Isaiah 49:8-15
John 5:17-30
Francis Martin has written that, “Yesterday Ezekiel gave us a prophecy of a new and restored Israel in symbols that were ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. Today Isaiah does the same.
“The word of God through Isaiah promises a day of salvation, a time when prisoners will come forth, when a way will be cut through the mountains, and when the highway back from exile will be a level, easy road.
“However, the gospel text today begins to sound an ominous note. It tells of the conflict stirred up by the healing miracle recorded in yesterday's reading.
“There we saw Jesus at the pool of Bethesda, a healing place with its five porticoes crowded with sick people of every description. One can still see this pool near the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem.
“Jesus came to this desperate scene where humanity, not knowing to whom it should turn, was waiting for the waters to stir.
“Salvation came, not by some chance stirring of the forces of this world but by the healing word of Jesus.
“The man, now healed and jubilant, was confronted by 'the Jews,' who demanded to know what kind of person would ever tell a man to carry his pallet on the Sabbath. Thus began the conflict that continues today.
“It is important to note that when John uses the phrase 'the Jews,' while he might be reflecting the actual historical actors in the life of Jesus, his is not a polemic against the people of the day.
“He is using the phrase as a symbolic way of designating all those who resist the truth, whether they are Jew of Gentile.
“Jesus answer to the Jews' accusation is a statement of his identity. The Jews understood the significance of this response.
"Jesus responds in a way that leads us into the heart of the mystery of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, for his earthly life realizes in a human dimension the selfless intimacy that he and God eternally enjoy in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
“We now see that Jesus' human obedience is the reflection of his eternal relation to God, with whom he is completely equal and to whom he looks in love for everything. This is the secret of the power of his death.
“As he was on his way to Gethsemane, the prelude to his passion, he told his disciples that what he was going to face would not be a triumph of the Prince of this world but an expression of his love for and obedience to God. This is the norm and source of our obedience.
Robert Waldrop has written,
“God has called us to build a culture of life, a civilization based on love, by rejecting the works of darkness and bondage to materialism/consumerism which sustain the culture of death.
“This comes through our conversion in Christ Jesus and our perseverance in the works of mercy, justice, and peace. May God give us the strength, courage, and faith we need for this journey!”
Posted by John
at 12:01 AM CST
