Jesus Confronts the Fallen Away

Homily for Wednesday of the 5th Week in Lent

At the beginning of today’s reading from the Gospel of St. John, we must note that the audience changes. While Jesus is still speaking in the courtyard of the Temple, he now turns to those who had believed him but had left him, most probably during the discourse on the bread of life in chapter six. At the end of that chapter, Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

However, at this point Jesus has an opportunity to address those who have turned their back on him. He says to them: “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They object, maintaining that they are free and enslaved to no one. Jesus points out that like the Pharisees, they will die in their sin and are, consequently, slaves of sin.

While it might make us uncomfortable to admit this, it is, nonetheless, the truth. We are all sinners. As we heard yesterday, when we look upon the crucifix, we are looking directly at our own guilt. When we admit that we are sinners, it is possible for us to accept Jesus’ offer to set us free.

The story we hear from the Book of Daniel about the three young men in the fiery furnace. These three young men know that they cannot save themselves from the power of Nebuchadnezzar. They place their lives in the hands of God and state that even if God will not save them, they will not turn away from their God. This story is paired with this Gospel reading because of the fact that Jesus is addressing those who have turned away from him. It stands as a powerful lesson to all of us that we must entrust our very lives to the God who promised to save us from our sins. Only with complete trust in God will we receive the grace to remain faithful to our baptismal promises as disciples of Jesus.

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