Wednesday, 15 May 2019
4th Week of Easter
1st Reading: Acts 12:24—13:5
Gospel: John 12:44-50
Jesus said, and even cried out, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me, sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.
“If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him; for I have come, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me, and does not receive my word, already has a judge: the very word I have spoken will condemn him on the last day.
“For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has instructed me in what to say and how to speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life, and that is why the message I give, I give as the Father instructed me.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Jesus reminded his listeners that he came into the world to offer deliverance from sin. “I have come into the world as light,” he said referring to his offer of deliverance, “so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness (of sin).” The Jews, however, rejected the offer because that was not the kind of deliverance they needed. They longed for political liberation from the hands of the Romans, not the spiritual liberation that Jesus was offering.
Jesus had more to offer than temporary political liberation. But they failed to see what they were missing because according to Jesus they weren’t his sheep (John 10:22-30). There is great lesson to learn here. Those who are not Jesus’ sheep do no share Jesus’ values. If we don’t see things the same way that Jesus does, we are not his sheep.
The metaphors of light and darkness take us deeper into Jesus’ offer of deliverance. Borrowing from the language of aviation, darkness is a “light pocket” in the same sense that partial vacuum is an “air pocket”. Just as an aircraft caught in an air pocket loses altitude abruptly, so a person trapped in the darkness of sin loses moral altitude just as abruptly. The longer he remains in that “light pocket” of sin, the greater the possibility that the loss in altitude ends in a fatal crash. It is in this sense that habitual sin incapacitates a person from making any leap of faith. It even takes away from the sinner the longing to be back to the fold of Jesus.
Jesus came into the world as Light offering us deliverance. But because this is merely an offer, the choice is still ours. But should we choose to accept his offer of light, the deeds of darkness must go. No genuine sheep of Christ can live under both light and darkness. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya? I-type ang BANDERA REACT
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Bandera. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.