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John 7:28-29
Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."
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This
selection is from Henri Nouwen's book, Show Me The Way: A Selection of Readings
for Lent.
Fellowship with Jesus Christ is not a commitment to suffer as much as possible,
but a commitment to listen with him to God’s love without fear…
We are often temped to “explain” suffering in terms of “the will
of God.” Not only can this evoke anger and frustration, but also it is false.
“God’s will” is not a label that can be put on unhappy situations.
God wants to bring joy not pain, peace not war, healing not suffering. Therefore,
instead of declaring anything and everything to be the will of God, we must be
willing to ask ourselves where in the midst of our pains and sufferings we can
discern the loving presence of God.
When, however, we discover that our obedient listing leads us to our suffering
neighbors, we can go to them in the joyful knowledge that love brings us there.
We are poor listeners because we are afraid that there is something other than
love in God. This is not so strange since we seldom, if ever, experience love
without a taint of jealousy, resentment, revenge, or even hatred. Often we see
love surrounded by limitations and conditions. We tend to doubt what presents
itself to us as love and are always on guard, prepared for disappointments.
For this reason we find it hard simply to listen or to obey. But Jesus truly listened
and obeyed because only he knew the love of his Father: (John 6:46) “No one
has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.”
“Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from…(John 7:28-29)”.
He came to include us in his divine obedience. He wanted to lead us to the Father
so that we could enjoy the same intimacy he did. When we come to recognize that
in and through Jesus we are called to be daughters and sons of God and listen
to him, our loving Father, with total trust and surrender, we will also see that
we are invited to be no less compassionate than Jesus himself. When obedience
becomes our first and only concern, then we too can move into the world with compassion
and feel the suffering of the world so deeply that through our compassion we can
give new life to others.
The world in which we live today and about whose suffering we know so much seems
more than ever a world from which Christ has withdrawn himself. How can I believe
that in this world we are constantly being prepared to receive the Spirit? Still,
I think that this is exactly the message of hope. God has not withdrawn himself.
He sent his son to share our human condition and the Son sent us his Spirit to
lead us into the intimacy of his divine life. It is in the midst of the chaotic
suffering of humanity that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love, makes himself
visible. But can we recognize his presence?
Prayer
Merciful God,
You know our weakness and distress.
Yet the weaker we are,
The stronger is your help.
Grant that we may accept with joy and gratitude
The gift of this time of grace,
And bear witness to your work in our lives. |
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