At first blush, today’s first reading can leave one feeling hopeless. After all, we ALL sin and “miss the mark”. Each and every one of us lacks righteousness. We all fall short of our full potential as God’s children and let’s face it, all too often we take more than we give. So does this mean we all belong to the Devil????
– 1 John 3:8
Before we can move forward deeper into that question we must develop an understanding of what righteousness actually means. According to the Jewish culture righteousness is a “right relationship with God”. Righteousness is more of a verb than a noun, it is something we are continually doing. All relationships constantly emerge and our relationship with God is no different.
Jesus’ Righteousness
Experiencing a right relationship with God calls us to spend time with him, continually surrendering ourselves to him. This is what Jesus did. Throughout scripture we frequently read of Jesus going off to pray and spend time with the Father – often for extended periods of time. Jesus enjoyed a love relationship with God that we can only imagine. Amazingly, we are invited into their love relationship. Our hearts will never experience complete peace until we accept this invitation.
Righteous Love
Righteousness is all about love. Jesus came and simplified the commandments for us. He told us to love God above all else and to love our brothers as ourselves. When we follow these two commandments we move into righteousness – a right relationship with God.
You see, when we experience a broken relationship with a loved one it hurts – it hurts deep. Not much surpasses the pain of a broken human heart. When we break from God a hole is created in our heart and deep hurt follows. This hole can leave us vulnerable to sin unless we fill it with God. The only cure for heartache and pain is to run back to God and re-establish our love relationship with him. And there is one path back to him – through his Son Jesus Christ. He is the One who came to destroy the works of the Devil. Through him our hearts become whole and healed.
The New Temple
With Jesus Christ everything was revealed. The old law was fulfilled and the holy temple moved into the hearts of mankind. Yes, God lives within each and every one of us – we are his temple. When we grow in righteousness his temple becomes a more beautiful and inviting abode for God to dwell within. Growing in righteousness is achieved when we follow the path Jesus laid before us, a path that calls us to love in greater measure. Growing in love demands that we move away from sin. We cannot sin and love simultaneously.
What does this path look like? Well, it is the path of Jesus Christ. Jesus loved the people everywhere he went. He healed them, he rebuked them out of love, and his heart was always set on righteous love because he was love itself. God has extended an invitation to us, an invitation to follow his Son. Like Jesus said to the two disciples in today’s Gospel – “Come, and you will see.” Through him we will experience our best self – we will move away from our sinless nature into righteous love.
The Eternal Word
So back to the whole “Whoever sins belongs to the Devil” thing. The Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, is eternal. Like the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Son is without beginning and without end. Unlike us, he exists outside of time. And Christ speaks to us from this place of ever expanding infinite love.
Saint Paul tells us, we are all a part of the body of Christ. If indeed we are part of his body (and we are) then we are part of his expansive love. A love that stands outside of time. And this, I believe is the key to Saint John’s words today.
God’s Love
God isn’t finished with mankind yet. We are still growing in love and the Second Coming has not happened. By following Christ we participate in destroying the works of the Devil and sin loses its grip on us.
I believe when Saint John speaks of persons belonging to the Devil and those begotten by God he is speaking outside of time – he is offering a glimpse into Revelation. In the words Julian of Norwich – “God makes no distinction in love between the blessed soul of Christ and the least soul on this earth.” God’s love and desire for us exists outside of time – so does his invitation to come home to him. He is patiently waiting for our “yes”. Because after all, we belong to God and not the Devil.
Global Light for Christ (GLFC)
Our community, GLFC, is a group of sojourners supporting one another through prayer and love. If you are trying to more fully accept God’s invitation to love more than you are a perfect fit for our community! We are in this love thing together;-)
I want to thank all of you who post here. When I sit with your petitions, often in the Adoration Chapel at my parish, my heart is deeply touched when I feel both your pain and the love we hold for each other. Even though we are separated by space and time we are together in love. What a blessing we have in our community.
God bless all of you. See you next week Friday – Carolyn
If you would like to learn more about my work and my ministry I invite you to visit my website: CarolynBerghuis.com.
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton – pray for us.
God the Father – hold us in your Fatherly love.
Sacred Heart of Jesus – heal us with your divine love.
God the Holy Spirit – immerse us in divine love.
Today’s Readings 1 John 3:7-10; Psalm 98:1, 7-8, 9; Alleluia Hebrews 1:1-2; Gospel John 1:35-42
