Easter Friday, April 13 – Read John
16
In Chapter 16
the tone changes to one of challenge. The Gospel of John was written in a time
of persecution when believers in Christ were being turned out of synagogues and
sometimes harassed and killed. Often in his Gospel, John refers to “the Jews”
in negative terms and in Chapter 14:6 he records Jesus as challenging the
Jewish community by saying that “no one comes to the Father except through me”.
Centuries later, the Christian community is vastly more numerous and powerful
than the Jewish community. Now we have our own terrible legacy of the persecution
of Jewish people during many episodes in history including the crusades and
especially the Holocaust. One of the tragedies of history is how words written
in one time can be used as a flimsy excuse for actions taken in another, and
the shame and arrogance of the Christian community is enormous – continuing
today in part in the way we are tempted to take for granted God’s will that we
triumph over and order Muslim nations. This is not what Jesus intended! What he
does intend in Chapter 16 is to give the assurance of his continuing presence in
the Holy Spirit. That Spirit will be there with his followers in good times and
in bad. And indeed, that has been the experience of countless Christian martyrs
who died trying to practice their faith and trying to prepare the way for
Christ’s kingdom of love and justice and peace to finally come. Here, think of
the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Archbishop Oscar Romero, and Jean
Donovan, Dorothy Kazel, Maura Clarke, and Ita Ford of the Maryknoll order who
were caring for desperately poor children when they were raped and murdered by
one of the death squads in El Salvador. The promise of Chapter 16 is that
through the Holy Spirit, God will be there when we need help. The challenge is
for us to listen to the Holy Spirit in the midst of fear to accurately discern
what is the true will of Christ.
Reflection Question: Jesus
concludes Chapter 16 by saying, “In the world you face persecution. But take
courage; I have conquered the world!” What does this assurance speak to you?
Prayer: Dear God,
give me the peace that you promise so that I can listen, not to my fears, but
to the counsel of Christ. Amen.
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