John 3:31-36

Acts 5:27-33

Psalm 34:2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

John 3:31-36

The one who comes from above is above all.

The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.

But the one who comes from heaven is above all.

He testifies to what he has seen and heard,

but no one accepts his testimony.

Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.

For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.

He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.

The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,

but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,

but the wrath of God remains upon him.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, as I meditate on the life of your Son, I see how he was mistreated and misunderstood. He was innocent, yet put to death. This is the paradox of the Christian life: by dying to myself I will gain eternal life. Help me to live that truth and conform my life to that of your Son.

Encountering the Word of God

1. John’s Reflection on Jesus: The passage from the Gospel of John is a reflection on Jesus as the one who comes from heaven to bear witness to heavenly things. Jesus is the eternal Son of God who communicates the Word of God to us and invites us to believe in him. There are two contrasts in today’s Gospel. The first is a contrast between those from earth who speak of earthly things and the one who is from heaven and speaks to us of heavenly things and communicates to us the words of God. Jesus referred to earthly things and heavenly things earlier in his discussion with Nicodemus and noted how Nicodemus struggled to believe the earthly things Jesus spoke about. In that conversation, Jesus used the earthly reality of natural birth to point to the heavenly reality of spiritual rebirth. He also used the historical episode of Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the desert to point to the heavenly reality and mystery of his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The second contrast is a contrast between those who believe and heed the words of the Son of God and those who do not believe and disobey his words. The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus is not stingy with the gift of the Spirit. Rather, Jesus has ascended to heaven in order to pour out the Spirit in abundance and generously.

2. Peter and John on Trial: We see the effect of the outpouring of the Spirit in the First Reading. Jesus ascended into heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit on his Apostles and disciples. The Spirit empowered them to preach and speak of heavenly things. One of the goals of the Acts of the Apostles is to show how the followers of Jesus imitate his life, doing the works Jesus did and suffering persecution as Jesus did. This conformity to the life and passion of Jesus argues in favor of the authenticity of their teaching. The First Reading shows how, like Jesus, the Apostles are put on trial before the Sanhedrin. They are innocent, like Jesus, and yet are flogged (Acts 5:40) just as Jesus was scourged. “Jesus’ command to preach the gospel (Acts 1:8) overrules the Sanhedrin’s command to keep quiet about it” (Kurz, Acts of the Apostles, p. 103).

3. Covenant Curses and Blessings: In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness and Jesus’ name (Matthew 5:10-12). This is quite a paradox: How is being persecuted a blessing? In the Old Covenant (Deuteronomy 28), earthly blessings – like abundant harvests, wealth, many descendants, peace, and prosperity – were promised to those who were obedient to God. On the flip side, disobedience would trigger the curses – infertility, famine, poverty, war, and exile. In the New Covenant, Jesus pronounces a blessing are the poor, the hungry, those who weep, and those who are persecuted (Luke 6:20-23) and announces woe to the rich, those who are full, those who laugh, and those who are spoken well of (Luke 6:24-26). In the New Covenant, then, the way we build up heavenly treasure is through suffering poverty, hunger, and persecution. Earthly blessings – like wealth and material abundance – can be dangerous and turn our hearts away from God (Matthew 6:24). In the New Covenant, we need to have a healthy detachment from earthly blessings. In his defense before the Sanhedrin, Peter refers to Deuteronomy 21 and the curse of “hanging on a tree” (Acts 5:30). Jesus takes upon himself the covenant curse of death (Genesis 2:17) that we triggered by our sin. God raised Jesus and exalted him. Jesus is our leader and savior and, through his suffering, attained the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus is the obedient one who has transformed the curses of the Old Covenant into the path that leads to the blessing of eternal life in the New. Throughout their ministry, the Apostles would all experience persecution in various ways. But they were also confident that they were following in the footsteps of their leader and savior and were on the path to life.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you brought the Old Covenant to fulfillment in the New through your obedient suffering out of love. You have the power to transform me and conform my life to yours. Teach me to be an obedient child who heeds the Word of God.

Living the Word of God: Do I have an unhealthy attachment to earthly wealth and blessings? If so, how can I work on detachment? Do I rejoice when I experience trials and tribulations for the sake of righteousness? Do I see how I can unite my sufferings to those of Jesus? Am I courageous in my proclamation of the Gospel?