Gospel: John 3: 13-17
"God did not send his son into the world in order to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him." We are shocked to hear these words of the Lord, for we do not hear them often from those who claim to be "faithful" Christians. From them we hear only words of condemnation of all things they deem to be worldly. The voice of the Lord reaching out in loving appeal to the world is not heard over the shrill voices of incessant condemnation.
More startling yet is that when salvation of the world is discussed, it is always in terms of everyone accepting the rule and power of the self-proclaimed "faithful" Christians. It is not a salvation through Jesus but through this self-anointed group that has come to equate itself with Jesus. Such a posture is one of pride and idolatry.
Today's feast is a reminder of where our salvation lies - in the cross of the Lord Jesus and in no other place. It is a reminder of every human being's status before God as one utterly sinful and in need of God's mercy, as one without any merit and saved by grace alone, as one who is not faithful but one ever saying with Peter, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."
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