Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:24-25)
Today’s three readings and our psalm are centred on death. In our First Reading, God promises to make a new covenant involving writing His laws in our hearts. Reflecting on this, our Psalmist prays: “Create a pure heart for me, renew a steadfast spirit within me.” The new heart cannot come in without removing the old (death). When Jeremiah speaks of a new covenant, remember that there is no covenant without the shedding of blood; someone or something has to die.
The new covenant that Jeremiah speaks about finds its fulfilment in Jesus Christ. On the Night of His Last Supper, Jesus “took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” (Luke 22:20). That same night, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane where, as our Second Reading states, “offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death.” Jesus noted in today’s Gospel passage, “When I am lifted, I will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:32). Let us now consider some lessons in today’s readings:
1. Jesus Death Was His Lifting Up: In today’s Gospel passage, John reports that some Greeks came to see Jesus. When Jesus was informed about the visit of these supposed foreigners to the faith, Jesus immediately considered it a sign that His Hour to draw all men (Jews and Gentiles) had come. For these Greeks to be looking for Jesus, it only meant that His time to die had come. Jesus said: “The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified.” Turning towards his disciples, Jesus added: “Unless a grain of wheat dies, it remains only a single grain, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Jesus’ success in saving the world was not a product of his miracles or preaching but his suffering and death.
2. To Follow Jesus is to Embrace Death: Like Jesus, we, the followers of Christ, must be willing to take the path of suffering to bear fruits for God’s kingdom. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus noted: “He who loves his life loses it, but he who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.” (John 12:25). No wonder St. John would say: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15). Has my love for the world made me a sterile Christian? What things must die so I can bear the right fruits? Could it be my desire for comfort or pleasure? The book of Hebrews teaches: “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Hebrews 12:4).
3. Learn to Look Beyond the Cross: Knowing what awaited Him (betrayal, arrest, scourging, carrying the cross, crucifixion, shameful death, etc.) Jesus’ heart skipped a bit. He declared: “My soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Instead of becoming discouraged, Jesus focused on the glory after the cross. It will not be easy to end that sinful relationship, to stop telling lies, to repent from stealing, to stop watching pornography and so on. Do not be weighed down by what you stand to lose. Rather, consider what you stand to gain. Just as there is always a price to pay, a prize (reward) comes with every suffering we face in life
4. No One Ever Attained Glory Without a Story: Suffering (carrying the cross) is a great teacher. We learn more about life in tears than in joy. As the book of Hebrews says in today’s second reading, “suffering taught Jesus how to be obedient.” Suffering made Jesus perfect and a source of perfection for all men. Suffering teaches us that we are not masters of the events in our lives, that it is not everything we want that comes to us, and that we must accept the things we don’t want. Suffering teaches us to surrender, that is, to be obedient. By bringing us pain, we do not wish for ourselves; suffering teaches us that God’s will is more important than our own will. Never fall into the temptation of taking the easy path. Can you imagine being operated upon in a life-or-death situation by a doctor who cheated his way through school?
5. Suffering is Not a Sign of God’s Rejection: There is a story of two men who were given a cross to carry. Along the line, one of them reduced the size of his cross because he felt it was too heavy. He got to the finish line faster but became stuck because the cross, which could have acted as a bridge to get his prize, was too short. The other man got there hours later and still got the prize. In moments of suffering, remember that God still loves us deeply. If God gives you a heavy cross, He loves you. The cross represents shame, pain, all the ugly circumstances we must endure, and unanswered prayers. Recall how Jesus prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39). The cross represents events in our life that we never wish for ourselves. The cross represents the death of the wheat grain planted to yield much fruit. The cross teaches us that all suffering in our lives is a blessing in disguise.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, grant that I gladly embrace death (to sin and evil inclinations) to yield a great harvest of glory. Break my heart of stone and write your laws in the depth of my being. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Bible Study: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ps. 51:3-4,12-15, Hebrews 5:7-9, John 12:20-33).*
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu