This year during Lent, a particular verse from the Gospel of John was turning around in my mind:
“If you remain in my word, you will be my disciple and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
There are two reasons why I find this verse so compelling. First, it has such a pure chain of logic, in which one simple step leads to another: remain in my word, be my disciple, know the truth, and be set free. Second, there are several articles of our Rule of Life that seem closely related to this verse.
To begin with Jesus’ first instruction, “remain in my word,” I think of Article 4 of our Rule: “Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel.” I do not know a better way of remaining in Jesus’ word than to read his words as they have come down to us in the gospels, as part of a daily prayer practice, and to ask myself honestly each day what those words are saying to me.
Another thought experiment occurs to me about Jesus saying “remain in my word.” If there was only one single word that summed up all of who Jesus was, what would it be? Love? Peace? Forgiveness? I don’t know. But I do know many words that would NOT sum up who Jesus was: anger, resentment, selfishness, cruelty, laziness, dishonesty, etc. Now let me think about myself. If someone were to use just one word to sum up who I am, what would it be? And if it is not a word that also sums up Jesus, then perhaps I am not remaining in his word.
Jesus says that if I do manage to remain in his word then I will be his disciple. Honestly, I know many people who worship Jesus, but not so many I would consider to be his disciples—that is, his students, people who learn from Jesus and try to follow his example. But Jesus says that if I do manage to be one of those people (this is a big “if”), I will learn something important: the truth. And finally, the truth will set me free. Which brings me back to our Rule, article 12: “Witnessing to the good yet to come and obliged to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters.” While I love this article of our Rule, I have long wondered how I am to set myself free. Perhaps this verse from the Gospel of John has finally shown me the way.
A blessed Easter to all of you, dear sisters and brothers!