The Spirit and the World!

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Acts 16:22-34; Jn 16:5-11

Today’s Gospel highlights the Holy Spirit’s mission to the world. 

The Holy Spirit will prove the world wrong regarding three things. 

1.Sin: For Jews, only disobedience to the Law was considered sin. Whereas here, refusal to believe in the Gospel of Jesus is considered sin.

2. Righteousness: Here, we can note the difference between the Divine and human standards. For Jews, obedience to the Law was considered righteousness. But when Jesus came to do the will of God, they rejected and crucified him. Thus, they proved themselves unrighteous.

3. Judgement: As Jesus notes in Jn 12:31, the prince of this world – the devil – has already been judged and sentenced, and now the sentence will be executed by the Holy Spirit. 

In sum, the Holy Spirit will hold the world accountable for its disbelief and the sins it has committed out of such disbelief. Opposition to Jesus is punished by the Holy Spirit. 

Only faith in Jesus can redeem the world.  

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar