Second Reading: Heb 5:7-9
Gospel: Jn 12:20-33
We are in the Fifth Sunday
of Lent. The gospel of today opens with the requests of Greeks to see Jesus (Jn
12:21). This incident happens after Palm Sunday, the solemn entry of Jesus into
Jerusalem. For Passover feast many people come to Jerusalem. It is a gathering
of whole Jewish population. At the time of Jesus many Jews who are living
outside Palestine as well as gentiles who seek the blessing of God of Israel
would come for this Passover feast. Prior to this Passover feast the rising of
Lazarus by Jesus has earned many followers, people from different region and
linguistic background seek Jesus. The rising of Lazarus also has incited the
Jewish leadership to kill both Jesus and Lazarus (Jn 12:10). On Palm Sunday
procession the Pharisees witness people from many nations going behind Jesus. The
plot of Jewish leaders to kill Jesus on Palm Sunday results in vain and so,
they say to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole
world has gone after him” (Jn 12:19). Now as Jesus is nearing His death the
whole world has turned behind Him. Greeks seeking to Jesus is one instance of
whole world going behind Him. Upon hearing this message from Philip and Andrew
Jesus says, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (Jn 12:23). Yes,
the glorification of Jesus is lifting up of Son of Man. Last Sunday we saw
about lifting up of Jesus on the cross and in resurrection and glorious
ascension. This lifting up takes place at the culmination of Jesus’ life on
earth which draws people of all nations to Himself (Jn 12:32). This is the hour
for which Jesus has come and worked for. He says that He would not pray to
remove this hour from Him, rather He would fulfil this hour (Jn 12:27).
In the first reading, we
hear Jeremiah speaking about new covenant (Jer 31:31). Throughout the Old
Testament we see how Israel has broken all the covenants that God has made with
their patriarchs or Moses or King David and so forth. Covenant is more than
mere agreement between two parties, it is made with blood, mortgaging the life
of the one or the party who breaks the demands of the covenant. Although Israel
broke the covenant, God did not seek their blood. He continually forgave them
by making new covenant. This time after the complete fall of Jewish nation –
the fall to Judah to Babylon – God promises to make new covenant with them
which would be different from all the preceding covenants. The uniqueness of
this covenant is that it would be made once and for all, leaving no space for
renewal or rectification. This new covenant is also made with blood, but this
time not with the blood of the bull or the goat but with the blood of God. When
Jesus offers the cup in the last supper as the blood of the new covenant, the
prophecy of Jeremiah gets fulfilled. The effectiveness of the new covenant is
that the demands of the covenants are written not on tables but on the heart of
each one. There is no collective responsibility as such in the old Israel. In
new Israel (Church) each one is individually called to act responsibly as each
one is receiving the blood of the covenant in the Eucharist.
In line with this individual
commitment to salvation, Jesus says that one who serves Him, must follow Him
(Jn 12:26). Yes, in serving other we imitate Christ but that alone is not
sufficient for salvation. The rich young man who fulfilled the commandments to
gain eternal life lacked one thing that is following Jesus (Mt 19:21). Today
many restrict oneself to doing humanitarian works. They consider that as equal
to worshipping God. In western countries many people who broke away from the
Church have developed this kind of attitude. They lend their help to relieve
the suffering of people living under war, violence and poverty. They engage themselves a lot in
philanthropy and humanitarian works which are very good and necessary. But that
alone is not enough and not going to gain heaven for one. Following and
acknowledging the influence of Jesus in oneself to be human and becoming a
missionary of love is very much necessary for stopping the madness of war,
violence and eradicating poverty. Remember, the west with Christian faith
progressed a lot, it alienated poverty very quickly. Today with the attitude of
philanthropy without God element, we are helping the suffering people, not daring
to go to the root causes of their suffering and stopping it. Without God we continue to help, with God we create a world that
doesn’t need any help. Without God we continue the war, continue helping.
On the contrary, with God we stop the war and step into creating a harmonious
living. What do we prefer?
As Jesus draws all people to
Himself, let us work resolutely to bring people of good will to Jesus who
perform good works without Him. May they see Jesus and become part of covenant people.
As people of new covenant, who allow God to imprint His laws in our hearts
every time we receive Eucharist, let us die like grains to bear much fruit (Jn
12:24), that is to gain eternal life.
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