The final words of today’s Gospel are a clear expression of Jesus’
purpose in coming amongst us. Jesus had been speaking of his followers
as his sheep and of himself as the Good Shepherd. Then he puts aside
all images and very clearly enunciates the purpose of his life on this
earth: “I came that they may have life and have it to the full.”
You’ll notice that Jesus doesn’t say “spiritual life” or “life of the
spirit.” He says simply “life.” The Jews, and Jesus himself did not
tend to make the neat distinctions we make so blithely today among the
different aspects of life: physical life, emotional life, psychological
life, moral life, etc.
This approach to the life of men and women, unfortunately, fragments
the human person and has clearly made health in the holistic sense, far
more difficult to attain. Just watch Jesus, however, as he goes about
his task of improving life. He cures the sick, brings peace to the
troubled soul, drives evil spirits out of those possessed. To all he
preaches the law of love, which is the only basis on which to build a
happy community. For Jesus life is one, a single reality, and whenever
life is diminished-it doesn’t matter what aspect of life we’re talking
about-Jesus is there to restore it. He wants all men and women to enjoy
life to the full.
We Christians are Christ-bearers, and therefore we must be
life-bearers. We are to increase the life of all those we touch that
they might grow toward the fullness of life which Christ has come to
give us. All aspects of human life are precious. We are called by
Christ to increase humankind’s life in all its aspects until the
kingdom of heaven on earth approaches perfection and blossoms into the
kingdom of God in heaven. This is our obligation, to increase life, no
matter what aspect of life we are addressing.