The Father is in Me and I am in the Father

 

Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent | USCCB

In our gospel for today, we see the continued refusal of the Jews to accept Jesus as the Son of God. In their view, Jesus is just a man and is making himself out to be God. All throughout his ministry, Jesus was showing and teaching that he was true God and true Man. With the miracles he performed, the exorcisms he did, and the healing of the many people that came to him, he showed that he was more than just a miracle man. Further, earlier in the gospel of John, chapter 8, verse 58, Jesus tells the Jews, “…before Abraham came to be, I AM.” This phrase of “I AM” was used by God for Moses to use when he went to the Israelites. Moses told the Israelites that God’s name is: I AM. So, in the minds of those who were listening to Jesus, it seemed obvious that Jesus was making himself equal to God, something they considered blasphemy since they viewed Jesus only a man.

Jesus, in word and action, showed that he was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. Further, He was not afraid to speak the truth and to share the fact that he was indeed God. Because of this perceived blasphemy the Jews were ready to stone Jesus to death. As time went on, Jesus would eventually be crucified for what the Jews considered blasphemy.

There will be times when we need to share the truth of what we believe: that Jesus is Lord and God. There will be times when those in our lives will give us a hassle for this belief. They may accuse us of being fanatical. Following Jesus and accepting him as Lord and Savior will not always be easy but it is what we are called to do. We need to remain steadfast in our belief that Jesus is true God and true Man, even when it means facing issues and problems with those in our lives that may not see Jesus the same way we do. We are called to always live out our lives in relationship with Jesus according to His teachings, even when it seems contrary to what society is teaching. We are called, as Christians, to love God with our whole heart and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. By living out our lives in this way, we are showing that we are followers of Jesus Christ. There will be those in our lives that may not accept and share our beliefs, but we are called to bring Christ to the world that needs to know that he is indeed to Lord and God. We are to always to share this truth with all we meet, whether by word or by action, even when it’s not easy to do.

Lord Jesus, help us to be faithful in our belief that you are our Messiah, and help those in our lives to come to know you as we do: true God and true Man. Amen.