Today’s Gospel Reading (John 10:31-42) begins with a scene that the accusers of Jesus picking up stones to stone him, again.
But, why they kept trying to kill Jesus?
The Gospel text for today (John 10:31-42) comes on
the heel of Jesus’ statement to his accusers:
I
told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to
me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear
my voice ; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal lie, and they
shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has
given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the
Father’s hand. The Father and I are one (John 10:25-30).
He spoke this to his accusers in response to their
statement:
How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If
you are the Messiah, tell us plainly (John 10:24).
This took place after Jesus gave his Christological
discourse, known as the Good Shepherd Discourse, in which Jesus identified
himself as the Good Shepherd, and those who believe in him as the Messiah and
follow him as the sheep given to him by the Father (John 10:1-18). We will read
this Gospel text for the Good Shepherd Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Paschaltide:
vv. 1-10 for A; vv. 11-18 for B).
Jesus spoke the Good Shepherd Discourse as the
argument with his accusers went on upon performing his sixth sign, healing a
man born blind (John 9:1-41), as read on the Fourth Sunday of Lent on Cycle A.
It became more evident that there was a growing
division between those who began to believe in Jesus and those who did not (John
10:19-21).
So once again, those who have been accusing Jesus
for being blasphemous (John 5:18; 8:53) and demonic (John 7:20; 8:48, 52) tried
to stone Jesus to death again (John 10:31) after they did before (John 8:59).
Jesus said to his accusers, as they were about to
stone him again:
I
have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you
trying to stone me? (John 10:32).
It is so ironic that all the works that Jesus did as
the Father’s work in Jerusalem, including healing a paralytic man, as the third
sign (John 5:1-9) and healing a man born blind as the sixth sign (John 9:1-7), were taken by the accuser as a
good reason for them to kill him. It was because they regarded Jesus as
blasphemous, as well as, possessed or demonic, for his good works performed on
behalf of the Father.
So, they explained why they were trying to kill him:
We
are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making
yourself God (John 10:33).
His accusers made it clear that they wanted to kill
Jesus because he has committed blasphemy, as violation of Exodus 22:28; Leviticus
24:16, just as they interpreted his work of healing the paralytic man on a
Sabbath day (John 5:18). And, this is what they will use as their reason to
demand Pilate to execute Jesus later (John 19:7).
Perhaps, if he did not explain why he performed
healing works on Sabbath (John 5:1-9; 9:1-7) as works of the Father, Jesus
might not have been accused for blasphemy but rather regarded as possessed.
But, it was because he had been repeatedly explained that his works are
performed as work of the Father because not only he was sent by the Father but
he is one with the Father, as we can see in what he said in John 5:17 on.
So, Jesus said in response to their accusation
against him for blasphemy for speaking his unique relationship with the Father:
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
(John 10:34-38).
In the above rebuttal to his accusers, Jesus was
referring to Deuteronomy 1:17 in saying “Is
it not written in your law..”, because it says, “for the judgment is God’s”, as this portion of the Law reminds
those who serve God as judges (elders) are working on behalf of Him. Jesus was
making his point that his works represent the Father’s just as works of judges
represent God’s – as so written in Deuteronomy 1:17. And the spirit of
Deuteronomy 1:17, which is reflected in Jesus’ words in John 10:34, is further
addressed in Psalm 82:6, which tells that those who serve as judges to render
God’s judgements, are regarded sons of the Most High. And in Psalm 82:5, those who do not
understand this divine character reflected in their judgeship are wondering in
darkness. Thus, in the above response to his accuser, Jesus was also implying
that they were in darkness for failing to recognize the justification of Jesus’
works as the Father’s and his being as one with Him.
His accusers boast their knowledge of the
Scriptures. And Jesus even cited the Scriptures in his response.
Did they finally wake up?
No.
Instead, they reacted violently as they remained in
darkness. So, this time, Jesus escape, as it was not the appointed time for
Jesus’s passion toward death.
It was clear to Jesus at that point, however, that
the time for him to be lifted up on the Cross was drawing near as the accusers
were growing in hostility against him. In such a situation, Jesus could have
felt as Jeremiah felt, as reflected in today’s First Reading (Jeremiah
20:10-13).
It was evident to Jesus that his accusers were on
every corner in Jerusalem. They were trying to trap him, taking every work and
word of his against him. But, he is confident that the Father remains with him
and will make these accusers stumble, as said in 1 Peter 2:4-8.
As Jeremiah did not let intensifying persecution disrupt
his prophetic mission for his steadfast faith in God (Jeremiah 20:10-13), Jesus
continued to confront his accusers while their desire to kill him grew
further. And you will see this in the daily
Gospel readings into the Holy Week.
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