Reading 1
Acts 5:27-33
When the court officers had brought the Apostles in
and made them stand before the Sanhedrin,
the high priest questioned them,
“We gave you strict orders did we not,
to stop teaching in that name.
Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
But Peter and the Apostles said in reply,
“We must obey God rather than men.
The God of our ancestors raised Jesus,
though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree.
God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior
to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are witnesses of these things,
as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”
When they heard this,
they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.
Gospel
Jn 3:31-36
The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God.
He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains upon him.
Meditation: John 3:31-36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life. (John 3:36)
These are strong words, aren’t they? John is telling his people that belief in Jesus is a life-and-death issue. What’s more, it’s a matter of eternal life versus eternal death—and it depends on our own choices. God has given us the freedom both to respond to his invitation and to turn away from it.
At its core, the message of the gospel really is quite simple, isn’t it? If we want to have eternal life, we need to believe in Jesus and do our best to follow his commandments. But as simple as it is, there are also layers of complexity to it. For example, St. Augustine used passages like this one to teach that only a few people would make it to heaven. But another great Father of the Church, Origen, used this and other passages to teach that a great many people would be saved. In large part, it depended on how you understand the mercy of God and what it means to “believe” in the Son of God in the first place.
So what should we say, then, about this quandary? First, we really don’t know how many people will go to heaven. That is something only God can determine. And second, since we don’t know, we should make it one of our top priorities to testify to God’s love and to the promise of salvation to everyone we know. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry—especially when it comes to matters of eternal life. If we don’t share it, the gospel won’t be heard, and people will miss out on all the promises of God.
Start small. Make a list of five people you know who seem far from the Lord. Intercede for them every day, asking the Lord to touch their hearts. Try also to develop a plan to reach out to them in some way. Don’t sell yourself short! It is amazing how many people can be affected by the witness of one life lived in Christ. With this combination of prayer, example, and testimony, you really can see people’s lives change. Who knows? You may be instrumental in saving someone from eternal death.
“Holy Spirit, I want to share God’s love with the people around me. Help me to sow the seeds of the gospel and to trust that you will cause the growth.”
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