Friday of Week 5 of Lent – Gospel
31The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” 33The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human, are making yourself God.” 34Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled—36can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. 38But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.
40He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. 41Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42And many believed in him there.
Commentary on John 10:31-42
Once again Jesus’ enemies want to stone him because they continue to accuse him of blasphemy:
…you, though only a human, are making yourself God.
It is clear they have no doubt about the meaning of his words. Jesus points to the Scriptures, which has God saying of some people, “You are gods”. Jesus is here referring to the people called ‘judges’ in Israel. Since they were judges of their people, taking on themselves something which belongs only to God, they were called “gods” (see Deut 1:17; Exod 21:6; Ps 82:6).
If people inspired by the word from God could be called ‘gods’, can Jesus whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blaspheme because he says:
I am God’s Son?
And, if they will not accept a verbal claim, Jesus appeals to what he has been doing:
…even though you do not believe me, believe the works…
To anyone with an open mind, it is clear that God is working in Jesus:
…you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
Again, they tried to seize him, but he escaped from their power. His time had not yet come, and that time would not be decided by them.
On the other hand, while Jesus was being attacked by the leaders of the Jews, many of the ordinary people continued to seek him out. Jesus had gone back across the Jordan (a safer place) to the spot where John the Baptist had baptised and given such strong testimony about Jesus. Many people came looking for him there.
The people could see, as the Pharisees could not, a clear distinction between Jesus and John:
John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true. And many believed in him there.
There are many who reject Christ and his message today, but let us pray that we may have open minds to believe the many signs by which God reveals his love to us each day.
