Faith is not something we stumble upon

March 26, 2006 -- Fourth Sunday of Lent

By Fr. Michael Stubbs

	Fr. Mike Stubbs

We are in a crisis. I'm not referring to the situation of the economy, the massive debt incurred both by private individuals and the federal government. Nor do I have in mind the oil shortage, or the on-going problems in Iraq.

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The crisis that I refer to is explored in Sunday's gospel reading, John 3:14-21. It is the moment of decision that all human beings face because the Son of God has come into the world. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life."

The English word "crisis" comes from the Greek word that appears in our text, along with the corresponding verb. It literally means "decision" or "judgment." It often refers to an unfavorable decision, hence the verb "criticize." It can refer to the sentence imposed by a judge in a court of law, the decision to condemn.

The lectionary translation reflects this law court dimension in its use of the words "condemn" and "verdict," as illustrated in the following examples: "Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned." (John 3:18) "And this is the verdict." (John 3:19) In all these cases, the original Greek word is "crisis" or a variation of it.

According to Matthew's gospel, the Son of Man will appear at the end of time to pass judgment upon all people. "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." (Matthew 25:31-32) Matthew's gospel places the emphasis upon the judge.

On the other hand, in John's gospel, the responsibility for rendering the judgment passes to the person receiving the judgment. The focus shifts from the judge to the accused criminal. The decision made during the trial does not count as much as the decision made during the course of the alleged crime. "Whoever does not believe has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." We bring it upon ourselves. We can't blame God. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world." God does not want to condemn. At most, God ratifies the decision we have already made.

John's gospel focuses upon our decision either to believe in Christ, or to reject him, either to follow Christ, or to turn away from him. In the viewpoint of John's gospel, faith is not something we stumble upon, nor something that happens to us. John's gospel equates faith with our decision. And that decision bears crucial consequences. "God gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." It is the most important choice that we will ever make.

(Fr. Stubbs, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, has a master's degree in theology from Harvard.)