Thursday, April 3, 2025

 

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47)

In the Book of Deuteronomy (18,15) Moses promises the people a prophet like himself.  He says that the Lord will put His words into the prophet’s mouth.  Furthermore, the Lord will hold responsible anyone who does not heed the prophet’s teaching.

In today’s gospel Jesus claims to be the prophet Moses spoke of.  The Jews harassing him, of course, do not accept him so.  But, as if it were a court case, Jesus piles on evidence.  John testified to Jesus calling him the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Jesus’ cures give witness to his being sent by God.  More vivid testimony yet will be his death on the cross and his resurrection.  Finally, the Father has given testimony in the many prophecies that described his coming and his mission.

We must ask ourselves if we accept Jesus.  We say we do.  But do we love our enemies as he taught? Do we tell about him as our Savior and our friend to others?  If we have not added our testimony to the list Jesus gives, let us try to do so.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Exodus 32:4-14; John 5:31-47)

The gospel of John was probably completed at the end of the first century or the beginning of the second.  It was a time of Christian persecution at the hands of Jewish reformers.  The writer of the gospel promoted Christian perseverance because some former Jewish members were returning to the faith of their ancestors.  He also hoped to boost Christian morale and to attract Jews living outside Palestine to join Christian ranks.

To accomplish these objectives in today’s passage, the author pictures Jesus debating with “the Jews.” He gives evidence of a trifold testimony to Jesus.  First, he says that John, the baptizer testified to Jesus in the desert.  Then he attests that Jesus’ work, that is, his miracles, testify to his being sent from God.  He also points out that that the Scriptures themselves, both Moses and the prophets, foretell his coming.

We too live in a time of Christian persecution.  In places like China and Iran the persecution is violent.  In other places the Church is being unfairly judged and disdained.  We can offer testimony to Jesus by our common prayer and our acts of mercy done in emulation of him.

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47)

In his innovative call for evangelization, Pope Paul VI wrote of the incomparable value of sterling witness to the gospel.  “Modern man,” he said, “listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”  In today’s gospel Jesus offers witnesses to his working on God’s behalf.

Jewish authorities have been hassling Jesus for curing a paralytic on the Sabbath.  Jesus has defended the action as a work of life that God performs every day of the week.  Now he concludes his defense with three witnesses.    First, he claims that John the Baptist testified on his behalf.  John spoke of Jesus as the one on whom he saw the Spirit of God come down from heaven.  Jesus also says that Moses gave testimony to him.  He may have in mind here the passage from Deuteronomy which tells of a prophet in whose mouth God will put His very words.  Most of all, Jesus offers his own deeds as witness to his working on God’s behalf.  These deeds are not so much the great signs that he has performed but the way he does everything with love.

Jesus told Nicodemus, “’…God so loved the world that he gave His only Son.’”  This love is most tellingly shown when Jesus dies on the cross to redeem the world of sin.  That event centers history.  We have to go back to it continually to begin to appreciate its meaning.  It is what we will be doing in two short weeks.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47)

Someone once asked a prominent lawyer what is the crucial factor in a winning case.  The questioner proposed different alternatives like a fair judge, a sympathetic jury, or a cooperative client.  The lawyer responded that none of these were as helpful as one credible witness.  In the gospel today Jesus presents several credible witnesses to the Jews that he is the Son of God.

Specifically, Jesus points to John the Baptist, his miracles, the Father, and the Scriptures as witnesses to his claim. John said earlier in the gospel (1:34) that Jesus is the Son of God.  Jesus has also performed mighty works like turning water into wine.  The Father testifies within the hearts of Jesus’ own disciples who follow him unreservedly.  Finally, the Scriptures give testimony to Jesus by such statements as “Zeal for your house will consume me” (2:17) when he throws the merchants out of the Temple. 

We are not to blame the Jews in the gospel for denying that Jesus is God’s Son.  If they could have looked objectively, they would have seen him as divine.  But the Jews were committed to the view that the Messiah would achieve military wonders.  We do not share that expectation.  Rather we accept Jesus as an elder brother who sacrifices his life for our welfare.  His example shows us how to practice virtue.  More importantly, his death wakes us from the sinful inclination to live for ourselves.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Thursday of the Fourth Week in Lent

(Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47)

There is no end to people’s fascination with idols.  Tabloid newspapers and even more sophisticated media easily find consumers wanting to know more about LaBron James or Lindsay Lohan.  This fact is amusing but it is also disturbing.  Taken up with these false gods, the public misses the real God.  This is why Jesus sounds so frustrated in today’s gospel.

