John 8:21-30 NRSVue
21Again he said to them, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22Then the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are from this world, I am not from this world. 24I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.”, 25They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? 26I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. 29And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
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Some thoughts on this scripture
Reflection
If we look at the cross of Jesus, we see love. The wood of the cross is alive
with love; Jesus on the cross looks at each of us with love.
Reflection
Allow yourself in prayer accept this look of Jesus; his dying look is of love
for each of us, personally and as a people. We can take then the questions of
Saint Ignatius in looking at the one who is ‘lifted up’ in the love of
the father for us, ‘What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for
Christ? What ought I to do for Christ?’ In prayer we deepen and enliven our
response to such great love.
Reflection
Jesus had a sense in his life that he was not left alone. Even on the cross
in praying the prayer ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?', he did
not seem alone for he was speaking to his Father. In Jesus we are all loved
by the Father and in our lives are never left alone. Our prayer time is the
time for allowing ourselves to soak in this mystery of the loving
companionship of God.
Reflection
The people who heard Jesus message often took in just the words on the
surface. His meaning was hidden from them when they failed to listen on a
deeper level, to reflect about what his words might mean for them. This is
the work of our prayer: to receive the word of God into our hearts, to go
beyond any superficial - even important -meanings.
Reflection
The condemnation of Jesus is reserved for obstinacy, for resolute
hard-heartedness. If I ask for God's light to bear on my strong opinions.
Reflection
Those who listened to Jesus were trapped in their logic; their listening was
superficial as they failed to grasp Jesus' deeper meaning. Jesus invites me
to be close to him, to get to know what he really means. In my impatience, I
may look for books to read, inspiration points to inform me or shortcuts to
get me there quicker. I accept that Jesus is with me, guiding me into truth
and perception, asking only for my love and time.