April 8, 2018: Second Sunday of Easter

Reading: John: 20: 19 – 31

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.”

Reflection:

My mother often made the comment to me “it takes a house to fall on you.” Evidently I was then as I can be now — missing the obvious in a situation, slow to catch on, taking things at face value.

That’s why I like the way this chapter from John’s Gospel ends. It’s comforting to know that, just in case I haven’t noticed all those Jesus cured, all those he cautioned about excluding others or making up their own rules, there’s still hope for me.

I can keep reading and praying and rereading and repraying the Scriptures that relate the many signs Jesus did in the presence of his disciples.

And I can look around to see — now — Jesus acting in my presence. I will see Jesus healing and cautioning and including and freeing through all of God’s people, through the living Body of Christ.

No way around it, I guess. There’s nowhere else to look for “life in his name” except in the Gospel words that make the Living Word known to us and by looking for the Living Word in the global community, the Body of Christ.

Action:

I resolve, when praying the Gospel readings or as I participate more and more in the Body of Christ, I’ll pray and participate in ways that help me not miss the obvious, that it won’t take a house to fall on me so that John’s hope for me and for all of us will come true: “that through this belief you may have life in his name.”