Wednesday of the
Fifth Week of Lent
(Daniel 3:14-20.91-92.95; John 8:31-42)
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet
the young prince is looking for evidence to convict his uncle of murdering his
father. He gets an idea when a troupe of
actors comes to town. He will devise a
play that shows how the murder took place.
When his uncle watches the action, his visible reaction should betray
his guilt. Something similar is taking
place in today’s gospel passage.
John’s Gospel not only tells the story of Jesus but contains
hidden in the action the fate of the Christian community he left behind. The controversy in today’s passage shows how
part of that community -- “those Jews who believed in him” – lack a firm faith. They accept Jesus as a prophet but do not see
him as the only source of freedom which is equivalent to salvation. They think that they are free by virtue of
being children of Abraham. Their opposition
to Christians who find Jesus as the only way to salvation is dramatically
portrayed when Jesus says that “are trying to kill” him. The Judaizers who incurred St. Paul’s wrath
by insisting that the Galatians be circumcised are equivalent to these half-hearted
Christians.
We live in a time when many see other ways to salvation
besides Jesus. Some believe that freedom
comes from not being bonded to other people.
Others think that freedom is the right to do whatever one wants short of
physically hurting others. We believe that
Jesus’ way of selfless love for others brings the freedom of the children of
God. Next week we will celebrate the
bestowal of that freedom in the paschal mysteries.
