A reading from the gospel according to John 3:31-36:

31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.
33 Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.
34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.
35 The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him.
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

Pointers for Reflection:

1. Many times we are divided between what is heavenly (from above) and what is earthly (from below). The struggle is real. We want to follow Jesus but our flesh has its own needs and wants. That is why our resolve to avoid sin often ends up in failure because the spirit is willing but our body is weak (Matthew 26:41). Yet here is Jesus who is above all. In Him we trust to grant us the gift of the Spirit that we may always be in the state of grace. Though we are “earthly”, He has called us to be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

2. Because Jesus comes from above, His testimony is true. Still, millions of people find it hard to believe in Him. As already mentioned, the flesh has its own motivations. If many people rejected Him when He was physically present and even performed miracles before their very eyes, how easier are for people nowadays to dismiss His testimony when they cannot see Him! Besides, the enemy is also doing its best to confuse even the most learned individual. Be that as it may, our faith in the power of the resurrection will make us see the silver linings behind the dark clouds hovering in the world today. The Kingdom of God will have its complete realization, in His time.

3. We are used to hearing the love of God. In this gospel reading, we read about the wrath of God. Of course in the Old Testament, we often encounter prophets proclaiming how God was angry for the disobedience and corruption of His people (Deuteronomy 29:27, Isaiah 5:25). We should heed this great warning. Believe in Him and gain eternal life or else dismiss Him and be ready to face the grave consequences. Nevertheless, we may continue to commit sin and therefore displease Him but we must always remember that He can easily forgive us as soon as we repent and turn back to Him. After all, He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 145:8).