Sunday 17 March
2024 – V Sunday in Lent (Year B)
Rev. Dr.
Patrick Mathias SDB
Mass Readings: Jer 31:31-34 Ps 51 Heb 5:7-9 Jn 12:20-33
Key verse to Meditate: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains
by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (Jn 12:24).
Today’s Gospel passage immediately follows the narrative of the
Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Everyone seemed to have welcomed him:
even some Greeks, passing by, went to pay him homage. The Greeks who had come
to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast expressed their desire to Philip
and Andrew that they would like to meet Jesus. These Greeks must have been
Gentile proselytes to Judaism (or at least God-fearers (Acts 10:22; 17:4, 17;
cf. 8:27). However, there is no record that Jesus ever met the Greeks there,
and John does not even mention them again. The puzzling response of Jesus to
the disciples after this request of the Greeks is the passage for our
reflection this Sunday.
Sir, We Wish to See Jesus: The Gospel
passage from St. John on this fifth Sunday of Lent is a passage that comes
immediately after the triumphal entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (Mt 21:1-11;
Mk 11:1-11; Lk 19:28-40). The hour of Jesus' passion is now near, and so he
goes up to Jerusalem to celebrate his last Passover. The evangelist notes that
there, in the holy city, "among those who went up for worship during the
feast there were also some Greeks," that is, non-Jews, pagans from other
peoples. They wish to see Jesus (Jn 12:21). This act of Gentiles seeking to
know Jesus and to have an audience with him happens just a few days before the
people in Jerusalem would cry for His crucifixion.
But the Greeks do not dare to approach Jesus directly, so they turn
to Philip. But why did they turn to Philip and then to Andrew? Philip was a
disciple with a Greek name, originally from Bethsaida of Galilee, a village
also inhabited by non-Jews. Probably, since Philip and Andrew were from
Bethsaida (Jn 1:44), they would have known Greek. Bethsaida was one of the ten
cities of the Decapolis (Mt 4:25; Mk 5:20; 7:31). These were the cities of
Palestine where Greek was spoken, and Hellenistic customs were followed, being
influenced by Greek culture. So, together, Andrew and Philip went and told
Jesus about the Greeks’ request for an interview. Just as in this context, in
the narrative of the calling of the first disciples in John’s gospel (Jn
1:35-42), it is John and Andrew who seek Jesus and daringly ask Jesus for his
address (Jn 1:38).
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter: Philip himself
is hesitant to do this favor for the Greeks and so turns to Andrew; together,
then, they go to Jesus. The intercessory role of the two disciples is
highlighted very much here. In this pericope, we encounter the character of
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. In John’s gospel, he has been given the
responsibility of taking people to Jesus or introducing individuals to Jesus.
In the beginning, unlike the synoptic accounts, it is Andrew who introduces
Simon Peter to Jesus (Jn 1:42). It is then that he receives the new name of
Peter. Here we see Philip taking the request of the group of Greeks to see
Jesus to Andrew, who along with Philip, went and informed Jesus. Andrew is
shown in the limelight in the gospel of John, unlike in Luke where the
leadership of Peter will be highlighted.
Father, the Hour has Come: When the
disciples made this request to Jesus, he prophetically indicates that there is
no time to meet people and that "the hour has come for the Son of Man to
be crucified and to be glorified on the third day." Jesus knew well that
the only way the Greeks could truly enjoy fellowship with Him was through His
upcoming atoning sacrifice on the cross. Just as a grain of wheat falls into
the earth and dies to produce a rich harvest, so also his death would bear much
fruit by providing salvation for all (Mt 20:28).
Through this verse, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to
be glorified" (Jn 13:3; Is 52:13), Jesus, who in all previous references
in John’s gospel said that the hour had not yet arrived (Jn 2:4; 7:30; 8:20;
cf. 7:6, 8), for the first time speaks of His hour as being present. What we
note is that, from this event onwards, John would point out plainly that the
time of the Lord’s passion and death is imminent (Jn 12:27; 13:1; 16:32; 17:1).
Apparently, the answer looks strange. The two apostles do not understand! But
Jesus knows very well that the hour of the Passion, the hour of trial, the hour
of sacrifice, is nearby.
The Grain of Wheat Must Die: In John 12:24,
Jesus uses a simile of a grain of wheat to illustrate resurrection:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth
and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit"
(Jn 12:24). The grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying does not mean
that it is terminated completely; rather, new life grows out of it. Moreover,
the new plant or new fruit means that the old grain has passed through
transformation with new elements added to it. Now, just like a grain of wheat,
Jesus will fall to the ground in his passion and death but will rise again and
bear fruit with his resurrection. This act of a grain of wheat falling to earth
and dying is therefore not only the way to bear fruit but also the way to
glory. As the grain of wheat dies to generate new life, so too Jesus, with his
death, brings everything back to the Father.
What happens to the grain of wheat that refuses to fall to the
ground? Either some bird comes and pecks it, or it withers and Moulds in a damp
corner, or it is reduced to flour, eaten, and all ends there. The seed knows or
enjoys new life only when it falls to the ground, dies to itself, and rises as
a new plant and then gives thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold (Mt 13:23)! This
means that if a man does not die to himself, he also cannot go through
transformation; that is, if he does not accept the cross but remains attached
to his egoism, to his sinfulness, everything will end with his death. If, on
the other hand, he believes and accepts the cross in union with Christ, accepts
the will of God for his life, then the horizon of eternity opens up before him.
