Thoughts for the Day

Jesus said, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But 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.’ Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.

He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, ‘John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.’ And many believed in him there.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As we saw two days ago (John 8.31-32) Jesus had taught those who believed in him that "the truth will set you free", and he now continues with the same idea by looking at evidence. There were those who saw Jesus’ perform miracles and who heard Him teach the multitudes, but who still wanted to kill Him, while others saw and heard the same things but believed in him. Each group chose a completely different path.

Today's passage signals the end of Jesus' public ministry, it's simply not safe for him to put himself in such danger. The authorities in Jerusalem are too strong. They want to kill him because of what they see as his blasphemous statements, purporting to be one with God the Father. However, he manages to escape once more, because John writes "his hour had not yet come" (John 8.20). There is one thing that Jesus must do before his death. He must spend time alone with God to prepare himself for the end of his ministry on earth. So he goes with his disciples to Perea, east of the Jordan river, where John had baptised him, and where he had heard God's voice. Here, the temple authorities had no authority for the area was ruled by Herod Antipas, not Herod Archelaus, and here he was also among those who believed in him.

Jesus says that if he is doing the works of his Father we should believe him. The evidence has been laid before us - Jesus' words and his deeds, that is, his teaching and his miracles. However, if we are to believe that he is God's Son who came to save us, then our hearts need to be opened to the truth. We need to allow the Holy Sprit to teach us by constantly praying “Lord, open my heart to Your truth!”

Holy Spirit,
open our minds and hearts
to the truth that God the Father sent His Son
to welcome us back as His children.
Help us to show our faith in this reality
by the way we live our life.
May we make this Lent a turning point
where our actions begin to reflect our beliefs.
At times of failure we ask that You pick us up
and help us to start again.
Amen.