4th Week of Lent 2022 - Wednesday - They tried all the more to kill him

 Yesterday we heard how following Jesus’ healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute Jesus. What does that mean? Persecute? It seems, initially, they might have just intended to call him out publicly for violating the sabbath, discrediting him as any sort of religious authority. 

But in today’s Gospel we see how things escalated pretty quickly. In response to their intent to persecute Him, Jesus responds “My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.” For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but he also called God his own father, making himself equal to God.”

In a single biblical verse, the jewish leaders go from openly persecuting Jesus to planning his death. And why? In their estimation, Jesus was now guilty of the greatest blasphemy imaginable, he claimed to be God. And he wasn’t just some lunatic making wild claims, he had actually begun to gather quite the following. He had disciples. Crowds listened to Him. Children ran up to him to be blessed. Children can often detect when someone is mentally disturbed or dangerous. They don’t just run up to raving lunatics. But Jesus was different. There was a candidness, a legitimacy—making him a real threat to the religious system, not to mention their own power base and authority. 

Again, as we near Holy Week and Good Friday, our Lenten Gospels help us to understand how it went from benign miracles to a grizzly murder. So we know who to blame, right? No. 

These Lenten readings help us to understand what happened and why. They also help us to understand our own role in Jesus’ death. The motives in the hearts of the jewish leaders have also motivated us. The arrogance, lust for power, and unbelief in the hearts of jewish leaders in John’s Gospel, which lead to the trumped up charges against the innocent Lamb and his subsequent torture and murder on the cross, have also motivated us. They are not the only ones guilty of sin. 

If it hadn’t been Adam and Eve it would have been me. We’ve all been given the gift of free will, and we’ve all misused it, we’ve silenced the word of God, we’ve known the truth and rebelled against it. Our desire to walk in holiness, as Christians, as Catholics, comes after our acknowledgement of our guilt. We get into trouble when we pretend we’ve never sinned, that we’ve never turned away from truth.

But with that humble admission, comes the awareness, that God loves me anyway, that he goes to the cross to save ME. Love for ME filled his heart. Love enabled him to carry the cross and to forgive me who is guilty of his crucifixion.

May our Lenten observances continue to assist us to live in humble admission of our sinfulness and humble awareness of God’s great mercy for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For an increase in faith for the catechumens and candidates who approach the sacraments of initiation in the coming Paschal Solemnity.

That the Church might be delivered and protected from all evil—all coldness toward good, all indifference to life, all selfishness, error, heresy, schism, and unbelief.

For strength to resist temptation, and the humility to sincerely repent of sin.

That through fasting and self-denial, we may be ever more conformed to Christ.

That those in need may find assistance in the charity of faithful Christians and that peace and security may be firmly established in all places.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Mercifully hear, O Lord, the prayers of your Church and turn with compassion to the hearts that bow before you, that those you make sharers in your divine mystery may always benefit from your assistance.