FAUSTI - "Being therefore evening" For the Jews evening is the beginning of the new day. Here, on rather, it is the fulfilment of day "one", "that day" which is the "today" of God, always present in the Word. Let us therefore hasten to enter into this today (Heb 4:11). By now we always live in that day. But it is dark until we open our eyes to the Light of the world, which comes to stay among us. The scene is no longer outside, in the garden, where Magdalene stands. Instead we are inside, in the cenacle, where Jesus anticipated the gift of Himself and will give His Spirit and His mission. The disciples have made a tomb of it. The tomb of Jesus is open and empty, their house barred and full of death, like their heart. The sheep are locked up waiting for the beautiful Shepherd that will lead them to the pastures of life. They are in this situation because they did not believe the Magdalene's announcement. It is not said that the disciples are "together". They are not in communion. They are all orphans and alone, outside by closed doors. John does not speak of apostles, but of disciples, a broader term that embraces all believers in Jesus, of all times. He says "the" and not "some" disciples, to indicate that they are and always will be in this situation. It is the place where they meet the Lord. Fear divides people; everyone, closed in himself, is in defense and attack against others. In this situation, in many ways opposite to that of Mary, Jesus comes. He is not ashamed of His brethren, (Heb 2:11), even though they have abandoned Him, denied and betrayed Him. He chose them and bound them not because they are good and strong, but because they are small and weak, in need of Him. From Mary Magdalene who seeks Him, Jesus makes Himself found. By the disciples, instead, He comes of His own initiative, not sought after, even if He was loved. While the people are closed, each one in his room, the Lord comes out of His dwelling and comes to visit them ( (Is 26:20). No closure stops the Risen One . The light enters into the darkness of the disciples. The Lord does not save them from death - He has not even saved Himself - but in the death in which they stand. Jesus does not enter through the barred door. It is not an obstacle for Him, just as it has not been the wall of death nor the stone of the tomb. He Himself is the door of life (10, 7-10). He stands upright, victorious over death. He is in the middle, in the center of the disciples and in the heart of each one. He is light that dissolves darkness, love that drives away any fear (1Jn 4:18). Where before death reigned, now there is the Living One. He who loves us to the extreme shows His Glory. God is in the midst of His people. The Lord wants to be with us always, even in us. That is why He entered where we were, in death and in the tomb. "Peace to you" 'Peace' is not simply the usual greeting of the Jews. It indicates the fullness of every messianic blessing. It is the gift of Jesus who says: "I leave you peace, I give you My peace", that peace that the world does not know. It is the peace of love that overcomes hatred. "Have peace in Me. You will have tribulations in the world; but have faith: I have vanquished the world".
-->His wounds are the source of this peace, they bring back to unity the lost children of God. They are the plagues that heal us (Is 53:5), an ostension of His extreme Love. The hands are the sign of power. With them man does and undoes everything. In His hands lies all the power that the Father has given to the Son. They, which have washed and dried feet, are nailed to the love and service of every lost one. They are those hands from which no one can abduct us (10:28). They are in fact the same as Father's hands. "The Father and I are one" (10:30). His pierced side is Flesh from which we are born, the wound from which we are begotten. In those who look to Him whom they have pierced, a Spirit of grace and consolation is poured out (Zc 12:10). From the crack in the rock that saves us flows the gushing spring, opened in Jerusalem to wash away all sin and impurity (Zc 13:1- 14,8). From there comes the river of living water that gushes forth from the side of the temple. It is an immense river that fertilizes the earth and heals the bitter waters, reviving what has died. All sorts of fruit trees grow on its banks, whose branches do not wither and whose fruits ripen every month; and the fruits are life and the leaves medicine for man (Ez 47, 1-12). "He that thirsteth, come unto me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his breast"(7,37). "That day", towards evening, darkness becomes light (Zc 14:7), like the day "one" of Creation. The disciples, contemplating the hands and the side, the perennial memory of God's love, see the light of the world. They receive everlasting peace and joy. The mission of the brothers is the same as that of the Son, who washed their feet and said: "I gave you an example, that as I did to you, so that you also do" and "I give you a new commandment ... as I loved you, you also love one another"(13:34). The disciples are sent like Him to bear witness to the Love of the Father (3:16). "Father, as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world"(17,18). That is why He has chosen them (15:16). The sending makes the envoys equal of the one who sends them: "He who welcomes the one I will send, welcomes me". (13,20). He who is sent is called to do as He does: to love and wash feet (13:13-17), doing His own works (14:2). Associated with His destiny, He is like the grain of wheat that falls into the ground and bears much fruit (12,24). The mission to the brothers expresses the nature of the son. It is by loving the brother that one becomes son. If the Son is necessarily sent by the Love of the Father toward the brothers, the one who in turn goes toward the brothers knows the love of the Father and becomes a son. The relationship that exists between Jesus and the Father ("As the Father sent me"), is the same that exists between Him and us ("I send you too"). It is like saying: "You are me, if you do what I have done to you. As you have received peace and joy, give peace and joy, forgiving you too". His disciples are not supermen. They are like us, fearful and infidel, marked by frailty and sin. But precisely in this our situation He comes to meet us and saves us.
