Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Lectionary: 281

Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.

Editors of our Bible have called today’s passage a “Recapitulation,” a brief summary of everything that has gone before. This recap will lead us from the “Book of Signs” to the “Book of Glory.” We should understand by now that the Son does nothing which he has learned from the Father, and he makes his journey to Calvary in complete and eager obedience to his Father. Just as the Father gives his only begotten son for our salvation, so does the son readily hand over his life. He undertakes his “passion” in passionate love for us.

We should notice the intensity of this passage, “Jesus cried out…”

We have heard a similar expression only a few times in the Gospel of John:

• So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. (John 7:28)
• Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. (7:37)
• …he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43)

Jesus cries out when he opposes the presumption of those who think they know where he came from; and when he tells them where he came from. He also cries out when he invites us to life; as in, “Come to me and drink!” and “Lazarus, come out.”

We still suffer the presumption of a "modern" culture that believes God doesn’t much care about us. God, the Enlightened deist supposes, is never angry or jealous; God is always coolly dispassionate. “I love you,” this god says, "my love is unconditional and undemanding. You may do whatever you think best, and I will always love you.” This god is neither male nor female and suffers none of the emotions associated with either gender.

That definition of God has a tangent assumption, “The Godlike should not care for one another too intensely. We should not get carried away with emotion about one another, especially not angry or frustrated emotions. We should be cool, like God.”

We should never force our children to do something they don’t want to do. We should not be jealous of our spouses, lovers, or friends and their relationships. Parents should not judge their adult children’s behavior; they should honor their political beliefs and sexual practices regardless. Even when parents exercise tough love, it is not vindictive. And forgiveness for past wrongs should be immediate like that of the father who welcomed back the Prodigal Son.

Likewise, counselors and spiritual directors don’t lose sleep over their clients’ attitudes. They keep it cool always.

I do not find that dispassionate God in the Bible, neither the Old nor the New Testament. I think some people project their experience of their parents onto the “Old Testament God,” and then prefer the “New Testament God,” who is often portrayed as the Good Shepherd – “good” meaning someone who agrees with me and likes what I like. They need to work out their Oedipal conflicts and stop telling the rest of us how God should act. 

The God we worship will give his Only Begotten Son for our salvation. The God we worship is a man who cares so passionately he will eagerly suffer abandonment, humiliation, torture, and crucifixion for our sake. He can cry at the death of his friend; and mock the irrationality of his opponents. He can rebuke his disciples one day,and calm their fears the next. He can demand that we eat his flesh and drink his blood.

Our God cares more than we dare to imagine. We should not define the limits of his love.