Gospel Reflection John 3:1-8

In today’s Gospel reading, we read about Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus. Earlier in Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees were likely more curious about Jesus than antagonistic to Him, as would be the case later. Yet, Nicodemus bucks the trend in several ways that are instructive. One is that Sacred Scripture strongly suggests he was a faithful follower of the Lord. Nicodemus provided a counterweight to the raucous group in John 7:50, and he comes to bury the Lord in John 19:30. 

What is equally compelling about Nicodemus is that he sought answers directly from the source. He was not content with hearsay or groupthink. It seems as though he wanted a private audience with Jesus, to “get down to brass tacks”, as it were. Nicodemus was interested in the truth. He comes with an open mind. He is not afraid to dig in, even though some of his most cherished assumptions were a bit off-base. He wants to sit at the feet of the Master and learn. 

The fruit of this exchange between Jesus and Nicodemus yields to us the proclamation of God’s love for the world in John 3:16. We also learn about the work of God the Holy Spirit in our salvation. Thus, the beauty of the Holy Trinity is disclosed to us. We see the Father sending the Son, in the love, power, and unity of the Holy Spirit. 

The mysterious and wonderful harmony of Persons acts in human history to redeem the world from brokenness. The new creation that results from our redemption can only be of divine origin because only God can create. We must be new creations to participate in the re-created cosmos; the world God is drawing to Himself will be of such an order that one must be born for it - and this is the work of the Spirit, made possible by the finished work of the Son, sent forth by the Father. All out of love. God’s willing the ultimate and highest good possible for us. 

Gospel Reflection John 20:11-18

Today’s Gospel reading tells us of St. Mary Magdalene meeting the Risen Lord. Here we see such a wonderful example of true devotion. Overcome with emotion, Mary weeps. Then she sees something amazing. Angels inside the empty tomb. It is interesting that they ask her why she weeps. Shouldn’t it be obvious? The syllogism could not be understood through her sorrow. If A, then B. A. Therefore, B. If Jesus died, He will rise again. Jesus died. Ergo…

So many times we can become deeply bogged down in sorrow, lost in the fog of pain, that we are not able to recall what the Lord says to us. He promises that He will never leave nor forsake us. And it is God Himself who makes this vow. Our reasoning process can quickly break down. In our frail condition, this is to be expected. God continues to bestow grace upon us. He continues to pursue us and draw us closer. 

When Mary Magdalene turns around, she sees the Lord Jesus. Just as the angels did, He asks her why she is weeping. Perhaps there is some significance in the same question being asked twice. Perhaps we can dive a little deeper and confront the true question: why do we weep? We weep for our loss. We weep because things are not as they ought to be and we are so frustrated at our inability to make them as they should be. Our physiology betrays our psychology.  But there is One who did make all things, and who will one day make them as they should be. We are powerless to do this, and ignorant of the means and timeframe by which it will come. This is also frustrating for us and causes us to express ourselves in various ways. 

In this passage, it is almost as if the angels and the Lord Jesus are asking Mary - and us - rhetorically why we are weeping. We have the promises of God and an empty tomb. We have the Passion of Christ, where the final and perfect sacrifice for sins was accomplished. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world was slain for us. When we think through it, we have no reason to despair. The more fully we place our trust in the promises of God, the more fully we realize that death is not the end. Suffering will not have the last word. Pain will one day be no more. Surely, we will still mourn during times of loss or pain. But we must hold fast to the confidence that God will transform our weeping into joy as He does for Mary Magdalene. Our mourning will not be as those who have no hope. We may begin weeping in sorrow, but this will yield tears of joy.

Gospel Reflection Matthew 28:8-15

In today’s Gospel, we read about the early polemic that was circulated in and around Jerusalem concerning the resurrection of Jesus. Because He was publicly killed by crucifixion and visibly placed - and sealed - in a known location, Jesus’ opponents had no other option to explain the empty tomb and multiple eyewitness reports of the resurrection. 

Since Jesus had claimed He would rise again, the resurrection reports must have caused quite a panic in the chief priests. They knew that if Jesus had been raised from the dead, God had done this marvelous act. And if God had done something like this, the clear implication was Jesus was a true prophet and not a blasphemer. On one level, they had the knowledge of killing an innocent man. On a deeper level, Jesus being raised would have vindicated His teachings and self-understanding as the unique Son of God. 

What we see in Jesus’ opponents, then and now, is a desperate flailing about in order to escape the love and truth of God in Christ. Just like a drowning man repeatedly slapping away the shepherd's hook extended for his rescue, the impenitent heart casts about for anything but God. Claiming the disciples of Jesus stole his body out of the tomb and made up a resurrection story is, of course, the height of absurdity. One believes in such possibilities only through the acceptance of antecedent assumptions, none of which are ultimately sustainable. 

The disciples were just as surprised as anyone else that Jesus rose from the dead. The Gospels are clear on this point. Self-incriminating accounts permeate resurrection narratives that breathe the air of authenticity. The resurrection was shocking to literally everyone. But it could not be denied any more than the witnesses could have denied the rising of the sun. 

To think that a group of scared and scattered followers of a crucified rabbi would steal the body away from a known tomb (to where?) and make up a story (about something they didn’t have a conception of), and then not only they, but hundreds of people not in their immediate cohort, told the exact same story about the dead man’s appearing, strains credulity beyond the breaking point. 

There was no real basis for anyone to think the disciples stole the body, but the leaders had to tell people something in order to sweep their sins under the rug. I believe that is at least a large part of the reason St. Matthew includes this early polemic against the Christians in his Gospel. Not so much for apologetic reasons, but to show how hard the heart can be set against the loving hand of God. 

Gospel Reflection John 20:1-9

He is risen!

Alleluia! 

Truly, He is risen .

“But if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty [too] is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. Then we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.” But when it says that everything has been subjected, it is clear that it excludes the one who subjected everything to him. When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will [also] be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.”

--1 Corinthians 15:12-28

Amen! 

Alleluia! 

Manrantha, Jesus!