Our Venerable Father John, Disciple of Gregory the Decapolitan (c. 842)
Acts 4:1-10; John 3:16-21
Read John 3:16-21
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
Today’s gospel appears to contain a contradiction. On one hand, we read that God the Father sent his Son into the world to save it, rather than to condemn it. Especially in the light of the first verse, “God so loved the world…”, it seems like there is a strong preference for God’s decision to save humanity (and the whole world) over against the possibility of his decision to condemn us for our sins.
Yet, the gospel goes on to say that those who don’t believe in the name of Jesus “are already condemned.” Doesn’t this contradict the first part of Jesus’ message – that Christ has come not to judge, not to condemn, but to save?
The answer to this dilemma is found in the last verses of the gospel. Anyone who encounter’s Jesus has an encounter with light, an experience of the truth; but different people react to light differently. Actually, an encounter with the truth is often a sobering, even troubling experience. Think about it this way: have you ever had a discussion that turned into an argument as you and your friend began to disagree about some fact or piece of information? After a while, someone might say, “Let’s just google it!” What happens when google shows that I’m the one who was wrong, that I had gotten my facts mixed up? Often, I’m embarrassed, even ashamed (especially if I really insisted that I had it figured out before google solved the problem). I might even dig my heels in – “That website can’t be trusted!” – and spend the rest of the day searching for corroboration of MY position.
The problem here is that I’ve encountered the truth, and refused to accept it. And that is the risk of an encounter with Christ. He wants to shed light on my life, on every nook and cranny of my heart, so that his truth pervades me, makes me a new man. But am I ready for that? It will be painful, for sure. The only way I can submit to that kind of light is if I remind myself every day that “God so loved the world…” He is truth, but he is also love, and his truth shines light on me to bring me into that love.