Throughout my years of school, I’ve learned that hearing and listening are not the same. There are times I hear the professor make an announcement and realize five minutes later that I can’t actually remember what was said. There are moments with friends when I realize I’ve been nodding along to a story and need them to repeat a part I missed. Though I may hear, I often fail to listen.
In the Gospel today, Jesus speaks very clearly to the Pharisees. Foreshadowing His death, resurrection, and ascension, He urges them to believe. Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of God, as “I AM.” He makes a clear distinction between us, who belong to this world, and Himself, who belongs with the Father. And though it’s evident from the dialogue that the Pharisees are hearing the words Jesus is saying, their responses show that they are not truly listening. They do not realize that the Son of God—the Messiah they have spent their lives praying and waiting for—is in their midst.
Yet, Jesus still calls them to Himself with a sense of urgency. In His infinite love, He does not yet condemn, but uses the word if: “For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” Jesus is not sealing their fate but rather warning them of what is to come if they do not believe. Like in today’s reading from the Book of Numbers, God is granting an opportunity to repent and to live.
During this fifth week of Lent, let us listen to—not just hear—the Word of God. Let us heed the warning Jesus gives the Pharisees, recognize that the Son of Man is in our midst, and believe.