Jewish authorities are hassling Jesus for having cured a paralytic on the Sabbath.  Jesus has defended the action as a work of life that God continually performs every day of the week.  In today’s passage Jesus concludes the argument.  He says that if the authorities really understood the Scriptures, with which they are accusing Jesus of wrongdoing, they would recognize that they testify to his being from God, not against God.

Looking toward Holy Week, we need to reaffirm who it is that will command our attention.  It is no less than God’s eternal Son.  His actions -- and nothing we can produce nor knowledge we can have nor other person we can know -- will give us our heart’s deepest desire. 

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47)

A successful lawyer was once asked to name the most essential factor for a winning case. The alternatives were something like a fair judge, a sympathetic jury, or a truthful client. The lawyer responded that none of these were as important as a credible witness. In the gospel today Jesus presents various credible witnesses to the Jews that he is the Son of God.

Specifically, Jesus points to John the Baptist, his miracles, the Father, and the Scriptures as witnesses to his claim. John said earlier in the gospel (1:34) that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus has also performed mighty works like turning water into wine. The Father testifies within the hearts of Jesus’ own disciples who follow him unreservedly. Finally, the Scriptures give testimony to Jesus by such statements as “Zeal for your house will consume me” (see John 2:17) when he throws out the merchants from the Temple.

The Jews are not to be blamed for not believing in Jesus. If they were truly objective observers, they would have seen that he is divine. But perfect objectivity is not to be found. The Jews were committed to their religion which viewed the Messiah as a mighty king who would command political wonders. We, who do not share that expectation, can accept Jesus as the one who brings about social change through creating inner harmony. The result is a more thorough accomplishment that bespeaks a God who is love.

Homilette for March 4, 2008

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

(John 5:31-47)

As Holy Week approaches, Christians do well to reflect on our attitudes toward Jews. Much too often we unjustly see them as ruthless and avaricious in worldly affairs. Resentful of their accomplishments, we can find in the gospel more reason for contempt.

All the gospels relate that Jewish people had a role in Jesus’ passion and death. The Romans actually executed Jesus, but each gospel points out that they did so at the instigation of Jews. The gospels of Matthew and John are especially harsh in their consideration of Jewish responsibility. Matthew locates culpability for the crucifixion not only with the Jews in Jerusalem on Good Friday but also with all Jews of all times. It reads, “And the whole people said in reply (to Pilate), ‘(Jesus’) blood be upon us and upon our children.’” Throughout the Gospel according to John, as we see in the passage today, Jesus is in a bitter debate with not only the scribes, Pharisees and other Jewish leaders but, more generically, with “the Jews.”

However, we must be very careful about making accusations. It is universally recognized that the Gospels not only tell the story of Jesus’ life and death but also reflect the conditions of the apostolic times. For a while after Jesus’ resurrection his followers considered themselves as part of Judaism. They worshipped with other Jews in the Jerusalem Temple and in synagogues all over. But during the latter half of the first century, when the Gospels were being composed, bitter opposition arose between Christians and Jews. With the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., Jewish leaders reformed their religious practices. They saw the need to expel from the synagogues the Christians who were worshipping Jesus as Messiah. As Jesus makes clear in the gospel today, Jews and Christians read the Scriptures differently.

Because some Jews persecuted some early Christians, the evangelists described Jewish responsibility for Jesus’ death quite harshly in the gospels. But these facts should not cause us to castigate all the Jews in the gospel, much less think of any Jew today as a “Christ-killer.” The Second Vatican Council’s “Declaration on the Relationship of the Church and Non-Christian Religions” states: “True, authorities of the Jews and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ (cf. Jn. 19:6); still, what happened in His passion cannot be blamed upon all the Jews then living, without distinction, nor upon the Jews of today.” Rather than animosity, our attitude toward Jews today should be profound respect. They belong to the lineage that gave us Christians both initial understanding of the One God and, more importantly, our Savior Jesus Christ.