Friday, April 8, 2016

Friday of the Second Week of Easter

(Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15)

In television’s beginnings a popular program was a quiz show called “What’s My Line?” The show featured celebrities who questioned guests to determine their profession.  The gospels might be seen as doing something similar – raising questions of Jesus to determine who he is.

In today’s passage from John’s gospel Jesus feeds the multitude with five small loaves of bread.  He is seen by the people as the Prophet proclaimed by Moses who will come from the people and whose words the people will heed.  Jesus himself sees the possibility of their taking him away as their king.  Of course, he is not concerned about an earthly office.  He has a higher mission.  In the Gospel of John Jesus is the Word of God made flesh so that the world might find salvation from sin.

We may be tempted to continually raise the question of Jesus’ identity ourselves.  Certainly we hear others expressing doubt that he is the Second Person of the divine Trinity.  However, we must hold to the claim so that our following will lead us to eternal happiness in him.

Homilette for March 11, 2008

Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent

(John 8:21-30)

“What’s My Line?” was a favorite television quiz show fifty years ago. Contestants with varied occupations would challenge the celebrity panel to guess what they did to earn a living. The celebrities were informed of a contestant’s name and whether she or he was hired or self-employed. Then they would conduct an investigation by asking questions with “yes” or “no” answers.

In some ways John’s gospel today mimics “What’s My Line?” The Jews try to figure out what Jesus is doing among them. They ask him questions as we hear today, “Who are you?” They also have Jesus’ marvelous “signs” like changing the water into wine to help them determine who he is. But most of the Jews do not catch on because they are predisposed against Jesus. They are looking for a political Messiah who will defeat aggressive enemies like the Romans now occupying their land. They do not realize that the Messiah has come to save them from a far greater enemy – sin. Even when Jesus is lifted up on the cross, as he mentions in the reading, with writing in four languages declaring him “King of the Jews,” the majority of people do not understand who he is.

Perhaps we have wished that we would have been alive in Jesus’ days. We might have questions that we would like to put to him to clear up some of our doubts. Odds are, however, that our questions would never be answered to our satisfaction. Sooner or later, we would have to make the same act of faith in him that the Jews are challenged to make throughout the Gospel of John. Do we believe that this man of marvelous works and wise judgments is God’s own Son?