Let me Seek Thee

Scripture/Bible: Again he said to them, "I go away, and you will seek me and die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come." 22 Then said the Jews, "Will he kill himself, since he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come'?" 23 He said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he." 25 They said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Even what I have told you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge; but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him." 27 They did not understand that he spoke to them of the Father. 28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him." 30 As he spoke thus, many believed in him. John 8:21-30

Reflection:  If you thought that if you seek Jesus you will not die in your sin then you have missed the point.  In today’s Gospel Jesus say’s; “you will seek me and die in your sin”

Can it be that there are two types of presence of Jesus in our midst; one is the ordinary presence with everyone because he truly loves his creation and hence he is with all his creatures.  The other is the absolute presence in those who have received him and respect this presence with them.  The second is a more solemn presence; a presence of comfort and protection; a salvific presence. 

The Jews failed to understand that this ordinary presence was an invitation for them to seek that real and actual presence of Jesus, which a personal relationship that is born out of a trust and obedience. But if they rejected the ordinary presence then how will they accept the real presence of Jesus and find meaning and healing for their sin sick souls. 

It is like the government officer in your neighborhood, as long as you did not know his position and power he was an ordinary man, whom you saw day in and day out.  The day you come to know him and become aware that he is the one who can sort out your ordinary day to day problem and his presence is a real presence with all his power and authority, then you will submit your case to him for solutions.  

Much more is Christ in our midst, who is always there with us but the one who recognizes and submits reaps a rich harvest of grace healing and blessings. The real presence is an everlasting presence and is with us to stay and transform us from one degree of glory to another.  It is a relationship in which one begins as mortals and lives on to eternity.

Further, it is a relationship with him who is the savior and hence the Jews are reminded and likewise a reminder to us that the savior needs to be believed or trusted in not once but always and at all times. 

The Jews failed to recognize this presence; for they knew Jesus as Jesus, just an ordinary man. hence they would die in their sin because they failed to recognize his real presence that is authority and power unto eternity.

Some people believe him in only one act and then it is sola scriptura. They like these Jews think that they can reason about Jesus and analyze and that their analysis can never go wrong.  They continue in a sin with an apparent faith in Jesus. 

Similarly the Catholic Church, established by Jesus can be an ordinary presence to be rejected like the Jews of today’s Gospel text and thus one may fail to understand the depth of the mysteries of God. On the other hand those who accept its ordinary presence and its existence as existing from Jesus Christ, with believe in it and reap a harvest of abundance for themselves

Prayer:  “Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; for thee I wait all the day long. Ps 25:5

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