I heard a speech many years ago in which the gentlemen speaking made the comment, “You are your choices.” I thought that was one of the most succinct summaries of life I had ever heard. In life, we face numerous choices each and every day, and the choices we make determine who we are and who we will become. If we make the right choices then at the end of our life, eternal salvation awaits. So how do we know what the right choices are? They are the ones that cause us to stick close to Jesus.
The Bread from Heaven
All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6 : 37-40
Scriptural Analysis
On the feast of All Souls, the Church gives us a small segment of chapter six of John’s Gospel. This passage starts with Jesus explaining that everything the Father gives him will come to him. The Father works on people’s hearts and moves them toward faith in Jesus, giving people to Jesus. That is to say, those who are open to the working of God will have their heart oriented toward Jesus and come to him.
In his perfect obedience to the Father, Jesus will not reject anyone who comes to him. The Greek word used here, ekballō, which is translated as not cast out (reject in some translations) harkens back to God throwing out Adam and Eve from The Garden of Eden, “He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24) This reference to Eden signifies that what was lost by the sin of Adam will be restored through the perfect obedience of Jesus.
Jesus will not drive away those who the Father sends to him as that is contrary to the Father’s will and Jesus does only the will of his Father. Jesus gives two specifics on what it means to do the Father’s will. First, he should not lose anything that the Father has given him. Second, he should raise them on the last day, that is to say, give eternal life to those who believed in him. The Greek word used here for see, theōrōn, indicates more than just physical eyesight but includes spiritual sight as well. The will of the Father is the salvation of all which includes the end-time resurrection. In doing the will of the Father, Jesus reveals the love of the Father to humanity.
Daily Application
In this Gospel passage, the mission of Jesus is made abundantly clear: the salvation of souls. God does not desire the loss of a single soul, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11) Thus he sent Jesus into the world: to die for our sins and to gather souls to the Father. Jesus is the path to salvation.
In a world full of choices and decisions, it can get easy to get lost and overwhelmed. What is right and what is wrong? How do I know if I am on the right path? This is even more true in this post-Christian world we live in, in which the very existence of objective truth is challenged. The answer is to remember that the path to salvation is not a series of locations and actions. The path to salvation is a person: Jesus Christ. If you stick close to Jesus and grow deeper in your relationship with him, he will not lose you. The choices and decisions you need to make become more clear.
How does one stick close to Jesus? If you look around, you will see all sorts of different versions of Jesus presented. You can find someone presenting a version of Jesus that supports almost every sin man commits. Which one is the correct one and how do we distinguish it from the others,? Recall what Jesus left us. Although they had the Old Testament, the Apostles were not left with the New Testament or a Bible. Jesus left them with a Church: a Church built on the Rock, Peter. If you want to stick close to Jesus, stick close to the Church, stick close to her traditions and teaching, and most especially her sacraments.
The Father desires that all of his children are saved. He calls us to his son Jesus and Jesus has promised that those his Father gives him will not be lost. Stick close to Jesus for he the path to salvation.
Comments