John 12:20–33 (NRSV)
Read John 12:20–33 on biblegateway.com
Verse 20Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. Verse 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Verse 22Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Verse 23Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Verse 24Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Verse 25Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Verse 26Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
Verse 27"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Verse 28Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." Verse 29The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Verse 30Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Verse 31Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. Verse 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." Verse 33He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
Devotion
We return to Jesus with a troubled soul. He has spoken the truth! That unless a grain of wheat falls and dies, it remains only a single seed. That those who love their life lose it. That whoever serves him must follow him. But these truths don’t ward off the pending trouble. And now it troubles his very own soul. Unlike in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t ask to be saved from this hour. Instead, coming to this hour might be a way of his glorifying the name of God.
When the voice of the Divine responds, all the crowd heard it. Some say it’s thunder. Others an angel speaking. The voice was for the crowd’s sake. But when the Holy speaks, they cannot all perceive it as the voice of God. On this Lenten journey our hearts are being prepared through lingering in stillness and shadow to perceive anew the good news for which we anxiously await.
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Prayer
O God, should you speak to us in the quiet of our hearts or in thunderous peals, prepare our hearts and open our ears so that we may perceive you rightly and follow you wholly. Amen.