3/22/2024 (Friday) Today’s gospel reading: John 10:31-42

31 The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?”
33 The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘?
35 If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside,
36 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’?
37 If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
38 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.”
39 Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.
40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
41 Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.”
42 And many there began to believe in him.

3/22/2024 (Friday) Today’s gospel reflection / homily / sermon: John 10:31-42

In the gospel reading above, we encounter a moment of profound tension and revelation. Here, Jesus faces opposition for the miraculous works He performs, which are expressions of His divine nature and mission. This passage not only confronts us with the stark reality of misunderstanding and conflict but also offers a profound reflection on the power of faith and the authenticity of Jesus’ works.

Jesus poses a challenging question to those ready to stone Him for blasphemy: “For which of these good works do you stone me?” This question invites us to ponder the nature of the works we value and the basis of our judgments. Jesus’ life was a testament to love, healing, and transformation, urging us to recognize the divine in acts of goodness and compassion.

Moreover, Jesus refers to Scriptures, in particular Psalm 82:6, affirming, “you are gods,” to emphasize our potential for divine reflection. This moment is a call to recognize our inherent capacity to manifest the divine through our actions and to live in the fullness of our created purpose. It’s a reminder that our lives have the potential to be vessels of the divine, reflecting God’s love and power in the world.

This gospel passage culminates in a profound truth: the importance of faith in Jesus, not just for His words but for the works He has done. These works bear witness to His identity as Son of God and mission to save the world. It challenges us to see beyond the surface, to recognize the divine at work in the world, and to place our faith in the transformative power of God’s love.

Let us take inspiration from Jesus to see our own potential for divine reflection, to value acts of goodness and compassion, and to anchor our faith in the tangible evidence of God’s work in the world. In doing so, we become part of the continuing story of God’s love and redemption, living testimonies to the power of faith and the reality of the divine among us.

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