Light of the World

The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. 

And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. 
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
"How long are you going to keep us in suspense? 
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 
Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father's name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me. 
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. 
No one can take them out of my hand. 
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father's hand. 
The Father and I are one."

The children of Israel were in bondage and they were being forced to worship pagan gods. The Maccabees arose and led a rebellion and won and freed the Israelites so that they could worship at the temple again.  The problem was that when they got there, there was only one bottle of oil left that had not been profaned by the pagans.  It would be enough oil to light the menorah of only a single day.  Trusting in God, they light the eight lamps using the oil and the oil lasted for eight full days, enough time for them to secure an additional supply.  This was seen as a miracle of God and this was to be remembered in the festival of the Dedication or as we know it today, Hanukkah.  So it is at this festival that Jesus is asked straight out if He was the Christ.  He responds that He has told them and that they do not believe.  He tells them that the works that He does testify that the Father is at work in Him.  He observes that they refuse to believe.  He tells them that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him and they will never perish because no one can take them out of the Father's hand.  Then He goes ahead and says it, "The Father and I are One."  

Jesus went and did it here.  He said plainly that He and the Father were One, making Himself equal with God.  The crowd is aghast at what they just heard and they pick up rocks to stone Him for declaring Himself as God,  I hope the Church picks up the story from this point because I don't want to spoil the story for you. 

Jesus was many things.  He could do all things well except He really needed to consider hiring a publicist.  Jesus was getting himself into trouble with what He said.  But let's face it, He did not have time to dilly-dally when it came to getting His mission done.  Time was marching on and the moment of His glorious act of obedience to the Father was getting ever closer.  For this reason, He had very little time for the niceties of formal debate.  He had to deliver the truth and be ready to stand by what He said. 

It is not as if the people didn't have proof for what He said.  All they had to do was look at what was happening through Him.  The deaf could hear. the dumb tall, the lame were dancing through the streets, and even the dead have been risen because of what Jesus did.  But the people He is speaking to now, most likely Pharisees from the temple, are not really interested in a Messiah.  With the Romans, a Messiah is one thing that they do not need especially since Jesus was from Galilee and the Messiah would not be from Galilee but from David's town of Bethlehem.  So they were sure that Jesus was nothing more than a magician of some sort, probably in league with the devil. 

Sit back and close your eyes for but a few moments and think about all of the signs and wonders that Jesus has wrought in your life.  Do you believe in coincidence, do you believe in happenstance?  Is that why it seemed like your prayer was answered, just dumb luck?  Think back now and review those times when it was that you received the Grace of God in such abundance that you were astonished and perhaps thankful to tears.  Jesus is Lord, the Father and Jesus are One.  Praise God for this mystery of faith. 

Pray for the poor souls in purgatory!