Acts 11:1-18
Psalm 148
Revelation 21:1-6
John 13:31-35
The disciples had gathered with Jesus for their last earthly meal together. At one point during this meal, for a brief moment, tension and great evil surrounded Jesus. He looked into the heart of Judas, and saw what Judas was about to do. Then Jesus looked into Judas' eyes, and said, "What you are going to do, go do quickly." Without another word, and unable to look at Jesus any longer, Judas got up and walked out of the room. He went to meet with his co-conspirators.
The greatest betrayal in history was now set in motion – and Jesus was the target of it.
It's at this point that we enter the Gospel reading for this 5th Sunday of Easter. The reading begins, "When he [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said..." If we had to turn the page at this point, or reading a contemporary Hollywood movie script, we would have reasonably expected some response from Jesus like this on the next page: "Well, boys, that scoundrel Judas did it this time! He set me up, and now I'm in really big trouble. Probably you guys, too! If I ever get my hands on that snake I'll tattoo his face with my fist!"
Normal human responses to such a betrayal would probably include things like anger, fear, hatred, or revenge. To be betrayed, especially when one's life is involved, is a highly grievous assault. And it seems only natural to want to "get even."
But instead, Jesus took this incident to drive home the whole point of his ministry. He said nothing more to Judas; he didn’t yell at him, or strike him or gossip about him. Instead, he turned to his disciples and said two important things: first, that he [Jesus] was now glorified in God as God was glorified. And second, he gave the disciples a new commandment: "Love one another, just as I have loved you. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Thomas Merton wrote that for a person to glorify God meant that that person would become who God made them to be. That person would grow into who they truly were, and they would live the way that God would want him or her to live. Since God is love, and Jesus and God are One, it was Jesus' destiny to live a life of pure love regardless of what happened to him. He glorified God because he knew that his earthly life was soon to be over, and that he would face the events of this next day in total love, just as he conducted himself throughout his ministry.
God did not send Jesus to earth just to die on a cross. He sent Jesus to earth to demonstrate to us the meaning of love in the face of any of life's challenges, even if it meant that he would die on a cross. This is what St. Paul meant when he wrote, "And [Jesus] became obedient to the point of death – even if it meant death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8) Jesus maintained his love for the world even in the face of the greatest injustice – the murder of the Son of God. Even with his last few breaths he was able to say, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
So there he was, sitting around the last supper table with the remaining disciples knowing that at that moment Judas was arranging to have him killed, and yet he gave his disciples a new, overarching, commandment of love. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
And now, we are faced with this deepest of Christian principles – to love in the face of whatever befalls us. What does this mean? How do we do this?
It has to start within each person, and gradually spread outward. So, start with yourself – Jesus said earlier to love your neighbor as yourself. Don't forget this last part – it's key to the whole thing! We need to deal with ourselves in a loving manner regardless of the mistakes we make, or the decisions that may lead us astray. How would a loving person treat you in these matters? This is how you need to treat yourself. This will give you practice in loving someone else, too. And eventually, this will cause us all to reach out with love into the community and eventually into the world.
Psalm 148 expresses the joy one finds in this loving approach God takes toward us.
Reflection Questions
1. What does it mean to you to glorify yourself in God?
2. Think of some issue or concern you are faced with right now. How can you respond to this in love?
3. How can we, as the Church, respond to the world's issues in love?
4. How can we, as a country, respond to the world's issues in love?
5. Read through the scripture lessons for this Sunday again, and spend some time journaling your thoughts.
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