eternal generation of the Son from the Father. It says, "The new birth is an incomparable spiritual gift, but compared to Christ's eternal birth from the Father, it is earthly." As a Pharisee trained in the Scriptures and Jewish spiritual history, Jesus expects that Nicodemus should understand baptism and rebirth in the Spirit.

"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." Jesus begins by stating what He can about His origins, and the mysteries of spiritual reality in that kingdom. But He goes on to teach more, a prophetic witness about what is to come in His life and ministry. He will be raised on the Cross as a sign to all, another opening to the spiritual life and reality of the kingdom for all human beings. And, of course, the Cross remains our symbol for faith. As He teaches Nicodemus about baptism in order to enter the kingdom, so He also teaches that His uplifting on the Cross will also be so that we may live eternally that kingdom. My study bible has a note that is highly informative on this paragraph: "Moses lifted up a bronze serpent to cure the Israelites from the deadly bites of the poisonous snakes. Christ will be lifted up on the Cross. As the believer beholds the crucified Christ through faith as Savior, the poisonous bite of that old serpent, the devil, and the bite of sin and death, is counteracted and cured. The moment of Christ's greatest humiliation becomes the moment of exaltation for completing His redeeming work . . . This is the first of many instances in John's Gospel where Jesus teaches that He is the fulfillment of an Old Testament type." Just as Moses' serpent-coiled rod was a powerful tool for healing, so is the image of the Cross and Jesus' Crucifixion. His death and sacrifice in order to inaugurate a kingdom of Resurrection remains for us the reality of catharsis or cleansing from what ails, whatever would keep us from full relatedness with God.

Let us consider then, Jesus' words to Nicodemus. Expanding on the Old Testament and Nicodemus' understanding as a rabbi, Jesus hints about what is to come -- after having explained rebirth through water and the Spirit. We enter into a kingdom through rebirth: a cleansing and regeneration, death and resurrection. Jesus gives us, finally, the symbol of the Cross and His Crucifixion - the ultimate symbol for hope and the defeat of death itself. Just as Moses used the image of the serpent to defeat the bites of the poisonous serpents that bit the Israelites, so Jesus will "trample death by death." In giving all to the Father, He will return the world, reborn and freed from enslavement to this deadly bite, to itself in Spirit. And the whole earth will be baptized in Spirit through Him. But first we must understand catharsis, a giving up. What do we lift up to God for our own healing? What do we give up, that we may be transformed through the action of grace? How are we reborn as we "die daily" as St. Paul said? In Lent, we offer our lives, and whatever ails us, to God, so that we too may be cleansed and healed, and reborn. What do you need to hold up to Him today? What does this act ask of you?

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it 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

In yesterdays' reading, we read of Jesus' first miracle or sign in the Gospel of John. Jesus, His disciples and His mother were at a wedding at Cana in Galilee. It may have been the wedding of a relative. During the wedding feast, the party ran out of wine, and Jesus' mother told her son about this. Jesus asked what that has to do with Him and her - His hour has not yet come. But nevertheless, she confidently instructed the servants to do whatever He asked. He told them to fill the stone waterpots with water - and then to take some out to the master of the feast. When the master had tasted it, he said to the bridegroom, "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!"

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In today's reading, we have the second great act of Jesus' public ministry. Yesterday, we read of the first sign, or miracle - turning the water to wine at the wedding in Cana. Today, during Passover, Jesus cleanses the temple. In the synoptic Gospels, this incident is reported during Holy Week, but in John's Gospel it takes place right away, after His first sign. St. John Chrysostom considered that this incident took place twice - at the beginning and at the end of Jesus' public ministry. My study bible notes that Jesus performs His miracles during the major Jewish feasts, thereby demonstrating that the Old Law is fulfilled in Jesus Himself. It notes that, by transferring this incident to the beginning of Jesus' ministry, John's Gospel teaches that Jesus is not merely a prophet of the Old Testament, renewing the Old Covenant, but initiating an altogether new type of worship. At any rate, we "begin," after Jesus' identity is established with a sign, with the old, the Passover - which is also where we will end in Holy Week, before Jesus' great catharsis of His Passion.

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!" The cleansing of the temple takes place against the backdrop of the commercialism of the Passover festival. It is clear that Jesus is not there to destroy the Old, but to renew it - and to save it from the corruption of those who would use it for their selfish purposes. Over and over again, Jesus will insist that He has come to fulfill and not destroy. This catharsis is an important image for our journey in Lent. What is it that we need to cleanse from ourselves? What attachments do we build up that get in the way of the purity of our relationship to and worship of God? What obstacles do we cling to?

Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." It is important that we tie in the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Old Testament with the acts of Jesus; in this sense, we - as did His disciples - come to understand Him better. He is as He said, the fulfillment of the Old Prophecy; in Himself He is what is awaited and more. He gives the needed new perspective to the old understanding. Over and over again, the Scriptures will work in this way: in the "new" events of Jesus' life and ministry, the "old" Scripture will be better understood. This verse is from Psalm 69:9. And it is clear that it is the love of the House of God that prompts His acts - He has come to fulfill and not destroy, to make new.

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. It's important to understand that, for the most part, when John's Gospel speaks of "the Jews" it is referring to the Jewish leadership. Here, the authorities in the temple question His behavior and His authority to act as He did. It is the act only of a Messiah, someone with such authority. This is why they ask for a sign. Prophecy about the temple itself is linked to the identity of the Messiah; after its destruction, expectation of its re-establishment would be linked to the coming of the Messiah and his victory. But Jesus teaches here about His understanding of temple, and our understanding of the Body of Christ. He speaks of the sign of His authority, and the establishment of His kingdom and His victory.

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. Again, we understand the reading of a sign and of prophecy through the life and ministry of Jesus. His disciples will understand His words only after the Resurrection, and the Church will establish itself in this sense of the renewal of understanding and worship and the victory of His kingdom.

Ponder, if you will, the layers of meaning that are in prophecy and in all Scripture. And if we look at Jesus' life and ministry, we will see layer upon layer of meaning, as we are drawn into its understanding and its power. The grace of the Spirit means that we are invited in - to this mystery, to Jesus' life, to the understanding of worship, to layer upon layer of meaning and value. And there is always more. This sign of the cleansing of the temple is not a sign like one of the seven miracles He will perform in this Gospel, but it is nevertheless a kind of sign. It is a sign of the Messiah and the initiation of the age in which we currently live. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." It is His to raise, His to cleanse and renew. The power of His life will continue to feed us with His bread, through renewal of understanding and faith, just as it did His disciples. In today's lesson, what do you read for yourself? What needs cleansing and renewal in you? Are you ready to be drawn in, and to understand anew, afresh? Are you ready to see your faith with new eyes, and the fulfillment of a promise?

You have kept the good wine until now!

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 Saturday's reading (and Friday's as well), we read of Jesus choosing His disciples. In actuality, they come to Him first, having been led by John the Baptist to the "Lamb of God." On Saturday we read that Jesus found Philip, who is most likely first a disciple of John the Baptist. Philip found Nathanael (just as Andrew, the previous day, had found his brother Simon, who would be called Peter). Nathanael asked, "Can any good thing come from Nazareth?" when he was told about Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus told him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael believed, and Jesus told him that he would see far greater things: "Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." But first, before this conversation, Jesus said about Nathanael as he approached, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. This is the "third day" of Jesus' ministry, but it is the "fifth day" of the Gospel of John. On the first, John the Baptist gave his testimony to those who came from Jerusalem to question him. On the second, John testified of Jesus, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" On the third, John stood with two of his disciples (Andrew and, most likely, the author of this Gospel). Andrew becomes a follower of Jesus and brings his brother, Simon, whom Jesus says will be called Cephas (or Petros in Greek, meaning stone or rock; in English, "Peter"). On the fourth, Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee as are Andrew and Peter. Philip brought Nathanael. And today's reading teaches us about what happened the next day. John's Gospel begins with deliberate echoes of Genesis, with "In the beginning." It is a creation story to complete the first. The successive days give us the unfolding of Jesus' ministry - the public ministry of Jesus' Incarnation. We understand that He has already lived His life as a human being, fulfilling the mission of sharing life with us as a human being. On the third day of His public ministry, after two days spent choosing disciples, the creation story further unfolds with the first miracle or sign (the first of seven in the Gospel). It is a great blending of relationship of His earthly life: His mother is there, it is a family affair. As we have observed so far in John's Gospel, everything unfolds working through others, through human beings, and today's first miracle is no exception.

Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. Tradition holds that the wedding was of Simon the Zealot, who will be an apostle. Mary, Jesus' mother, is perhaps a relative of the bride or groom. My study bible points out that the setting is significant. "In the Old Testament, marriage feasts symbolize the union of God with His bride, Israel. Jesus begins His ministry at a wedding in Galilee, which was largely Gentile territory: thus this sign becomes a symbol of the joy of the Kingdom being spread beyond Judea to all the world . . . By His presence at this wedding, Jesus declares marriage to be holy and honorable." And by comparing the "days" that pass in this mirror of the first creation story in the Old Testament, we have a redeeming image of the brokenness of the first one -- Christ is here to mend our wounds and restore our bonds or relatedness and relationship, including with one another, blessing and sanctifying.

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." My study bible points out that "Woman" is not a derogatory title, but a common one of "respect and dignity" which Jesus will use in various encounters with women in the Gospel (including when addressing His mother from the Cross). A more accurate translation might read, "What does this have to do with Me and you, woman?" And again, this scene is illustrative of how this ministry unfolds through other human beings. God uses relationship and relatedness to unfold the great plan of salvation. My study bible points out that this is an example of Mary's gift of intercession. There is a powerful reason why we pray for one another; and why, in the "great cloud of witnesses" who live in God, we still call upon prayer, all for all. Jesus' hour is the hour of His glorification, His full public self-disclosure.

His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Again, the story enforces the idea of relationship - we may all act as agents of grace. Just as John the Baptist brought his disciples to Jesus, so Mary instructs the servants to "follow Him," in some sense. It is she who insists, a picture of prayer and readiness for God's action. This story of John's Gospel is propelled forward by those who form some sort of connection to or are related with Jesus, each interacting with one another.

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Waterpots were made of stone so that they would not contract ritual impurity, in accordance with rabbinical teaching. Six, my study bible says, may be a symbol of imperfection or incompleteness (one less than seven), the Levitical law incomplete without the Incarnation and dispensation of the Christ. Water must be readily abundant at a wedding; in Jewish tradition the wine would be diluted with three parts water - to discourage drunkenness.

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!" The abundant and flowing wine from water symbolizes the great harvest or vintage of this new dispensation -- it fulfills all the promise and potential of the old. The story is self-explanatory: by tradition, the good wine is served first. Once the guests are well-satisfied, the lesser quality is brought out. Church Fathers saw an anticipation of the Eucharist in this transformation of water to wine -- and the abundance is the abundance of promise for all of us in Jesus' mission; perhaps, my study bible says, the abundance of grace and truth in Christ. I see it as symbolic of His action in us and with us, the abundance of His promises, of the abundant life with its richness and joy and goodness He brings to ours. This is what He wants for us.

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. Regarding signs, my study bible says: "The seven signs of this Gospel point to something beyond themselves: the mystery of the Incarnate God at work in his mighty and saving acts; the Kingdom of God being inaugurated by Jesus. The disciples see His glory -- His divine power which reveals that He comes from the Father -- and are strengthened in their faith in Him."

Signs give us important guideposts to the reality behind the image of what we behold. As my study bible says, they point to something greater than themselves, something we may have spiritual eyes and ears to read or perceive, or we may need to sharpen that sight and hearing. Signs are the abundance of God's grace to us, acting as agents to draw us out, through which we may be drawn into greater abundance, real mystery, and a heightened sense of life and meaning and our own being and belonging in this universe of creation by a God who loves us, and wants for us abundance which He will share. How do you experience signs in your life? In today's reading, the abundance of the wine, the good wine, is in itself a sign for all of us, of the blessings of union with God, an Incarnation that is in itself, good. How do you experience your life with God, and the abundance of riches brought to us in this life that is life itself? Can you read the signs of your own life, and its calling from somewhere much greater than what we can immediately perceive? This Lent, let us strip away all the things that get in the way of that sight, and refine it so that we may see, receive and perceive better than we do already.

Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there 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

In yesterday's reading, John the Baptist brought two of his disciples to Jesus. "Behold the Lamb of God!" he said. When they followed, Jesus asked, "What do you seek?" The two disciples of John then asked Jesus where He was staying, and He replied, "Come and see." They spent the rest of the day with Him, and soon brought Him another. One of them was Andrew, who brought his brother Simon. Jesus told Simon, "You shall be called Cephas" (meaning A Stone or Rock) - in English, Peter from the Greek Petros. See What do you seek? Come and see.

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. The first disciples of Jesus were followers of John the Baptist. Andrew and Peter were brothers, as we read in yesterday's reading. Today, in Galilee, Jesus finds Philip, who is another. Most likely he heeds the call to "Follow Me," because he already knew of Jesus as a fellow follower of John the Baptist. But, we remember, God is always working through the characters in the Gospels - and before following in faith, there is a form of recognition in the disciple. Here we are introduced to the Galilean "flavor" of Jesus' ministry, where His early public teaching would be, and the place from which would come so many of His disciples.