Jesus not only indicated that he should suffer and die but that his
blood will be shed for the salvation of all people: "And I, when I am
lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself" (Jn 12:32). This
reminds us of the last Sunday’s gospel reading where Jesus says, “And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Num 21), even so must the Son
of Man be lifted up" (Jn 3:14). It implies that Jesus must be
crucified (Jn 8:28; 12:32, 34).
The Irony of Gain by Losing and Living by Dying: There is an irony
in Jesus’ statement here, namely, you gain by losing and you live by dying.
Jesus also alerted his own disciples that if they want to continue as his
disciples, then they too should be willing to lose their life and be ready to
face similar consequences: "Those who love their life lose it, and those
who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." This
means that if we want to be authentic disciples of Jesus, we must follow him on
the way of the cross through daily commitment. All those who want to follow
Christ, who accept this new way, must choose to place themselves at the service
of Christ and walk alongside him. The discipleship of Jesus is to always be
with him wherever he is (Mk 3:14). Whoever serves Jesus must follow him to the
cross and be glorified with Jesus at the resurrection (Jn 12:26). And above
all, serving Christ means being honored by the Father.
Hating One’s Life: Jesus tells us
that the one who loves his life in this world by preferring it over the
interests of God’s kingdom will ultimately lose it (1 Jn 2:15-17). And on the
other hand, the one who hates his life in this world by making Christ, not
self, his first priority will keep it for eternal life. In this verse, the
phrase “hating one’s life” is a Semitic expression that has the connotation of
giving preference to one thing over another (Lk 16:13; Rom 9:13). In this
context, it refers to preferring Christ over one’s family, possessions, goals,
plans, desires-even one’s own life (Lk 14:27). This unmistakable demand of
Christ is very well expressed in the parables like the man selling all his
property to buy the finest pearl and the effort to purchase the hidden treasure
(Mt 13:44-46; see also Mt 10:37-39). This teaching of Christ simply demands
that those who truly come to Christ must love Him above all else - all sin, all
self-righteousness, all relationships, and all self-will.
Jesus, sensing the great passion and death that awaited him soon,
prays with anguish from the heart to the Father, and we see that the Father
also strengthens him in the time of his anguish: "Now my soul is troubled.
And what should I say-- 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this
reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." (Jn
12:27-28). This act of abandoning to the will of God is clearly captured by its
author in the letter to the Hebrews in the second reading of today: "In
the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud
cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was
heard because of his reverent submission" (Heb 5:7). Going further, St.
Paul attests with great faith that although Jesus was the Son of God, He
learned obedience from the things which He suffered (Heb 5:8).
The Voice of the Father: The ministry
and teaching of Jesus testify that he came from the Father, and the heavenly
Father, too, in turn strengthened the Son before his passion, and that his
presence will go with him: "I have both glorified it and will glorify it
again" (Jn 12:28; Jn 13:32; 17:1.5). The voice from heaven brings us back
to the Transfiguration event (cf. Mk 9:2-10, the second Sunday of Lent). In the
synoptic narration of the transfiguration, we see the Father giving a true
testimony of the Son: "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" (Lk
9:35). Even when Jesus came out of the water after Baptism and after the
descending of the Spirit, once again the voice of the Father was heard:
"And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I
am well pleased'" (Mt 3:17). But here, those who hear this heavenly voice
either do not recognize it at all or perceive it as a vague form of approval.
This clearly goes to say that it is not the acclamation of the people that will
bring the Kingdom but the consent of the Father.
Points for Personal Reflection:
In today's first reading, the Lord, through the prophet Jeremiah,
promises that the people will come to know their Lord through His mercy and the
forgiveness of their sins: "I will forgive their iniquity and remember
their sin no more" (Jer 31:34). Do I truly accept the unconditional offer
of mercy and forgiveness from the Lord through Jesus Christ? Am I willing to
acknowledge my need for this forgiveness and embrace it fully?
Furthermore, do we actively seek to encounter Jesus, just as the
Greeks did in Jesus' time? Are we earnestly pursuing a deeper understanding of
who Jesus is and what He means to us? Similar to the apostles Philip and
Andrew, do we engage in intercessory prayer for others? Are we actively
bringing the needs and concerns of those around us before God, seeking His
intervention and guidance in their lives?
Moreover, do we strive to lead others to Jesus, just as Philip and
Andrew did? Are we sharing the love and message of Christ with those who may
not yet know Him, inviting them into a transformative relationship with our
Saviour? Finally, like Jesus our Lord, do I willingly submit myself to the
perfect obedience of God's plan, even in moments of personal suffering and
pain? Am I willing to trust in God's wisdom and sovereignty, even when faced
with challenges and difficulties?
These questions invite deep personal reflection on our relationship
with God, our commitment to prayer and intercession, our mission to share the
Gospel, and our willingness to trust in God's plan for our lives, even amidst
adversity.
