GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE

The prologue of the Fourth Gospel concludes by saying that “No one has ever seen God, but the only Son, who is in the Father’s bosom, has explained him” (exeghésato) (Jn 1:18)—that is, he has told us about him, he has revealed him to us. Therefore, whoever believes in Jesus—whoever sees and listens to him—can come to know God (cf. Jn 14:9). In other words, the experience of God comes through the experience of Jesus of Nazareth. For this reason, it can also be said that Jesus not only evangelized the disciples, but also God. It may sound paradoxical, but by evangelizing God—that is, by revealing His true face to us—Jesus did nothing other than make Him the good news for all people..  And He did so so that everyone might come to know Him. Not only that, but He did so through His very person—that is, through His choices, His words, His pastoral style, and His existential decisions. Among these, the most incredible thing is His solidarity with sinners. In fact, the first image we have of him shows him standing in line with public sinners to receive baptism from John the Baptist. This seemed so scandalous that some first-generation Christians tried to downplay this event (cf. Lk 3:21), while others attempted to justify the Master’s choice (cf. Mt 3:14–15). Instead, it is an event that must be embraced in all its disruptive power. The One who is without sin stands with sinners as He goes to receive baptism for the forgiveness of sins. And God was pleased; indeed, at the very moment of baptism, He confirmed Him as His beloved Son (cf. Mk 1:11), for from that very moment He revealed His merciful face. Of course, God does not love sin, but He loves humanity in its sin—not in spite of it; He loves us while we are still His enemies and reconciles us even as we continue to sin (cf. Rom 5:6–8, 10). Herein lies the good news about God proclaimed by Jesus. He evangelized God by presenting us with a God of a different kind—not a God who loves us when we are good, but a God who awaits us with open arms as we return to Him. But not everyone understands; not everyone accepts this face of God. And so the Master warns: “Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of heaven ahead of you” (Mt 21:31).

Commentary by d. Sandro Carotta, osb
Abbazia di Praglia (Italia)