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." Here we have a kind of repetition of the pattern in yesterday's reading. This time, Nathanael is found by his friend, Philip, and brought to Jesus. Nathanael asks a direct question, coming out of the general perspective on Nazareth, with its mixture of populations, not considered purely a Jewish town, and not Bethlehem, the place of King David. How could the Messiah come from there? But Philip repeats Jesus' reply to the two disciples in yesterday's reading: "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." And again, as in yesterday's reading, the pattern is repeated. Yesterday, Jesus named Simon "Peter" or "Rock." And today, He peers into Nathanael's character. Nathanael is a straightforward type of person, he says what he thinks; a common translation here uses the phrase "in whom there is no guile." He's not a hypocrite or "actor." My study bible says "no deceit implies a pure heart which is capable of recognizing Christ." The knower-of-hearts peers into Nathanael - and even more importantly, knew him before Philip called him. However we come to Christ, once we arrive, to "come and see," it is Christ who already knows us, and teaches us about ourselves.

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." Because of his "pure heart" or lack of deceit, Nathanael is able to cast away popular prejudice and receive Jesus in His true character. Jesus assures Nathanael that he will see much more than has been revealed to him on this day. The "Son of Man" is an messianic title from the book of Daniel, and refers to a being of heavenly origin who will usher in the kingdom of God. Jesus' words about angels ascending and descending comes from "Jacob's ladder" -- in Genesis, Jacob dreams of a ladder connecting heaven and earth. My study bible says, "Jesus--the Son of Man--is 'Jacob's Ladder,' man's access to God, the final and fullest revelation of God. In His Incarnation, God and man are united. In the teachings and miracles of His public ministry, the Kingdom of God on earth is inaugurated. His Cross, set up on earth like Jacob's ladder, reaches into heaven. Through His Resurrection, Ascension, and exaltation to the right hand of God, human nature is raised into heaven. And through His Second Coming, all things will be reconciled to God. In Christ, heaven and earth are joined."

Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew), despite his skepticism and the popular prejudice, comes to Jesus. And Jesus reveals to Nathanael who Nathanael is. This is the way it is with faith. What we are shown is not just a way into relationship with Christ, a mutual recognition, but we are also given the gift of the depths of ourselves, and the everlasting Way we are given to go forward in life with Christ. That is, we are to discover so much more. And here, Jesus teaches Nathanael about the "so much more." As we were reading from the Sermon on the Mount, we learned of Jesus' teaching, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." He was referring to the depths and heights of faith, the mysteries and understanding that will be opened to us. And so Jesus also promises Nathanael. The walk of faith is a journey together, in which we are given to understand and know our Creator as we are also called to walk in such a way that we are to know ourselves in His love, who we can be in that kingdom. It is a relationship of depth and growth. Can you be a part of that? It is the perfect thing to contemplate for Lent - and to understand this as the product of a pure heart, in which there is no deceit.

What do you seek? Come and see

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

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. It is John who announces Jesus to the world, and Jesus' identity. Jesus does not reveal Himself, but is revealed by the prophet and Forerunner, John. John said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! . . . 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!" I find it very fascinating about the Gospels that they show us how this salvation plan works in its Incarnation. So much depends on the workings of the Spirit through other human beings. John the Baptist has not only revealed Jesus to others in yesterday's reading, but now he leads his disciples toward Him.

The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" Again, we note, the initiation for Jesus' public ministry does not come directly through Jesus' open action, but through the human beings through whom God is at work in the world. The two disciples pursue Jesus. "What do you seek?" is Jesus' open invitation to them to ask specifically what they want of Him.

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). Again, the human relationships that populate this story of the Gospels take precedence as the means whereby this great mission of salvation is at work. Jesus' disciples are friends, they come and stay with Him. They will spend time with Him as He teaches them His way - but it all begins with an invitation, an initiation through the Baptist, and time spent together. The tenth hour is about 4:00 in the afternoon.

