FAUSTI - Nicodemus calls Jesus "Master". He is not a simple colleague: he knows that He came from God, like Moses, and, seeing the signs that He makes, he concludes that God is with Him. He recognizes Him as Master and Messiah, authenticated by God. Jesus leads Nicodemus beyond the law up to the very source of life: to the gift of the new heart and the new spirit of which the prophets speak, which the Pharisee also knows. Entering the Kingdom of God is not the work of man, but a gift of God. In this Kingdom of freedom they enter not those who try to win it , but who's willing to be a son, who becomes like a child, and the son in the Son. The Baptism of Jesus, as well as in water - which in John is the symbol of life - (4,14 - 7,37 - 19,34) - will be in the Spirit, which is the divine fire of Love. In fact, one exists as a person when he is loved. He is born from the wound of the heart of those who accept him and let him enter in heart, loving him as he is, distinct from themselves. One comes to the full light when he ,himself, loves. The words of Jesus to Nicodemus are intended to bring in us that passage to the new heart, required by the law and promised by the prophets we see well described (Philippians 3) by Paul who recounts his experience as a man of the law that meets the Lord. "What is generated by the flesh is flesh..." Flesh, in opposition to spirit, indicates what unites us to the earth: the weak, corruptible and mortal element. Spirit, on the other hand, is what binds us to God: the perennial force of the vital principle. From the beginning, man has been made up of clay and the divine breath (Gen 2:4), of earth and of heaven. The earth can only live on heaven. Jesus calls "earthly things" what He said about the birth of the flesh and the need for a birth from the Spirit. In fact, the law and the prophets speak of it, called earthlings, because they are witnesses of that light which has always been present in the creation and history of Israel. They give voice to the desire of the Spirit that is in every man. If one does not believe to this voice, one does not believe in the Word, which reveals heavenly things to us. The law in fact is not in heaven, but close to every man, but heavenly things are revealed by the Son, descended from heaven. Jesus wants to open Nicodemus, master of the law, to the gift of the Spirit, which the man of the earth does not understand. In Him we know the truth of God and ours. He loves us and we are the love He has for us. Looking to the One we have pierced (19:37) at the foot of the cross, we discover this truth that makes us free (8:32) and we are born from on high "We have recognized and believed in the lLove that God has for us. In fact, "God is Love" (1 Jn 4:16). "To give the Only Begotten Son" , God has given to us the Son, because only in Him, who loves as He is loved, so we see our identity as children of the Father: "Not to judge the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him". The Son has the same judgment as the Father. He comes with the scourge into the temple not to judge or condemn the sinful world. He came to save it precisely by "purifying" the Temple, by deceiving with His Cross the diabolical image that man has of God and of himself. In Him raised we have the true knowledge of Him and of ourselves, which the mouth of the serpent had taken away from us. To adhere to Him is true holiness and justice: it is to live of the Son and as sons, to share in the common Glory of the Father and the Son. For Nicodemus, as for all, the labor that brings to light is slow. To come to the truth is a path of progressive liberation, of small steps... And the Word itself does it.
FAUSTI - Nicodemus calls Jesus "Master". He is not a simple colleague: he knows that He came from God, like Moses, and, seeing the signs that He makes, he concludes that God is with Him.
RispondiEliminaHe recognizes Him as Master and Messiah, authenticated by God.
Jesus leads Nicodemus beyond the law up to the very source of life: to the gift of the new heart and the new spirit of which the prophets speak, which the Pharisee also knows.
Entering the Kingdom of God is not the work of man, but a gift of God.
In this Kingdom of freedom
they enter not those who try to win it ,
but who's willing to be a son,
who becomes like a child,
and the son in the Son.
The Baptism of Jesus, as well as in water - which in John is the symbol of life - (4,14 - 7,37 - 19,34) - will be in the Spirit, which is the divine fire of Love.
In fact, one exists as a person when he is loved. He is born from the wound of the heart of those who accept him and let him enter in heart, loving him as he is, distinct from themselves.
One comes to the full light when he ,himself, loves. The words of Jesus to Nicodemus are intended to bring in us that passage to the new heart, required by the law and promised by the prophets we see well described (Philippians 3) by Paul who recounts his experience as a man of the law that meets the Lord.
"What is generated by the flesh is flesh..." Flesh, in opposition to spirit, indicates what unites us to the earth: the weak, corruptible and mortal element.
Spirit, on the other hand, is what binds us to God: the perennial force of the vital principle.
From the beginning, man has been made up of clay and the divine breath (Gen 2:4), of earth and of heaven.
The earth can only live on heaven.
Jesus calls "earthly things" what He said about the birth of the flesh and the need for a birth from the Spirit. In fact, the law and the prophets speak of it, called earthlings, because they are witnesses of that light which has always been present in the creation and history of Israel.
They give voice to the desire of the Spirit that is in every man. If one does not believe to this voice, one does not believe in the Word, which reveals heavenly things to us.
The law in fact is not in heaven, but close to every man, but heavenly things are revealed by the Son, descended from heaven. Jesus wants to open Nicodemus, master of the law, to the gift of the Spirit, which the man of the earth does not understand.
In Him we know the truth of God and ours. He loves us and we are the love He has for us.
Looking to the One we have pierced (19:37) at the foot of the cross, we discover this truth that makes us free (8:32) and we are born from on high
"We have recognized and believed in the lLove that God has for us.
In fact, "God is Love" (1 Jn 4:16).
"To give the Only Begotten Son" , God has given to us the Son, because only in Him, who loves as He is loved, so we see our identity as children of the Father: "Not to judge the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him". The Son has the same judgment as the Father.
He comes with the scourge into the temple not to judge or condemn the sinful world. He came to save it precisely by "purifying" the Temple, by deceiving with His Cross the diabolical image that man has of God and of himself. In Him raised we have the true knowledge of Him and of ourselves, which the mouth of the serpent had taken away from us. To adhere to Him is true holiness and justice: it is to live of the Son and as sons, to share in the common Glory of the Father and the Son.
For Nicodemus, as for all, the labor that brings to light is slow. To come to the truth is a path of progressive liberation, of small steps... And the Word itself does it.