From today’s reading...
The Jews answered him, ‘We are stoning you, not for doing a good work, but for blasphemy; though you are only a man, you claim to be God.’” John 10:33
At the end of John 8 yesterday, Jesus was about to be stoned to death, and we open today’s Gospel reading from the middle of John with Jesus about to be stoned to death again. (I’m detecting a theme here in the Gospels.)
But notice why the Jews are upset at Jesus—He was claiming to be God—and Jesus does not correct them.
I always crack up at people who say things like, “Jesus was a good guy, but not God,” or “Jesus was a special/holy man, but not God,” as though they haven’t read the 10th chapter of John.
Look it: Jesus was either who He claimed to be, or He was a blasphemous, manipulating madman.
There is no in-between.
But if He was a liar, why’d He keep up the charade all the way to the cross?
And why did His apostles and disciples and thousands of others stick with Him and take His message out to the world, which resulted in their early, painful deaths as well?
No.
That doesn’t make sense.
The Jews of the day knew their scripture and what God promised them, but they did not have enough faith to trust that it would be fulfilled in their time and in the humble, quiet manner Jesus lived.
It’s good to be smart and even wise.
It’s even better to grow beyond your books smarts and place your trust in God, which is the only way to...
Stay the course.
Keep the faith.
Endure.
Now go sell something.