Thoughts for the Day

Now 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. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate 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 honour.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

This little paragraph from John's Gospel is of real importance. He gives us a 'mini-parable' which gathers around it some vital teaching. Jesus says, "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 words "Truly, truly" or "Very truly" always indicate Jesus is to make an important announcement. In this case his words seem a peculiar thing to say when just being introduced to some newcomers. But they make sense when we remember that Jesus was a real human being relying on his close connection to the Father for prompts. In John's Gospel he has already said at least three times that "his time has not yet come", but now with arrival of these Greeks who had likely come to worship in the Court of the Gentiles and who speak to Philip and Andrew (who had Greek names), Jesus has a light-bulb moment. His hour has come - the outside, gentile world has come asking for Jesus!

The people around him would have easily understood the principle of new life produced by dead seeds sown into the earth. But Jesus while seeing this as a reference to his own death on the cross and his resurrection, was also probably referring to the future when after his death the "grain" of his teaching would begin to grow and bear a "harvest" through the work of the disciples. There is a great paradox here that death leads to life.

Jesus says that "Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." We are not to hate ourselves, but prefer less of the things of the world. We are, to get rid of those things that are contrary to God's loving plan for our lives - things like status or self-centred ambitions, or passions. We need to ask God to give us the grace to say "yes" to His will and to reject whatever is contrary to His will, so that we can rise to a new life in Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus Christ,
may we be like grains of wheat
sown in the earth,
to be harvested for You.
Give us the insight and strength
to reject what is contrary to Your will,
and the joy that comes in serving You.
Amen.