Homily on John 5:31-47: Recognising Jesus in Scripture

 Homily on John 5:31-47: Recognising Jesus in Scripture (Thursday the 3^rd of April 2025)

Praise be to Jesus Christ

There was a wise old man lived in a village and  one day a young man from a distant village came to challenge his fine reputation. Hoping to trick the old man upon meeting him, the young man held a small bird in his hands and asked, “Is this bird alive or dead?” The young man had planned to crush and kill the small bird if the old man’s answer was ‘alive’ and if he said ‘dead’ he would release it. The wise man looked at him and said, “The answer is in your hands.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus stands before the Jews and speaks about testimony. He says, “You search the scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” The Jews knew scripture by heart and followed it to the letter of the law but refused to recognise that Jesus was the fulfillment of their laws. The answer for the truth lay in the hands of the Pharisees but instead they rejected Jesus and were blind to the truth as He did not fit into their own interpretation of what they thought truth was. Accordingly, they also had the power to change the truth at will.

It was a challenging struggle Jesus had to face. His testimony was not about Himself alone. John the Baptist bore witness and the many miracles Jesus performed also bore witness. Furthermore, the Father bore witness throughout the Scriptures from the beginning of time. Yet the Jews refused to believe simply because they were waiting for a Messiah who was in their own imaginations and minds and therefore had to reject the reality of the true Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ.

Throughout Biblical history, rejection is a theme which runs throughout the Old Testament, God sent prophets, but the Jews rejected them even when Moses gave them the laws directly from God. When God led them miraculously through the desert they still doubted. Jesus, in fact, points out that if they had truly believed Moses, they would have believed what was said about Him.

It is good to keep in mind Saint Augustine’s renowned saying, “If you believe what you like in the Gospel and reject what you do not like, it is not the Gospel you believe but yourself.” Jesus, through today’s Gospel, invites us to open our hearts and recognise Him in the Scriptures. His words are not just teachings but they are the path to eternal life.

Lord, open our hearts to recognise Your truth and follow You always. Amen.

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God Bless…