Sunday, April 2, 2006

Synopsis of the Armenian Message

John 12:20-26

“The Greek Quest”

One day a man was too tired of driving. He parked his car near Lake Merced and tried to go to sleep. Suddenly someone who was jogging nearby knocked the window and asked: “What time is it?” The man looked at his watched and answered him, “It is 8 o’clock.” A few minutes later, another person stopped by and asked the same question. The man answered him too but was quite angry. He found a piece of paper in his car, and posted the following on his window: “I don’t know what time it is.” Just when he had gone to sleep, someone knocked the window and said: “It is 8:30, sir!”

On this fifth Sunday on Lent, and as we prepare to go to Jerusalem with Jesus, we read the following words: “The hour has come…” (vs. 23). As we walked with Jesus the last four weeks, we realized his preparation for this “hour.”

In temptations, he was firm with Satan.

In his encounter with Peter, Jesus had his eyes fixed on the cross. Moreover, he invited his followers to take their crosses and follow him.

In the cleansing of Temple, he reminded us that he is the new temple and he is the only sacrifice.

In his conversation with Nicodemus, he invited him to have the new birth and that is possible only through the Cross.

Just like Nicodemus, the Greeks in today’s reading, were strangers to God. What are the Greeks doing in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover festival? We know the Jews of the world gathered there but why the Greeks?

The Greeks have always been curious people. They have had the greatest thinkers, philosophers, and intellectuals.

We don’t know why they were there. Perhaps they were visiting Jerusalem. There was even a “Court of Gentiles” at the Temple! Perhaps they were curious about what this man called Jesus was doing in the Temple. A little puzzled, they headed to one of his disciples a man called Philip. Since Philip is a Greek name, they thought he might help them meet his teacher. Philip went to Andrew and together they went to Jesus.

By recording this incident, John wants to tell us that Jesus came for the whole world, for every nation.

To be continued in English.