THE HEART OF JESUS IN SCRIPTURE
Discovering the mystery of Jesus' Heart has its foundation in the revealed Word of God. In the New Testament, the word "heart" (kardia) appears 148 times. The overwhelming majority of this term is understood as the inner life, what is the most intimate for a person. To understand the Heart of Jesus is to look at him as the One who loves, invites to friendship, is compassionate, is merciful, tender, meek and humble, suffers internally and experiences inner desire, joy, sorrow, agony, wants to be loved. Between the many texts about the interior of Jesus, where God's love for man and filial love for the Father are present, let us focus on these three most important and most frequently quoted statements of the Church, theologians and mystics.
1. Gospel According to John 19:33-37
“But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may [come to] believe. For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled: “Not a bone of it will be broken.” And again another passage says: “They will look upon him whom they have pierced”.
The Spirituality of Jesus' Heart is born at the foot of the cross on Calvary. The Evangelist John, the "beloved disciple" was there with Mary. He became the first to contemplate the open side and the heart pierced by a soldier's spear. He was also the first to understand the symbolic value of this event. For John, from the pierced heart of Jesus a "new man" is born, also the Church and the holy sacraments come (water is Baptism and blood is the Eucharist). Saint John attributes a very great importance to this event. He says that He saw it, that he witnessed, and that He was telling the truth so that we would believe. He confirms this by quoting the Old Testament, the prophet Zechariah. “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of mercy and supplication, so that when they look on him whom they have thrust through, they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and they will grieve for him as one grieves over a firstborn. (cf. Zec 12:10). Contemplating the crucified Jesus and his open side and pierced heart, he probably remembered that day in the Jerusalem temple, when Jesus solemnly said: “On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: ‘Rivers of living water will flow from within him” (cf. Jn 7:37-38)
John returns to the event from Calvary, returns to the contemplation of the pierced Heart in a very moving verse: “Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen” (cf. Rev 1:7). In this text we find the biblical foundation of two very important elements of the spirituality of the Heart of Jesus: contemplation and reward. Contemplating the cross reminds us that the Heart of Jesus is still pierced by our ingratitude and our sins. Also in his first Letter St. John recalls the fact of the piercing of the Heart from which blood and water flowed out: “Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth so there are three that testify, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord” (cf. 1Jn 5:5-8)
Next to the cross of Jesus, there was also Mary. She can help us to look at the Crucified with the same gaze of faith and love and to be able to understand and live the mystery of the Heart of Jesus. As St. Paul said: “that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”. (Eph 3:16-19) Moreover, St. Paul experienced this truth: “yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me” (Gal 2:20)
2. Gospel According to Matthew 11: 28-3
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
"Come to me ..." this Heart is a merciful Heart, concerned with human suffering, all our problems and sorrows. Is a heart that pities the poor and the exploited. Jesus does not promise to take away the difficulties of life, but He promises relief to those who turn to Him. When someone feels loved and loves, the yoke of life is lighter
"Learn from me ..." Looking at the human heart of Jesus, we learn goodness, mercy, compassion, solidarity, love for the poor, the sick, the suffering, children and youth. We learn to love them as He loves them.
3. Gospel According to John 20: 27
“Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Like other apostles, also Jesus asks Thomas to look and touch His pierced heart. So for St. John, contemplating the pierced Heart and the signs of the crucifixion means truly experiencing the living Savior. In many pictures of the Heart of Jesus, Jesus is shown in a gesture that shows his heart and the signs of the Passion (cross, crown of thorns, spear). As to the apostles, as to St. Thomas, Jesus also says to us: Look at my open heart. See how I love you until the end, to bear such consequences. Be sure: I am among you. Love one another as I love you.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george