The need for Jesus to defend himself against a charge of blasphemy is hard to imagine. Yet, Jesus does exactly this by reminding the crowds of the “many good works” he has done in his Father’s name. He says to them with a sense of urgency, “Believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father” (Jn 10:38). The crowds interpret this to mean that Jesus is asserting equality with God, and so they levy the charge of blasphemy “because you, being a man, make yourself God” (10:33).
The unity between Father and Son acknowledged by Jesus is not an exclusive relationship. Jesus intends this same relationship of unity for all those who believe in him and follow his way. Towards the end of his mission, in fact, Jesus prays that all those who believe in him will be one with him and the Father, just as he and the Father are one (Jn 17:20-22). Jesus invites us to become one with God by believing in him and imitating his good works.
Because the crowds do not understand or perceive the unity that Jesus speaks of, they do not see the good works of Jesus as coming from the God the Father. Thus, they persist in their charge and want to stone Jesus for his claim that he and the Father are one (Jn 10:30). Their charge of blasphemy in effect amounts to a denial of their own roots. The Israelites were God’s chosen people, who had agreed to follow his laws and commandments.
From their study of the prophets alone, the crowds who accused Jesus had to know that their covenant with God required them to do good by defending the rights of the poor and the oppressed, to seek justice, to take up the cause of the fatherless, and to plead the case of the widow (Is 1-17). Their study would also have revealed “what is good and what the Lord requires—to do justice, love goodness, and walk humbly with God (Mic 6:8). No wonder Jesus is bewildered by their inexcusable failure to recognize him as the promised Messiah by virtue of his own good works, let alone union with God as their true destiny.
In light of the many scripture passages that reveal who Jesus is and what he was about, the question remains: why was the crowd so blind to Jesus? Familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying goes. Perhaps the crowd did not accept Jesus because they knew his parents, where he was from, and what he did for a living. Or, perhaps it was simply because Jesus did not fit the mold of who they expected to lead them in the way of holiness. After all, Jesus himself noted that a prophet has no honor in his native place and in his own house (Mt 13:56-57). Thus, being rejected for his way of life and good works was not something new to Jesus.
Despite the offense that many took at what he did or said, Jesus remained steadfast in his teaching that loving God and loving others is the ground and motivation for all good works (Mt 22:37-40). Jesus expected his followers to let the light of their good works shine before others, so that others may see the good works that they do and give glory to God (Mt 5:16).
Those of us today learn how to apply the principle of love in many ways, sometimes from an unexpected teacher and through unexpected sources. In any case, our prayer this Lenten season is to let the love and fidelity of Christ be the guide posts of our own lives. When we allow the values of Christ to determine the shape and character of our lives and what we do, we can face whatever challenges and criticism come our way. This way of life then enables us to find “favor and esteem before God and human beings” (Prov 3:3-4).
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