The gospel For Friday, the fifth week in Lent is from St. John. The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me? The Jews answered, we’re not stoning you for a good work, but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God. Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law? I said you are gods. If it calls them gods, to whom the word of God came and Scripture cannot be set aside. Can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said I am the Son of God? If I do not perform my Father’s works, don’t believe in me.
But if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. And they tried again to arrest him, but he escaped from their power. He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said John performed no sign. But everything John said about this man was true, and many there began to believe in him. The challenge that Jesus presented to those he longed to reach the leaders of the temple is something that doesn’t make much sense to the mind.
How can two things be two different things and at the same time? But they can be. And that’s what Jesus is asking them. Simply to let go of their minds and go to their hearts and say, what if? What if God could become a human being and be here with us, telling us what to do and how to live and how to please Him? They have that gift right there before them, and they can’t see it because they will not change.
They will not open their hearts to receive such an incredible gift. Closing Prayer Father, remove from us the divine limitations that our mind often place upon our life of faith and open our imaginations in our hearts that know and long for something that makes no literal sense, but would be so wonderful if it were true. And the greatest joy comes to a man or woman who believes it really is true. God is with us, in us, for us. Amen.
