Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: John 3:31-36

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Throughout the Bible there is one fundamental choice to make, to choose either life or death. We see this choice unfolding first with Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God by eating from the tree of knowledge. They chose death and sin entered the world.

This same choice later came through God’s covenants with Israel. While God was always faithful to his end of the agreement, Israel repeatedly broke theirs. 

Think of their worshipping the golden calf, which explicitly broke God’s commandment, “You shall have no other gods but me.”

As a result of Israel’s infidelity, they were enslaved and sent into exile. Even their capital, Jerusalem, and the Temple where God once dwelt was destroyed… twice.

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In today’s Gospel, John sets before us the very same choice, to choose either life or death. Only this time, God is not speaking behind a cloud or a burning bush, nor is he using the mouths of the prophets. He is speaking through his only begotten Son.

“The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him,” Jesus says. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.”

What, then, does it mean to choose life? 

We as individuals, and as a collective body, the Church, must remember our history. From the beginning of time, we have proven ourselves to be unreliable and weak. We cannot choose life, nor can we prosper, without complete reliance upon God.

Yet, it seems that humanity must be reminded from time to time that no other figure in this world can offer us salvation, although some have tried. When given the choice, choose God. Choose life.

As Jesus teaches us in his first public sermon, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” meaning, happy are those who understand their need for God. 

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Still, we who choose life should never become righteous or judgmental people. As Saint Paul says, “Be patient with the scruples of those whose faith is weak.” Choosing life means being humble, patient, loving, forgiving, kind, merciful, and compassionate.

Not because we are able to do so on our own, but because of God’s Spirit working within us. 

I set before you either life or death. Choose life.

What does that look like for us today?

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Image credits: (1) Bridge Community Church (2) Learn Religions (3) The Center for Advancement of Christian Education

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Gospel: John 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s a Southern tale about a bridge operator. His job was to raise the bridge before boats passed underneath, and to lower the bridge before trains sped through.

One day, the man brought his son to work. The young boy marveled at the switches, the windows, and the seemingly magical bridge that was raised or lowered by the flick of his father’s finger.

When it came time for the final train to pass through, the man realized that his son had wandered off. Suddenly, he spotted his boy playing at the base of the hill, right where the bridge was set to lower.

Staring at the train speeding towards him, he had to make a split-second decision: to either lower the bridge…or save his son.

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He lowered the bridge.

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Imagining the anguish which must’ve flooded his heart can help us imagine what God might’ve experienced as he sacrificed his Son, bridging the gap between us and eternal life. 

No wonder the earth trembled and the skies were darkened. Christ’s death in the flesh was the most wrenching sacrifice imaginable.

But what sticks out to me when I compare the two stories is the fact that no one onboard the train realized what the father had done. The train just kept on going.

We, however, know what Jesus has done for us, opening up the gates to eternal life. In what ways might we demonstrate our gratitude for him? How might we pay his sacrifice forward? 

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“I have given you an example to follow,” Jesus says, “just as I have done, so you should also do.”

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Image credits: (1) Penlight Media (2) Scoobypedia (3) More Than Useless

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Acts 4:32-37

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.

Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated “son of encouragement”),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.

The Word of the Lord.

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Tertullian, a 3rd century champion of Christianity, lived during a very intense time. While the Church was growing exponentially, there were also sporadic persecutions; Christianity would not be legalized for nearly another century. 

Still, Tertullian publicly professed and defended his faith, not only writing about what Christians believed, but also about how they behaved.

Quoting one of his pagan critics, he wrote, “Look how the Christians love one another, how they are ready to die for each other, while the pagans hate each other.” Tertullian teaches us that from the beginning, Christians bore an intense sense of responsibility for their neighbor, regardless of one’s race or class.

Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles further attests to this point. “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own.” 

We hear of Barnabas, for example, who sells his property and lays it at the feet of the Apostles to be used for charity.

This was how Christians demonstrated their faith in Jesus. They did not cling to worldly things; they kept everything in common; they spoke kindly of their neighbor; they cared for the sick, for widows, for orphans; and they broke bread together.

They were even willing to die in each other’s place.

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To a large extent, the Church has held onto this tradition of charity. 

No other institution in human history has founded as many hospitals, schools, orphanages, soup kitchens, high schools, universities, or has had as many people willingly die for their beliefs.

Still, we may need an occasional reminder that greatness is not measured in terms of worldly power or material things; rather, the greatest among us is always the servant. 

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May what was said of our ancestors also be said of us, “Look how they loved one another.”

It’s just what Christians do.

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Image credits: (1) Lutheran at Penn State (2) It’s not about me, It’s about Jesus (3) QuoteFancy