THAT YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER

The Holy Apostle, Evangelist, and Theologian John assures us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life....  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." This is good news indeed!  For if any of us were to be judged strictly according to how successfully we have invested that talent entrusted to us at our Baptism,  it is unlikely that we could hope to be saved. 

Consider, if you will, the gospel account of the woman caught in adultery: according to the letter of the Jewish Law, she should have been stoned to death, thereby reflecting a harsh and uncompromising understanding of God's justice still enforced in Muslim  countries unto this day.  (And it should be noted that nowhere in the Koran is love an attribute attributed to the falsely conceived Muslim God, Allah).  But when, in the fullness of time, our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ reveals Himself in the flesh, he imparts to His disciples a New Commandment that supersedes (or rather, fulfills) the Law of Moses: that we love one another, even as He has loved us. For truly, as St. John the Theologian assures us, God is love, and therefore it follows that "He desires not the death of the sinner, but rather that the sinner should turn from his way and live."

A perfect example of God's ardent desire for the salvation of the sinner is recorded in His encounter with the woman caught in adultery.  The Jewish rulers expect our Lord to uphold the decree of condemnation, to support the letter of the Jewish Law.  But as on previous occasions, He surprises them.  He pauses, while writing something in the dust of the ground with His finger.  Or is He merely doodling, trying to gain time while thinking through His response--or perhaps for the sake of a dramatic effect?  Not at all!  According to tradition, he is revealing in bold terms the past sins of those hypocrites who are seeking to bring the woman to justice.  Only then does He proclaim, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Does this mean, however, that Jesus excuses--or even condones--sin?  Is He, in effect, telling the woman that what she did is no big deal after all, that all is automatically forgiven through the superabundant love of God?  Definitely not!  He says, rather, "Neither do I condemn you.  Go, and sin no more."  Indeed He does not condemn.  It is rather we who condemn ourselves to eternal separation from God by our failure to sincerely repent of the multitudinous sins we have committed every day of our lives--whether by thought, word, deed, or desire.  By rejecting the commandment of love, we reject God, thereby separating ourselves from true and eternal life in His heavenly Kingdom.

So while it is true that God's love is unconditional, His forgiveness is not.  He forgives us our debts only to the extent that we forgive our debtors.  And while He assures us that those who believe in Him will be granted eternal life, mere belief obviously isn't enough.  For if we truly believe in Him, we will strive day and night to abide by His commandments--and above all, the commandment of love--for as it is written, even the devils believe... and tremble.

His desire for our salvation far exceeds our own.  If it were other wise, we would strive and struggle unto the very end to increase whatever talents God has entrusted unto us.  We would be diligent in prayer and every form of self-denial, ever seeking to acquire a genuine spirit of repentance, that through God's grace and mercy, we might be found worthy on that dreadful day of judgment to inherit those eternal good things God has in store for those who love Him.

THE MARRIAGE FEAST

The Marriage Feast in today's Gospel is an image of that eternal Kingdom of God, to which "many are called and few are chosen," prepared for those who love Him and abide by His commandments.  According to this parable, the King (God the Father) "sent forth His servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding of His Son" (our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ): and they would not come.  And indeed, "they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise."  That is, they were so caught up in the affairs of this world that they failed to perceive those eternal good things God has in store for those endure unto the end the trials and tribulations of this earthly life for the sake of a better hope.

They were invited to the wedding--to enter into true and eternal life in God's heavenly Kingdom--yet they thoughtlessly spurned   this gift, freely choosing instead to live their lives in bondage to the false and superficial goals and desires of this world.  So it is that we ourselves are responsible for our ultimate destiny.  We can either chose to accept God's gracious invitation to enter into the joy of eternal life and salvation, or we can willingly and voluntarily consign ourselves to a hell of our own making.

It is sure and certain that it is not God Who created hell, nor does He "send" us there as punishment for being "bad."  When the King's servants were, in the end, sent forth into the highways, they "gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good."   Nowhere in the Holy Scriptures is it said that we are saved because we are "good," for indeed:  "God desires not the death of the sinner, but rather that the sinner should turn from his way and live."  It is, rather, through sincere repentance and a fervent desire to live our lives in accordance with God's commandments that we are made worthy to receive within ourselves the transforming grace of the Holy Spirit, that by dying to the false promises of this world, we might be made worthy to inherit our true destiny as sons and daughters of God.

So who is to blame if we find ourselves in the end cast into that place of outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, because we would dare to enter the wedding feast without a wedding garment--that is, those virtues we are all called to acquire--above all, that humble and contrite heart which God does not despise?  (According to Jewish custom, by the way, the wedding garment was provided for all guests as they entered, so there can be no excuse for not wearing it.) God is love, and so--if we truly desire in our hearts to be made worthy of His Kingdom, we must pray above all for humility, patience, the gift of love in our hearts--and all things needful for our eternal salvation in his heavenly Kingdom.