Fifth Sunday of Lent (B)

March 18, 2018

Readings:

First Reading – Jeremiah 31: 31-34

Psalm 51

Second Reading – Hebrews 5: 7-9

Gospel reading according to John (12: 20-33)

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Homily:

“The days are coming . . .” said Jeremiah (31: 31), while the author of the Letter to the Hebrews said, “In the days . . . (5: 7), and Jesus answered: “The hour has come . . .” (John 12: 20).  This day indicates the day and the hour of the coming death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The indication shows that “Some Greeks who had come up to worship at the Passover Feast . . .” (John 12:20).  Actually they were not Hellenists, that is, Greek Jews, but Hellenes, that is, Gentiles.  It means they did not come from Greece and were not Greek people but rather they were Greek speaking gentiles. These gentiles converted to Judaism were in the habit of going up to Jerusalem to participate at the feasts, i.e., they had been admitted to the privileges of Judaism. They belonged to the class known as “Proselytes of the Gate.” (cf. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, http://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/12-20.htm).

They “. . . came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we would like to see Jesus’.” (John 12: 21).  At this time also, while they were at Jerusalem and after finishing their worship, they took the opportunity to see and talk to Jesus, whom they heard many things about him, about his teaching, preaching, miracles, etc.  They came to Philip from Bethsaida, a Greek speaking territory, too.  Maybe they were familiar and knew Philip well that was why they came first to Philip to help them see and talk to Jesus.  They have met and were spoken, probably, in the Court of the Gentiles.  “On the previous day, the Court of the Gentiles had been cleansed from the traffic and merchandise which had been customary in it by Jesus and the temple had been declared to be “a house of prayer for all nations and not den of thieves.”  The court of the Gentiles was divided from the inner square of the Temple by a stone fence, bearing upon pillars, placed at regular distances, the following words in Greek and Latin:—No alien must pass within the fence round the Temple and the court. If anyone be caught doing so, he must blame himself for the death that will follow.  This prohibition was known before, from Josephus (Ant. xv. 11, 5); but in our own day one of the very slabs, bearing the exact words, has been discovered by M. Ganneau during the excavations of the Palestine Exploration Fund.  The events and the words of these days must have brought strange thoughts to the minds of proselytes, men who were worshippers of the one God by personal conviction, and not because of the faith of their ancestors; and with hearts filled with wonder as to what these things meant—half-grasping, it may be, the truth that this middle wall of partition should be broken down—they ask for a special interview with Jesus. (cf. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, http://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/12-20.htm).

What did Philip do about the request of the Gentiles?  “Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus” (John 12: 22).  “Philip and Andrew were fellow-townsmen and friends. But Andrew was also brother of Simon Peter, and is one of the first groups of four in the apostolic band (see Mark 13:3). The Greeks then naturally come to Philip for they were closer to him, and Philip consults his friend Andrew, who is in a position of greater intimacy with the Lord than he himself is, and they come together and tell Jesus,” (cf. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, http://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/12-20.htm), about the intention of the Greek proselytes. As members also of the Jewish religion (Judaism), do they have all the rights and privileges as well as responsibilities to perform?  Or are there some limits as performed by the ordinary Jews? Philip and Andrew accompanied the Greek speaking gentiles to Jesus.  They introduced them to Jesus when they met him.

Jesus conversed to the Greek speaking gentiles and his disciples. “Jesus answered them: ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  Amen, amen I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life’.” (John 12: 23-25). The coming of the gentiles representing the Greek speaking symbolizing the forthcoming mission of the Apostles to the Gentile nations after Jesus was put to death, like the grain of wheat sown and buried on earth as if dead but sooner or later twigs sprouted and multiplied.  The Jews did not accept Jesus instead they put him to death and lost his life as a ransom for many, Jews and non-Jews alike, but the Gentiles in accepting the teachings of Jesus spread and multiplied throughout the world, and Jesus lives forever.  “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.  The Father will honor whoever serves me” (John 12: 26).  Many non-Jews or gentiles, like us, i.e., Filipinos, English, Irish, French, and others, believed and became followers of Jesus.  They understood and knew the teachings and words and deeds of Christ Jesus.  They also performed freely their rights and privileges as well as their duties and responsibilities in serving the Lord God through his Apostles and disciples until the end of time. 

Jesus revealed his feeling now to his disciples that the Gentiles presented themselves as time clock ticking to the last minutes of his life.  “I am troubled now.  Yet what should I say?  Father save me from this hour?  But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour” (John 12: 27).   As if God the Father set a time-frame for the fulfillment of the purpose for sending Jesus in this world.  Jesus is in trouble.  He cannot explain his feelings and emotion.  He cannot express his thoughts.  Much more he cannot beg his Father to deliver him from the hour of his death.  For he knew the plan of God and there is no one to fulfill it except himself.  After a while, when he felt relief from his own worries, he is now ready to accept his fate for the glory of his Father.  He said to God his Father: “Father, glorify your name” (John 12: 28).  When Jesus fulfills the plan of God, he is giving glory to the name of God and not to himself be glory given.   “Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it and will glorify it again’.” (John 12: 28).  When Jesus did the will of the Father, the Father is glorified.  When that time comes and the Son of God at the same time Son of Man has offered his life for many, again the Father is glorified.  We also every time we obey God’s command and do it; we give glory to God’s name.  To God the Father is given the glory. 

“The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him’.  Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice did not come for my sake but for yours’.” (John 12: 29-30).  Not only the Greek speaking gentiles and the disciples were present there, even the crowds were there observing the encounter of Jesus and the Gentiles.  Those present heard the voice of the Father, but they interpreted it as thunder and of the angel speaking to Jesus.  The thunder and lightning, and sometimes cloud represent the presence of God.  As what Jesus said to the crowds that God’s voice they heard was not intended for him but for our sake to believe to the one God has sent.  “Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out” (John 12: 31).  It was said that the judgment will happen at the end of the world.  But as early at this time the judgment to this world is given by Jesus.  This time, “now the ruler of this world,” who is Satan, “will be driven out” of this world, as what he foretold to Nicodemus, the Pharisee, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3: 16-17).  On this day and time, Jesus shows his love to the Father by offering himself to die on the cross for the salvation of the world.  Thus he said, “. . . ’And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.’  He said this indicating the kind of death he would die” (John 12: 32-33).  Jesus will die not only for the Jews but for all, Jews and Greeks, Gentiles and foreigners, all of the creatures and humanity.  The death of Jesus opens the door for the Greeks, Gentiles, Pagans and non-Jews and to become members of the community of disciples of Jesus, the Christ.