FAUSTI - "Being therefore evening" For the Jews evening is the beginning of the new day. Here, on rather, it is the fulfilment of day "one", "that day" which is the "today" of God, always present in the Word. Let us therefore hasten to enter into this today (Heb 4:11).
RispondiEliminaBy now we always live in that day.
But it is dark until we open our eyes to the Light of the world, which comes to stay among us.
The scene is no longer outside, in the garden, where Magdalene stands. Instead we are inside, in the cenacle, where Jesus anticipated the gift of Himself and will give His Spirit and His mission.
The disciples have made a tomb of it. The tomb of Jesus is open and empty, their house barred and full of death, like their heart. The sheep are locked up waiting for the beautiful Shepherd that will lead them to the pastures of life. They are in this situation because they did not believe the Magdalene's announcement.
It is not said that the disciples are "together". They are not in communion.
They are all orphans and alone, outside by closed doors.
John does not speak of apostles, but of disciples, a broader term that embraces all believers in Jesus, of all times.
He says "the" and not "some" disciples, to indicate that they are and always will be in this situation. It is the place where they meet the Lord.
Fear divides people; everyone, closed in himself, is in defense and attack against others.
In this situation, in many ways opposite to that of Mary, Jesus comes.
He is not ashamed of His brethren, (Heb 2:11), even though they have abandoned Him, denied and betrayed Him. He chose them and bound them not because they are good and strong, but because they are small and weak, in need of Him.
From Mary Magdalene who seeks Him, Jesus makes Himself found. By the disciples, instead, He comes of His own initiative, not sought after, even if He was loved.
While the people are closed, each one in his room, the Lord comes out of His dwelling and comes to visit them ( (Is 26:20).
No closure stops the Risen One . The light enters into the darkness of the disciples.
The Lord does not save them from death - He has not even saved Himself - but in the death in which they stand. Jesus does not enter through the barred door. It is not an obstacle for Him, just as it has not been the wall of death nor the stone of the tomb.
He Himself is the door of life (10, 7-10).
He stands upright, victorious over death. He is in the middle, in the center of the disciples and in the heart of each one. He is light that dissolves darkness, love that drives away any fear (1Jn 4:18).
Where before death reigned, now there is the Living One. He who loves us to the extreme shows His Glory. God is in the midst of His people.
The Lord wants to be with us always, even in us.
That is why He entered where we were, in death and in the tomb.
"Peace to you" 'Peace' is not simply the usual greeting of the Jews. It indicates the fullness of every messianic blessing. It is the gift of Jesus who says: "I leave you peace, I give you My peace", that peace that the world does not know. It is the peace of love that overcomes hatred. "Have peace in Me. You will have tribulations in the world; but have faith: I have vanquished the world".
-->His wounds are the source of this peace, they bring back to unity the lost children of God. They are the plagues that heal us (Is 53:5), an ostension of His extreme Love.
RispondiEliminaThe hands are the sign of power. With them man does and undoes everything. In His hands lies all the power that the Father has given to the Son. They, which have washed and dried feet, are nailed to the love and service of every lost one.
They are those hands from which no one can abduct us (10:28).
They are in fact the same as Father's hands. "The Father and I are one" (10:30).
His pierced side is Flesh from which we are born, the wound from which we are begotten. In those who look to Him whom they have pierced, a Spirit of grace and consolation is poured out (Zc 12:10).
From the crack in the rock that saves us flows the gushing spring, opened in Jerusalem to wash away all sin and impurity (Zc 13:1- 14,8).
From there comes the river of living water that gushes forth from the side of the temple.
It is an immense river that fertilizes the earth and heals the bitter waters, reviving what has died. All sorts of fruit trees grow on its banks, whose branches do not wither and whose fruits ripen every month; and the fruits are life and the leaves medicine for man (Ez 47, 1-12).
"He that thirsteth, come unto me and drink. He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his breast"(7,37).
"That day", towards evening, darkness becomes light (Zc 14:7), like the day "one" of Creation. The disciples, contemplating the hands and the side, the perennial memory of God's love, see the light of the world. They receive everlasting peace and joy. The mission of the brothers is the same as that of the Son, who washed their feet and said: "I gave you an example, that as I did to you, so that you also do" and "I give you a new commandment ... as I loved you, you also love one another"(13:34).
The disciples are sent like Him to bear witness to the Love of the Father (3:16).
"Father, as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world"(17,18).
That is why He has chosen them (15:16). The sending makes the envoys equal of the one who sends them: "He who welcomes the one I will send, welcomes me". (13,20).
He who is sent is called to do as He does: to love and wash feet (13:13-17), doing His own works (14:2).
Associated with His destiny, He is like the grain of wheat that falls into the ground and bears much fruit (12,24).
The mission to the brothers expresses the nature of the son. It is by loving the brother that one becomes son.
If the Son is necessarily sent by the Love of the Father toward the brothers, the one who in turn goes toward the brothers knows the love of the Father and becomes a son.
The relationship that exists between Jesus and the Father ("As the Father sent me"), is the same that exists between Him and us ("I send you too"). It is like saying: "You are me, if you do what I have done to you. As you have received peace and joy, give peace and joy, forgiving you too".
His disciples are not supermen. They are like us, fearful and infidel, marked by frailty and sin. But precisely in this our situation He comes to meet us and saves us.