April 8

John 12:27-36 

Set against the backdrop of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, today’s Gospel opens with a passage which foreshadows the agony in Gethsemane and compels us to the Cross.  Jesus clearly understands that the world’s judgment is tied up with his rejection and death.  Once again, the crowd has a messianic expectation that Jesus will upset in his death and apparent departure from this world. 

Perhaps the real point of the story lies in Jesus’ warning:  “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you.”  Lent seems to us a dark and somewhat desperate time.  These days, it’s hard to focus on the “dwelling of the light.”  Real wisdom lies in heeding Christ’s warning:  time is short, and our time with Jesus is very precious.  If we look at the history of God saving His people, our Redeemer was with us for only a few short years.  How much time will we choose to spend with Christ: in prayer, in feeding the hungry, in housing the homeless, in visiting prisoners or in tending to the sick?  The aimless darkness of a life outside Christ approaches each of us too quickly. 

Like the people of Israel, we spend precious little of our time with our Redeemer.  A careful examination of the percentage of our waking hours devoted to living in the presence of Jesus will underscore the sense of urgency Jesus stresses.  Our devotion to life in Christ, and only that devotion, will mark us as children of light.