Homily: Fourth Wednesday of Lent
Fourth Wednesday of Lent (John 5:17-30) “Who is This Jesus?”
If we read the daily Mass readings religiously, we will notice that the same readings from the Gospel of John that we read before Lent we read during the Easter Season. Why is the case? This is done because we can read these passages before Holy Week and reflect on the human nature of Jesus, and we can reread these passages considering Easter and the divine nature of Jesus.
Today, we read this passage anticipating the death of Jesus. Jesus claims to be the Son of God. “Son of God” is a term that is used several places in Bible. It is used in the Old Testament. The first place we see it is in Genesis 6:1-4. We are told that the Sons of God had sex with the daughters of man at the beginnings of history. Great heroes were born out of these pairings. Some how it sounds like Greek mythology.
The implication is that the Sons of God were angels who were someone jealous of the special place that humans had in God’s plan. When Jesus alluded to being the Son of God those listening must have thought that he was claiming to be an angel. To them, Jesus was saying he was divine. For those listening to him this seems like blasphemy. No one was divine, but God alone. The real meaning of Jesus’ words only became apparent after he rose from the dead.
An intriguing question is how Jesus understood his role while he was alive on earth. Did the human Jesus fully understand his divine nature or was that something that he only came to understand after he rose from the dead. We will never know absolutely. We do know that Jesus has all knowledge now. The Incarnation is a mystery as well as a Dogma of the Church.
Jesus felt he was a prophet. At least that is what is implied as we read this Gospel during this Lenten season. He felt that he was speaking for God. He had a message that he had to proclaim because the Father had called him by name. The people who were the leaders of the Jewish faith were uncomfortable with what Jesus said. He was rejected as were all the true prophets.
- When do I think Jesus understood that he was divine? Did he know all along, or did he slowly come to understand this?
- Do I accept the fact that Jesus lives in me? If that is difficult for me to accept, why is that so?
Dear Parishioners,
I was able to attend the virtual Heritage Ball on Saturday night. The event was not the usual live party, but it was held online for the second year. One always wonders how such a change will be accepted. But the last two years have made the most money ever for Alleman.
We all know that there has been a lot of turmoil at Alleman the past year. The transition team is working hard to make things better. The success of the Heritage Ball might be a sign that we are moving in the right direction. We thank all those who donated in any way.
The Partners in Mission strategic plan will be completed in April. Hopefully, we can move into the future with some momentum.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for our violent world.
Fr. Mark