Today's Gospel: John 5:17-30

When challenged about working on the Sabbath, Jesus doesn’t take on the “is it unlawful to do good on the Sabbath claim” or even try to explain the real meaning behind the Sabbath laws. Jesus comes right out and says that God doesn’t rest on the Sabbath, and since He is the Father’s Son, neither does He. Like father, like son.

Jesus made an extremely radical claim here that surely left people in shock. “Like father, like son?” This was almost too much for the Pharisees to take. Is Jesus saying He is equal with God? They are ready to kill Him for this claim.

This is the essential, hair-splitting, nail-biting claim of Christianity. A mere man that is equal to God? That is God? Either Jesus is who He says He is or He is, as C.S. Lewis says, “a lunatic.” There is no other alternative. Who do you say that He is?

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Ponder:

This is a radical claim from a human being, like me, who walked the earth. Do I really believe that Jesus is the Son of God? How do I live this claim on a daily basis?

Pray:

Dear Jesus, Son of God, give me the grace to believe!

 

Copyright 2017 Tami Kiser

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About the Author

Tami Kiser

Tami Kiser

Tami Kiser is a wife, mother, teacher, author, and speaker. She runs a video production studio featuring Catholic speakers. These can be purchased or viewed on Formed. She also is the co-owner and host of a new Catholic Retreat and Cultural Center in the Carolina Mountains called Heart Ridge. She has taught everything from NFP, Zumba, cleaning toilets, Catholic crafting, the hula, bullet journaling, tap dancing, and liturgical living to Saxon Math 54 for the 10th time.