Gospel Reading for March 27, 2026 – John 10: 31-42
DELIBERATE MISJUDGMENT
The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘? If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power. He went back across the Jordan e to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many there began to believe in him.
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What the Jews were doing to Jesus was a DELIBERATE MISJUDGMENT of good as evil. Despite his many good and wondrous works, they continually sought to find fault in him and portray him as evil.
In life, we will always encounter people like them—those who refuse to see any good in what we do because they have already chosen to view us negatively. It becomes an exercise in futility to try to impress or please such people in the hope of convincing them otherwise. This DELIBERATE MISJUDGMENT can take many forms: malicious interpretation, character assassination, defamation, projection, and more. Hence, nothing we do will ever be enough to change their minds.
Instead, we can imitate Jesus. He did not stop doing what was right, nor did he alter his message to gain approval. He remained focused on his mission and did not waste time trying to please others.
Lord Jesus, teach us not to waste our time on things that hold little value in life!
