Sunday, March 18, 2018

Fifth Sunday in Lent

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-12 or Psalm 119:9-16
Second Reading: Hebrews 5:5-10
Gospel Reading: John 12:20-33

The liturgical color for the day is: Purple

A straight forward reading of the text usually does not scratch the surface of what John is doing and saying.  Unlike the other Gospels, John’s emphasis is on belief.  He calls the reader to believe in the one who is incarnate as the Word of God.  “In the beginning was the Word…What was coming into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (See John 1:1-5)

John plays with light and darkness.  John also plays with levels of understanding.  In his gospel we encounter the hearers (and us as readers) who hear these things that Jesus says, and they are interpreted on and earthly level.  But that earthly level, plain sense of connection that it is, is usually not enough.  There is also this spiritual realm which reaches past the situation and needs to be seen and heard in the encounters with Jesus.  Those encounters challenge us to see and hear on a different level.

This comes to life in today’s encounter with Jesus in John 12.  “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  It is the request that the Greek visitors make.  It is crucial to understand the setting.  Here in John, chapter 12 is the beginning, in essence, of the Holy Week movement.  It marks the beginning of the Passover feast.

This particular group of people, who are attending the festival and are of Greek origin, want to see Jesus.  First note that John is careful to tell us that they are Greeks.  Why?  He wants us to know that because we are to make the connection that this is no longer just about people who have a Jewish heritage.  Jesus is more than that—his touch is reaching beyond and to the gentiles.

The approach is interesting as is the result.  This group of Greeks goes to Philip and they say, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  Philip relays the message to Andrew, and together Andrew and Philip go to Jesus.  Then comes the interesting part—rather than seeing the Greeks it is as if the request launches Jesus on the next level of progression.  It seems to trigger his proclamation that “the hour is at hand for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

If we just read it on a plain sense of the text level it does seem an odd thing.  Why would the request of a group launch Jesus onto this other?  Why would that simple question have anything to do with triggering in Jesus an understanding that now was the time in which the events that lead to the cross are all about to unfold?

This is John, there is more going on here—there is something deeper happening.  There is a spiritual and larger realm to this.  There is a spiritual and deeper thing happening.  It is as if Jesus responds to the request by saying: “They want to see me, well open your eyes because here I am.  They want to see me, get ready because now you will all SEE me.”  And that seeing is larger than just having an audience with Jesus—it is a seeing which will call those Greeks, and Philip and Andrew, and us to believe.  It is a seeing which will reveal the cross, and ultimately the empty tomb.

General Presbyter
Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena