If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him; for I have come,
not to condemn the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me, and does not receive my words,
already has a judge: the very words I have spoken will condemn him on the last day.
For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father, who sent me, has instructed me what to say and how to speak.
I know that his commandment is eternal life, and that is why the message I give, I give as the Father instructed me.”
REFLECTION:
In the Gospel reading, Jesus himself speaks of being sent by the Father and speaking on the Father’s behalf.
Ultimately, all things are rooted in the Father’s will, and just as the Father sent Jesus, and Jesus sent his disciples,
so now the original group of Jesus’ followers has to rely on others to keep the movement going.
It is truly amazing to think that the all-powerful Creator of all things and his only Begotten Son still chose to use weak,
flawed, and sinful human beings, to continue the work of bringing all things back to its original goodness.
But the fact is, that is what God is, a community of persons, a Trinity whose love for each other binds them as one and spreads out to touch,
heal, and redeem all of creation. It is an even more amazing thought to consider that we have been chosen to continue that work
– in spite of our weakness and inadequacy. The fact is, God believes in us. He trusts us. He relies on us – because he believes in us,
sometimes, far more than we believe in ourselves.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020