“Those Who Welcome You, Welcome Me” – Reflections for Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent 2020

 

Gospel - John 10:31-42

The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be set aside, 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’? If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; 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.” [Then] they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.

 

He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him.

 

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

 

Jesus has done many “good works,” and still, the Jews do not believe in him and picked up rocks to stone him?

 

Why? WHY?

 

I hope that you are asking yourselves the same question! The answer is at the end of today's Gospel narrative. “He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true. And many there began to believe in him." People recognized that “EVERYTHING John said about this man was true,” and they BELIEVED in Jesus.

 

To believe we need to recognize the MESSENGER who prepares the way for the Lord. John the Baptist was the messenger that God CHOSE and SENT to prepare the coming of the Lord. In the same way, God works in your life and my life, TODAY. He sends messengers, like John the Baptist, to see if you BELIEVE or DO NOT BELIEVE.

 

Who are the messengers that God sent to your life today? Perhaps they are not, humanly speaking, your first choice. They might not be handsome and pure as angels. On the contrary, they may be full of weaknesses and sins. These messengers are in the Church TODAY. The Church is HOLY, but her individual members ARE NOT! Their mission is only to prepare a way for the Lord, so that you and I may experience the POWER of CHRIST.

 

God is works in humble ways because he is HUMBLE. He sends these poor messengers to respect our freedom. If not, we would feel forced to follow him. As St. Paul says, “HE BECAME SIN FOR US” (cf. 2 Cor 5:21). If God became sin for us, how could you expect his messenger to be perfect?! This is the sign of the love of God!

 

“Those who WELCOME you, welcome ME” (Mt 10:40), Jesus says, identifying HIMSELF with those whom he sent, the MESSENGERS! The humble person ALWAYS recognizes the one that God sent, but the arrogant, the proud, the stuck-up, probably will not!

 

In which category do you find yourself today?

 

God bless you,

Fr Mauro