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 suggests that the unnamed disciple of John the Baptist here is probably the author of this Gospel (whose own brother will also become a disciple of Jesus). But we see again the interworkings of the human beings that people this Gospel and this story -- each brings another to Christ. "Messiah," literally means "Anointed One" (as does Christ). It refers to the anointing of kings, and the identity of the Messiah as the "son of David." Later, in the next chapter of John's Gospel, when Jesus says He will "raise up the temple in three days," He will in some sense be alluding to the predictions about the Messiah. Simon, of course, is Peter; in the original Greek of the Gospel it is Petros, from which we derive his name in English - and which means literally "stone" or "rock." Jesus' first act is to reveal His knowledge of human beings, as "heart-knower." He sees deeply into the identity, and destiny in His Way, of those who come to Him. In a sense, Jesus reveals Peter to himself, in ways Peter cannot possibly see at this time.

So the depth of relationship is at work through the Gospel, right from its beginning. The knower-of-hearts knows us, but He wants us to "know" Him. Jesus does not come into the world imposing Himself and revealing Himself, but rather waits for the time when God, working through John the Baptist, reveals Him to the world. It all works through other human beings, those whose hearts are drawn toward Him in recognition and acceptance, and we must remember Jesus' words to Peter (that I referred to also in yesterday's reading) at Peter's confession of faith. The Father is at work behind all things, and through us as well. We help to bring one another into this kingdom, as we seek to reflect the light through ourselves in the world, to others, as Jesus will also teach ("You are the light of the world.") But once we are drawn in, then He comes to meet us and take us on His Way, to a destiny in Him. He peers into our hearts and knows us better than we know ourselves, and reveals, not only Himself, but us to ourselves, who we truly are. So, as we take that journey of faith, we must remember relationship and light: the light must shine through us before men, and His light shines in us and peers into us more deeply than we can even know our depths, and the depths that lay inside for us to know and to discover through Him. Are you prepared to walk in that light, with so many others and such grace working through all? Take the first step, as did the disciples in this story. He is always asking us, "What do you seek?" and inviting us to "Come and see."

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

Byzantine Museum - Athens, Greece

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

As we begin the first week of Lent, we are going through John's Gospel. We have already read the first two passages on Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday, for Ash Wednesday, the reading was from Luke's Gospel: the parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee. Today we return to the Gospel of John. We recall from the previous reading that John the Baptist has been preaching a repentance in preparation for the One who is to come. He said, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know."

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" My study bible notes here, "John's naming Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God recalls Isaiah's 'Servant of God' who dies for the transgressions of His people (Is. 53:4-12). Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, offers Himself for our deliverance from darkness and death (1 Pet. 1:18, 19)." What is remarkable to me is the recognition in John of Jesus, and that tells us about the workings of the Spirit or God's grace in the world. All that happens in these Gospels happens through people. The light that is reflected through us ("you are the light of the world") is at work in this prophet, the greatest of the prophets, and it illumines his work. It is also a reflection of the way faith works, as a kind of recognition, an immediate trust, a knowing. Jesus does not announce Himself until He is recognized.

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." John's baptism has been for repentance in preparation for this One who is to come, to be revealed, as his words tell us. Baptism is a death and rebirth. The concept of repentance is important for us to turn to today, so that we understand the purpose of this work and of our work in Lent. Repentance is from a Greek word (metanoia) that means "change of mind." It prepares us for a turnaround, to set our mind's eye toward that which we might not know, to embrace something new and allow it to transform us, who we think we are.

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 gives his testimony to the One who has been revealed. My study bible says, "The Spirit remained upon Him because Christ possesses the Holy Spirit in His fullness." But what I note again is John's testimony, and the witness he bears within himself: "He who sent me to baptize with water said to me ..." John as been sent for this purpose and the reality and relationship of God is working through him. So testimony, like prayer, comes from grace working in us. We are the lamps that reflect the Light.

John the Baptist plays his great role in the economy of salvation, the announcement of Jesus to the world as Lamb of God. It is astonishing to think about God working through us and with us in all things, and it is beautiful to see and understand that by reading the Gospels, and all the characters that work throughout Jesus' life and are integral to this story. It is not a story of Messiah or Christ alone, but God among us, God with us - and God's Spirit working through us. Jesus Himself will teach, when Peter makes his confession of faith, that it is the Father who has revealed Christ's identity to Peter (see Who do you say that I am?). So, today I think it is worthwhile to ponder what it means for the rays of that Light to shine through us, reflect through us, and to work through us in the world. Repentance means we turn toward that light, and allow it to flood through us, to illumine our minds, so that our "whole body becomes full of light." Can your "eye" perceive that? As we walk through Lent, we seek repentance in order to better receive that light.