John 12:20-33

Gospel according to John 12:20-33

Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. The person who loves their life loses it, and the person who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—'Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An Angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Reflections

It was customary to go up to Jerusalem a few weeks before major religious holidays to prepare for the celebration. Tradition called for prayer and the offering of a lamb as a sacrifice. It was also a time to meet with friends and relatives to collectively participate in the observation of the rituals. In anticipation of the Passover, Jesus and his disciples were already there.

While for most people, the offering of a lamb symbolized passing from bondage into freedom, Jesus predicted his own death: The Paschal Lamb would be “rejected by the chief priests, and the elders,” (Mark 8:33) killed, --“lifted up” --and die for the sins of the world, and in three days, rise again.

This was not the first time that Jesus talked about his death to remind his disciples of his mission. Still, the Apostles had a hard time comprehending what he meant. For example, after miraculously feeding five thousand people, and curing a blind man, Peter declared Jesus to be “The Messiah” (Mark 33:29). When Jesus spoke of the Messiah as the suffering servant, the one who will die for the sins of the world, Peter took Jesus aside and spoke to him in private: “God forbid that this should happen to you, Lord!” Upon which Jesus rebuked him, “Get behind me, Satan,” you are a stumbling block to me. “For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (Mark 8:33).

Similarly, according to the Gospel of Matthew, before going to Jerusalem, Jesus took his disciples to the side and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life” (Matthew 20:17-19).

The disciples knew that going to Jerusalem could be dangerous. The Pharisees and religious leaders were looking to see if Jesus would appear in public to get a glimpse of him, and some were plotting against him. When he cleansed the Temple from the merchants and the money changers, they intercepted him and questioned him. On that occasion he also made a reference to his death and resurrection by saying, “destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up” (John 2:19), but they dismissed him, and made a mockery of him, just as he predicted that they would.

Philip was from Bethsaida, a village located on the outskirts of Capernaum, where Peter and Andrew were from. He had a Greek name, just like Peter and Andrew, reflecting a cultural openness to the Greek culture in Galilee. While in Jerusalem, a group of Greek people approached Philip, wanting to see Jesus. It is very likely that they were friends who wanted to warn the apostles and Jesus of the chief priests and the pharisees. Philip therefore spoke with Andrew, and the two of them went to see Jesus.

In front of all of them, Jesus confirmed that he was entirely aware and ready to conform his will to that of the Father. Acknowledging his passion was imminent, and that his soul was troubled by it, he reassured the disciples that, like a grain that is sown, his suffering and death was necessary to produce the fruits of the resurrection. Committing his life entirely into the hands of the Father, he prayed that he could go through the passion and glorify the Father’s name through every step of it. The Father replied to Jesus, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again,” which the bystanders heard as thunder.

Jesus did not turn away from unavoidable suffering. He aligned his will entirely with that of the Father. He turned towards the suffering and prayed to be able to make the most of it for the glory of God.

We see in Jesus’ response a difference between the areas of fate and freedom. Fate is that area over which we have no control. This area includes our physical reaction, the words, actions, or behavior of others. Next to this area is an area of freedom, which consists of how we respond to what happens to us. The smaller the area of freedom, the more decisive the position we choose in it.

Sometimes, suffering seems to have no end. It overwhelms us with its chaos and unpredictability. Especially in such circumstances, prayer helps to remember: “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.”

Amidst unavoidable suffering, our purpose, and direction may be challenged. However, this challenge may prompt us to rise above ourselves and our immediate circumstances, and to trust, and cling even stronger to the mercy and love of God.