The Gospel for Wednesday of the fourth week inland is taken from John 5th, chapter 17 to the 30th verse. Jesus answered the Jews, my Father is at work until now, so I am at work. For this reason they tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God his own Father, Himself equal to God. Jesus answered and said to them, amen. Amen. I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing.

For what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that He Himself does. And he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes. Nor does the Father judge anyone. But he has given all judgment to the Son so that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father.

Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Amen. Amen. I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes in the One who sent me has eternal life. It will not come to condemnation, but is passed from death to life. Amen.

Amen. I say to you, the hour is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. And those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he gave to the Son the possession of life in Himself. And he gave him power to exercise judgment because he is the Son of Man. Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice and come out.

Those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation. I cannot do anything on my own. I judge as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of One who sent Me. When one thinks about the ways in which the Pharisees and scribes heard the message of Jesus, the message contained in this passage is easy to see that it was something they could not fathom. Jesus, a man saying that he is one with God the Father. In the tradition of the Old Testament, God could never get close to humans.

Humans could not get close to gods because there was such distance between them. But in the New Testament, we see the most marvelous. God is like us. God is one who wants to be in us, with us, for us. This intimacy with God was considered to be blasphemous and for many, it remains kind of mute in their spiritual life because they can’t quite fully grasp the fact that God truly dwells within our hearts. It is from there that he guides us.

Yes, the stories of Scripture are important, and the works of the church are so important. But nothing is more potent than God living within your heart, guiding you, directing you, enabling you to judge with compassion, understanding, and to find peace. Satan. Satan. Satan. Satan.

The Closing Prayer Father Indwelling presence is everything for us as we listen attentively to the kingdom of heaven that God so beautifully describes in the words of Jesus. A place where we are filled with his capacity for love and forgiveness and understanding and healing. So keep us in touch with this great gift, and we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.