who despise their life in this world save it even to everlasting life. Whoever wants to serve me, let him follow me; and wherever I am, there shall my servant be also.
If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Now my soul is in distress. Shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But, to face all this, 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.” People standing there heard something and said it was thunder; but others said,
“An angel was speaking to him.” Then Jesus declared, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now sentence is being passed on this world; now the
prince of this world is to be cast down. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself.” With these words Jesus referred to the kind of death he was to die.
Lectio Divina:
READ: The reputation of Jesus is now spreading even abroad. Greek-speaking
followers of the Israelite faith are curious of who Jesus really is. They went to see
Him. But instead of a charismatic leader poised to take over the government of
Israel, they found a Teacher predicting His own death and suffering in the hands of
His fellow men and women. Instead of a triumphant revolutionary political leader,
they heard a suffering Son of Man whose death will bring life to all.
REFLECT: The role of the go between is as important as it was during the time
of Jesus. We seek the help of an intermediary to connect us with someone whom
we are not so familiar with. That is why the Greeks who come to worship in the
Temple sought the help of Philip to have an audience with Jesus. Philip in turn
enlisted Andrew to help him facilitate the meeting between the Greeks and
Jesus. And what did the Greeks expect to see? A fiery revolutionary calling on
the downfall of foreign invaders? Or a religious leader advocating reform and
the overthrow of the ruling religious and political elites? No, they heard rather
a Teacher speaking about His own imminent death and how His followers will
follow His footsteps. His death will not be in vain because that will draw people
to Himself. Although the reality of undergoing pain distresses Him, He will not
walk away from what must happen. After His discourse, what crossed the minds
of the Greeks, we will never know. But the first to respond to the Good News after
the Resurrection of Christ are the Greek-speaking Jews and Gentiles.
RESPOND: Who are the go betweens we employ when we approach God?
Who is our favorite mediator to God? Today is a good day to give special thanks
to these company of blessed men and women who makes our approach to God
easy because of their intercessions.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021
