St. Peter Baptizing the Centurion Cornelius, Francesco Trevisani (1656-1746)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Sixth Sunday of Easter
1 John 4:7-10
May 9, 2021

One of the most beloved verses in Scripture is John 3:16:

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

(Jn 3:16)

It is very beautiful and moving but somewhat vague.

The lines that follow can be easily misinterpreted as meaning that we be saved, receive eternal life, by mentally acknowledging the mission and divinity of Jesus.

For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but
that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him
will not be condemned, but
whoever does not believe
has already been condemned,
because he has not believed
in the name of the only Son of God

(Jn 3:17–18)

Some readers of John the Evangelist, the author of the Gospel, would have interpreted this passage in this way. (Please see the commentary for April 17, 2021 for an explanation of the different people to whom we apply the name John.) Love is important in every time and place, but the word has many different meanings. A twentieth century theologian wrote that love has run through our times like a greased pig. Love always makes itself felt but the meaning is hard to grasp onto. Most people would define love as a feeling and often merely being polite and “nice.”

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