5th week in Lent, Thursday – 7th April 2022 — Gospel: Jn 8,51-59
Rejection of Jesus’ word
The Jewish believers reject the words of Jesus the second time by an appeal to Abraham (8,52-53). Jesus responds by announcing that Abraham looked forward to this day (8,56), the day when all peoples would be blessed through Abraham’s offspring (Gen 12,3). Earlier too, they resisted Jesus’ invitation to discipleship, by stating that they are already free as descendants of Abraham (8,39). Unlike Abraham they have not opened their lives to the transforming power of God’s word. Their actions indicate that they are not able to accept Jesus as eternal Word, existed with God from eternity. They failed to grasp his teachings that he is voice of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the living. They were blind to understand that He is the source of life and hope even for Abraham and the prophets. This claim to divinity was too much for the crowd, who rejected his message and took up stones to cast at Him, considering him as blasphemer.
