You do not want to come to me to have life

THURSDAY 26 MARCH (Jn 5,31-47)

Jesus tells scribes and Pharisees that they do not want to believe in Him, not for reasons of rationality, but only for reasons of will, corrupt and rotten in sin, that on the day of judgment both the Queen of the South and the inhabitants of Nineveh will rise against this generation  and will condemn it, because the former made a long journey to go and listen to the wisdom of Solomon. Jesus is much more than Solomon. He is the divine and eternal Wisdom. He is the Wisdom that gives wisdom to every other wisdom. Instead, the inhabitants of Nineveh were converted after having heard only seven words of Jonah: “Forty more days and Niniveh will be destroyed”. Jesus is much more than Jonah. He is the eternal Word of the Father, the Word that gives truth to every other word.

To the queen of the South and to the inhabitants of Nineveh we must add two other people: the magicians of Egypt and Racab the prostitute of Jericho. The magicians of Egypt challenged Moses only for a few signs. Then they surrendered and recognized that the finger of God, the Almighty, acted in Moses. His works went beyond all magics: “Aaron stretched out his hand, and with his staff he struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came upon man and beast. The dust of the earth was turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt. Though the magicians tried to bring forth gnats by their magic arts, they could not do so. As the gnats infested man and beast, the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” ” (Ex 8,12-15). Instead, Racab helped the explorers and was converted to the God of Israel, only to have listened to what the Lord had done: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that a dread of you has come upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are overcome with fear of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and how you dealt with Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan, whom you doomed to destruction. At these reports, we are disheartened; everyone is discouraged because of you, since the Lord, your God, is God in heaven above and on earth below. Now then, swear to me by the Lord that, since I am showing kindness to you, you in turn will show kindness to my family; and give me an unmistakable token that you are to spare my father and mother, brothers and sisters, and all their kin, and save us from death” (Jos 2,9-13). The Lord has given scribes and Pharisees every test and every testimony, but they, like Pharaoh with Moses, have always hardened their hearts. This is why they do not want to believe in Jesus.

“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. 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 testimony from a human being, 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?”

The hardened heart is similar to a well-polished stone on which water passes and slides over. All the water from all rivers and the sea can also slide over it. It does not penetrate into its interiour. Of this unbelief they are responsible, because it is the fruit of sin which makes their heart of granite and prevents grace from entering into it.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, make us meek and pure at heart. We will know Christ the Lord.