Exodus 34:4-6,8-9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18
God had told Moses that the people would be led to the promised land, but that God might not stay with them as it was not clear that they would please God. The people knew that God was talking to Moses regularly. There would be a cloud in front of Moses’ tent then. However, Moses didn’t see God and started to worry that he didn’t have a guide with him. After all, he was supposed to take the Israelites to a place he didn’t know himself.
In this situation, God asks Moses to prepare two new tablets and to climb Mount Sinai where they would be on their own. God had promised to proclaim himself, and so God keeps his promise when proclaiming: “‘Lord, Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.” With these words, God reiterates that any reward or punishment depends on the people. At the same time, these words show that God is first of all a forgiving God. If the people are also compassionate with each other, slow to anger and rich in kindness and faithfulness, there is no need to doubt that God is with them.
Moses is still not sure if God would forgive the people. That’s when God gives Moses the conditions for a covenant between the two of them. Moses receives the Ten Commandments.
Similarly to God assuring Moses that the Israelites didn’t have to fear anything as long as they obey God and that God would be with Moses to lead him, Paul is assuring the Corinthians that they don’t have to fear anything as long as they believe that Jesus Christ is with them. Anyone living in faith in God and in Jesus Christ and being in peace with one another won’t have to fear anything.
The last sentence of Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians sums it up: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” This has become the opening greeting proclaimed by the celebrant of a Catholic Mass or Liturgy of the Word.
God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit – the Trinity and the community. When the community is united in faith, there will be peace.
In the Gospel according to John, Jesus had just performed his first miracle. When he turned water in wine, the disciples believed. With every further sign he performed, there were more people who believed in Jesus. Jesus knew their faith.
The members of the Jewish ruling council also heard about Jesus and his signs, but they could not admit it if they were in awe. One of them, Nicodemus, comes to Jesus at night. He doesn’t yet know what to believe when it comes to Jesus. When Jesus answers Nicodemus’ questions, Nicodemus is confused and doesn’t understand.
The contrast between darkness and light here differentiates between the believer and the one who doubts, but also the one who pleases God with their actions and the one who doesn’t believe in God’s Son. God revealed himself to Moses. Jesus revealed himself through miracles and signs, and when Jesus returned to the Father, he gave us the Holy Spirit to be at our side.
God is with us through the Trinity and God knows our faith. It is up to us to please God through our words and actions and by reaching out to others by being compassionate with one another, by being slow to anger and rich in kindness and faithfulness.
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