Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

The LORD of hosts is with us;

our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! Behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth.

The story of the healing of an old man at Bethesda sounds much like the story we heard on Sunday, the healing of a young, blind man. But they should not be confused. Today’s story introduces Saint John’s fifth chapter, which concerns Jesus’ authority and his relationship to God the Father. Sunday’s story described the courageous testimony of a Christian in the face of opposition from authorities, family and society.

We often wonder during challenging times if God is truly with us. Life seems to follow one day after another and without “the practice of the presence of God,” God doesn’t seem to appear in ordinary human life. Philosophers complain of deus absconditus, the missing god. Saint John hints at that problem with the number 38. That’s a lot of years to sit by a pool waiting for a healing, and it appears this fellow is no longer waiting. When the Healer appears and asks, “Do you want to be healed?” he cannot answer, “Yes!”

For some Pharisees, deus absconditus might not be a problem: “We have Moses and the prophets!” But Christians cannot be content with the Jewish tradition despite its astonishing beauty. We want to see, hear, touch and feel the presence of God. For us, Jesus satisfies that longing. He is the divine Son of God. Tomorrow we will hear more about their relationship.

Speaking of the love between the Father and the Son, this might be a good time to speak of the new translation of the Nicene Creed we will start using in late November. Where our present translation reads one in being with the father the new version will state consubstantial with the father.  

Consubstantial is a more accurate translation of the technical Latin word, and represents the end of a centuries-long discussion. During the first four centuries of the Church our best minds struggled and searched for ways to explain the inexplicable mystery of God’s presence among us in the person on Jesus. More often than not they could only say to various proposals, “That’s not it!” 

At Nicea they agreed on the word consubstantial, which means Jesus shares the same divine substance with the Father. When we say that he is the “Son of God” that does not imply he is less than God, as is any other son or daughter of God. They are equal. They are also one in heart and mind and will – meaning they agree with one another in complete and loving obedience to one another – although they are separate persons.

And yet, as you know, we believe there is only one God. There is one God with three divine persons, each of whom is -- and is equal to -- God.

But we did not figure this out; if we had it would be less mysterious, and less interesting. It was revealed to us and, after three and a half centuries of argument the Church settled on the word consubstantial to clarify what we cannot comprehend.

As we ponder John 5, a most wonderful chapter, we allow the light of this revelation to shine on our astonished minds, and rejoice.