Failure to Believe

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator

The discussion that we hear between Jesus and the Pharisees in today's Gospel passage revolves around what was perhaps the most difficult aspect of Jesus' passion and death for the Christian community to understand; namely, Jesus' crucifixion and death were part of God's plan for our salvation. The Christian community reflected on this truth for years before it made sense to them. St. John's Gospel is the product of such reflection.

The fact that Jesus was crucified is and was an accepted fact. The event is recorded not only in the Christian Scriptures but also in Roman government documents of the time. Jesus' resurrection, not an accepted historical fact, brought relief to the followers of Jesus. However, once Jesus ascended to the Father, they were forced to accept that it was all part of God's plan. How could this be? How could God allow this to happen?

We are still asking the same question. Perhaps we do not question Jesus' crucifixion, but we question how God could let so much suffering go on in our world. How could God allow entire towns to be destroyed by tornadoes? How could God allow six-year old children to be gunned down in the midst of feuds between rival gangs? Such questions often are asked in order to deny the existence of God.

Though the Pharisees are not unbelievers, Jesus does challenge their reluctance to accept him as the manifestation of God in our midst. Failure to believe in Jesus is, as we have seen before, the principal sin according to St. John.