Some misunderstandings are funny. Like the case of John, who travelled down to a secluded, rural part of Georgia to visit his 90 year-old grandpa. After spending a great evening talking and catching up, John woke up to a delicious breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast, all prepared with love by his grandfather. The only thing that seemed slightly wrong was a film-like coating on his plate. So John asked his grandpa, “Are these plates clean?”
Grandpa replied, “They are as clean as cold water can get them. Just you go ahead and finish your meal, young man!” For lunch, the old man made thick, juicy hamburgers. Again, John was concerned about the plates since his appeared to have tiny specks around the edge that looked like dried egg. So he asked, “Are you sure these plates are clean?” Without looking up, the old man said, “I told you before Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them. Now don’t you worry, I don’t want to hear another word about it!”
Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather’s dog started to growl and wouldn’t let him pass. John yelled and said, “Grandpa, your dog won’t let me get to my car.” Without turning his attention away from the football game he was watching on TV, the old man shouted, “Dang it Coldwater, leave that boy alone and go lay down!”
The humor of this story lies in the misunderstanding, in the delightful confusion of the words and their meaning. The same sort of misunderstanding can be hurtful and tragic when it deals with the Word of God, especially the passage of today’s gospel, John 3:16. This is perhaps one of the best known lines of the entire Bible, certainly one of the most profound and moving, “that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that those who believe in him might not perish but have eternal life.” How odd that many people would know this verse as the scripture to be found on signs throughout sport venues and playoff games. Not quite the appropriate setting for a scripture so solemn and profound! Even more hurtful and sad are those that simply refer to this passage in order to condemn those different than themselves. Perhaps they should read the rest of the passage that states, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through him.”
Perhaps worst of all are those who are unaffected by the power of these verses from St. John’s gospel. How can it be that some people are indifferent to those beautiful words of hope and salvation written with the guidance of the Holy Spirit by the pen of John? To ensure we don’t fall into this category, let’s explore two words of John 3:16 and reflect on them in light of the coming dawn of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
The first word of the passage that leaps out is composed of only two letters, the simple word “so”. We are loved, our whole world is loved by a God who is neither distant nor disinterested. In fact, he “so” loved us and our world, that even after we had turned our backs on him and thrown away the paradise and perfect relationship we had with him, he did not abandon us. The first reading reminds us that “Early and often did the LORD, the God of their fathers, send his messengers to them, for he had compassion on his people and his dwelling place.” Early and often, God tried to raise us out of our sins. But when that wasn’t enough, he so loved us that he sent his only Son, the One who has been with him and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. God spared nothing to save us, to draw us out of sin and back to his redeeming love. This is the power of the divine love found in that simple word “so” of John 3:16.
The second word worth mentioning is “world”. God so loves our world. All of it and everyone in it. It would have been much easier for him to start a new world, to forget about our fickle and sinful hearts, to leave us to our own devices and the consequences of our choices. But he doesn’t; he sticks with us and throughout history, sends us everything we need to come back to him, to be freed from sin and selfishness, and live as children of his glorious light. It should blow our minds that God has this sort of love for our world, for each and every one of us. The One who has everything, who is everything stops at nothing to redeem us and lead us back to him.
If we appreciate this love, which moved God to send his only-begotten Son, we will run towards the light. A strong theme of John’s Gospel is that of Jesus’ being the “light”. Bad things happen in his Gospel at night or in the “darkness”. Remember, Nicodemus comes to visit with Jesus at night. John uses this symbol to present Jesus as the One Who has come into the darkness of the world to show us how beloved we are. There are those who choose darkness and so remain unaware of their being so loved. These choose the works appropriate to darkness. The real evil is that those who choose darkness choose the evil of not knowing, accepting, and living the truth as loved and saved in Christ. The result of this Gospel is that those who know who they are in the light of Christ will more clearly desire themselves to be shown in the works of “light” which they live. The opposite is true as well. If we do not know, or refuse to accept who we are, then personal darkness will rule us. We will seek hiding and secretly hope our selfishness is never exposed.
May we never forget that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” May we consider these profound words as an invitation to trust him completely, an invitation to thank him for his ongoing patience, and a reminder to repent of the times we have been indifferent to this gift which will provide all we ever need. Let us live in the light of Christ and joyfully invite others to join us!
