“Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.”
Today’s Gospel from John begins in Jerusalem as Jesus “cried out” to the crowd. One with the Father, he tells the crowd that he came not to condemn the world but to save it. It sounds as if the crowd is off the hook, that Jesus saves with no questions asked. But then he says, “the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day,” and it’s clear Jesus isn’t playing Monopoly, handing out free get out of jail cards. “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me,” Jesus says. This is the story of Adam and Eve all over again: God gives us a choice to observe his words or reject them. Jesus, the Son of God, comes in mercy to say, “Let’s try again.”
God, help me understand that your Son’s obedience to you, following your commandment of mercy and eternal life, is a model for my words and actions. Whatever pleases you, whatever brings your light into the darkness, is a gift I am able to choose to give back to you for the life of the world; whatever is a rejection of your gift, whatever brings darkness into the world will by my choice condemn me on the last day. God, you are just, and I know the words of your Son will judge me.
My Jesus, mercy! In your mercy, I ask that you remove any obstacles that prevent me from believing in you and doing your Father’s will. Let me look back at the end of this day and know that what I have said and done, I have said and done as the Father told me.
Today I want God’s light to shine on me even as I see more in others than myself the darkness where the light needs to penetrate. Let me believe in Jesus and the Father who sent him and leave judgment to the only just judge, God the Father.