Gospel Reading for April 12, 2025 – John 11: 45-56
JUSTIFY
Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to kill him. So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews, but he left for the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there he remained with his disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. They looked for Jesus and said to one another as they were in the temple area, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?”
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Politics … Politics … Politics … not only now but even during Jesus’ time. Instead of appreciating the many wonders that Jesus was doing, they were concerned about what the Romans might do, so Caiaphas thought that Jesus would have to be the sacrificial lamb and save their nation.
Even today, because of Politics, many people have died. There will always be those who will JUSTIFY the need to eliminate a person or persons on the pretext that it will be for the common good. No one has the right to take away life, because all life comes from God, the giver of life.
Lord Jesus, teach us to give LIFE the utmost value, the most precious gift we received from God!
