Memorial of Saint
John Neumann, bishop
(I John 3:22-4:6; Matthew 4:12-17.23-25)
A couple of years ago a Harvard professor claimed to have
evidence that Jesus was married. She
produced a parchment with writing in Coptic in which JesJesus' wifeus refers to his wife. By itself the document could not have
disproved the Christian belief that Jesus was as he indicates, “a eunuch for
the sake of the kingdom” (Matthew 19:12).
But it certainly could have sown doubt in believers that what the Church
has been preaching since the beginning was not true. Upon investigation, however, the parchment
has been shown to be a forgery. In the
first reading today John the Elder calls for a similar kind of investigation
regarding the claims of others about Christ and his community. He tells his followers that they must “test
the spirits to see whether they belong to God.”
Throughout Christian history the Church has been plagued
by dissension and fragmentation. Today’s
reading tells us that it took place in the first century as well. The writer, who represents orthodox
Christianity, condemns the group that has withdrawn from his community. He tells his readers that they can test the invalidity
of the group essentially by their fruits.
Since they do not believe that the Messiah came in the flesh according
to the way John has been teaching, they are tragically wrong.
Extravagant claims are constantly levered about
Jesus. Ten years ago, for example,
people were taken up with Dan Brown’s allegation that Jesus and Mary Magdalene
were lovers. We need be very wary of
such ideas by testing them. In the end
we will probably be convinced that the four canonical gospels say all that
there is important to know about Jesus.
They do differ among themselves in minor details, but the core teaching
is consistent. We can put our trust in their
claim that he died and rose that we might have eternal life.
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