The Jewish Authorities
Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Jn 8:51-59 “Jesus and Abraham“
April 11, 2019 | Thursday
Jesus said to the Jews:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
Today’s Reflection
Recognition and affirmation to Jesus by the people, leads the Jewish authorities to great envy, giving them of becoming blind to accept and believe the things revealed by Our Lord. Thus, this unbelief had led them to judge Jesus falsely and accused him of blasphemy because He claimed to be God, leading to pick up stones with the intention of murdering Him.
Today’s Gospel reminds us not to judge, as in the account of Matt 1:7 stated, “Judge not that you be not judge”. Nowadays, judging is one of the favorite past time of people. This call on to mind that we must stop looking at the wrong thing that we see in others for it has an equivalent in ourselves when we judge others. As Christian, we are reminded to stop applying measuring stick to other people, for at least there is one more dimension which we know nothing about, in every persons’ life situation.
