Daily Gospel Reflection for April 3, 2020

Today's Gospel: John 10:31-42 Every once in a while, Jesus rebukes the people who challenge Him. This time, they accuse Him of blasphemy. Clearly, His actions speak for themselves: His good works are signs that He is the Christ -- that His power comes from the Father, and that the Father is in Him. The more convicted I become, the more I have a visceral reaction to these kinds of oppositions. I can’t help a facepalm. I think, "Don’t you know you’re speaking to the Son of God?" The detractors don’t see Him, even though He tells them He is God. Then Jesus escapes from them, as He has done on similar occasions. He goes away but the people find Him and believe. This Gospel speaks strongly to me, especially in today’s climate of Christian persecution. Regardless of our good works in faith, we are misunderstood, maligned, slandered, and in many places in the world, persecuted unto death. Jesus warned us this would happen. Although this Gospel has a foreshadowing of this persecution, the imminent threat to Jesus, and the long-term threat to Christianity, it ends with a positive note of hope: the people find Him and believe. I believe.

Ponder:

Have you ever been misunderstood or even attacked because of your belief in Jesus Christ, or the way you choose to live your life in accordance with His teaching?