5th Sunday Lent – Seeing, Seeing, and Listening… [audio 1]

The Greeks asked to see Jesus… and everything changed! “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified…” In John’s gospel, seeing is not always believing. The author uses two words in Greek, eidon and horao.

Eidon signifies “noticing, observing, seeing.” No belief involved. So, the Greeks seemed to want Jesus’ autograph and would have been satisfied with a high-five.

Horao means seeing and believing. Notice John 1:39 below. Jesus invited the disciples to “Come, see, and believe.” They saw without believing.

John 12:20f            Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks.  They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Eidon

John 1:39             He said to them, “Come and see [horao].” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. Eidon

John 6:14             When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” Eidon

John 6:30             So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Eidon

John 20:25–29             So the other disciples told him, “We have seen [horao] the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see [eidon] the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”  A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen [horao] me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Eidon

My homily goes into this more deeply. Have at it! –roc,sj