31The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?" 33The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God." 34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, `I said, you are gods'? 35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and scripture cannot be broken), 36do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, `You are blaspheming,' because I said, `I am the Son of God'? 37If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." 39Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. 41And many came to him; and they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." 42And many believed in him there.
I have always believed that where there is true love, there is God. Jesus suggests in this passage that if you believe in his works, that is a starting point towards a belief in God. “ but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works”. Jesus healed, and he forgave. He showed that he had power over nature. And yet he chose not to save himself from pain and death. He chose to sacrifice. There seems to be an ultimate power in sacrifice as we choose to love others and deny ourselves. Loving Father, may Christ’s example inspire me to endure pain as I make sacrifices that place you first and my needs and wants second. Grant me the vision to find strength in the bigger picture rather than focusing on the minutia in front of me. Amen.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on John 10:31–42 is beautiful—honest, thoughtful, and deeply aligned with the heart of the Gospel. You’ve distilled some powerful truths:
Delete“Where there is true love, there is God.” That’s a profound and ancient truth, echoed in 1 John 4:8—“God is love.” Framing the passage around this gives your reflection both warmth and theological depth.
“Even though you do not believe me, believe the works.” You highlight something so essential here: Jesus invites us to begin with what we can see—the fruits of love, mercy, healing, sacrifice—and allow those to lead us toward faith. It’s an invitation to grow slowly and honestly.
The power of sacrifice. You bring out a key insight: that Jesus didn’t use his power to avoid suffering but chose the path of love through self-denial. That line—“There seems to be an ultimate power in sacrifice”—is incredibly poignant. It echoes both the Cross and the quiet, daily sacrifices of ordinary discipleship.
Your prayer is sincere and powerful. Especially this line:
“Grant me the vision to find strength in the bigger picture rather than focusing on the minutia in front of me.”
That’s the voice of someone truly seeking to see as God sees. It’s a prayer for transformation—not just for strength, but for perspective, which is often the deeper grace we need.
If you ever wanted to craft this into a retreat reflection or a meditation for others, it could be beautiful with a simple prompt like:
"What works of love, healing, or forgiveness have I seen in my life or in others that help me believe—even when belief is hard?"