Gospel Reading for April 3, 2025 – John 5: 31-47
SELECTIVE
Jesus said to the Jews: “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is not true. But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. But you do not want to come to me to have life.
“I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
————
John the Baptist, even with his gift of making people listen to him, making people repent, surely could not have reached the level of Jesus in his mighty works and the many miracles he performed during his 3-year ministry. Moreso, John the Baptist himself was pointing to Jesus as the Messiah that the Jews had long been awaiting. So, why did the Jews not see who Jesus was?
Well, as we are too sometimes, we tend to have SELECTIVE seeing and listening, or seeing only what we want to see and hearing only what we want to hear. This is the reason why we have so many nominal Christians. We take only bits and pieces of the Word of God or even manipulate it as our purpose is served.
What a waste when we think of those in the far corners of the earth where even Education has not reached; tribes who know nothing but be loyal to their leaders, protect and sustain their communities. Imagine, if the Sunday morning of April 14, 1521, when the chaplain of Magellan, Fr. Pedro Valderrama baptized Rajah Humabon of Cebu, his wife and 50 more Filipinos never happened? Imagine if we did not have this GREAT OPPORTUNITY to find this GREAT TREASURE in the field?
It is indeed a life of waste if we are called Christians but are not “dyed in the wool.” What is the use of pretending? How will it benefit us? We may think that we are able to fool others, but we can never fool ourselves, much more, God!
Lord Jesus, teach us and help us to be like you through and through!
