A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to John (3:16-21)
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
REFLECTION: My brothers and sisters, as we enter into today’s Gospel reading, let us acknowledge that it is a continuation from yesterday’s Gospel reading. Jesus continues His discussion with Nicodemus, pointing to him of the connection of God’s remarkable love, and the faith of the believer that reaches salvation. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” But that seems to turn everything of the Messianic prophecy and expectation, upside down. The Messiah is here to redeem (save) creation, which God loves, not to condemned it.
To this day, I still have memories from my childhood, of my parents often telling me, and my siblings, whenever we were misbehaving or disobeying them, “behave, or God will punish you”. In my head, those words presented me an image of an angry God bent on punishing those that disobeyed Him or did evil. But later in my life, in an encounter with Him, and His real message, I learned the truth.
We hear in today’s Gospel, Jesus telling Nicodemus, that not even the Son has come to condemn. The world is something that God loves so much that He sends the Son to draw the world back to Himself. Not by force, but by OUR OWN CHOICE, to follow His Son, or turn away from Him, and go into darkness. That’s precisely what occurred to Nicodemus, upon having heard Jesus’ invitation to follow Him.
Nicodemus did not fully follow Jesus, despite showing interest and even acknowledging Jesus’ divinity, because he may have been hesitant, to fully embrace the teachings and the potential consequences for his social and religious standing. Perhaps he was concerned about the potential impact on his family, his position as a Jewish ruler, and his wife’s disapproval. While he was intrigued by Jesus, he may not have been ready to fully commit to a life of following Jesus, potentially fearing the judgment of his peers and the disruption to his established life.
Whenever I make choices that are against those, of a true believer and follower of Jesus, I am a Nicodemus. How about you?
ACTION FOR THE DAY: As you continue your Easter journey, reflect today on how much you are loved, by Whom you are loved, and what is now possible because of this love. Then, sit in silence for about 10-minutes, maybe in front of the blessed Sacrament, and try to hear, whom you are loved, speak to you.
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