Reflection for Friday, March 30, 2012: 5th week in Lent.

Abstract

The thing I like about the Gospel today is that Jesus is using logic rather than faith and is answering the Jews using their own criteria. When they try to stone him to death, he says that he has done good works, not criminal acts. He asks them which of these good works are crimes worthy of execution. They say they are condemning him not for his good works but for his blasphemy, which is a capital offence: He says he is God. But Jesus does not refute this. He does not deny that he said it or deny that he is God, but says that their own scriptures support his statement. He says they cannot condemn him when their own scriptures say 'You are gods.' They have no basis for their condemnation. He is not saying they have to believe him or believe in him, they only have to follow their own scriptures. And he gives them specific evidence. He reminds them that he has performed miracles - no one else has done this. He says, if I don't do God's works, don't believe in me. If I do God's work (and he does), you still don't have to believe in me, but you should recognize the work.