Gospel Reading: John 10:31-42

31 Then the people again picked up stones to throw at him.

32 Jesus said to them, “I have done many good deeds in your presence which the Father gave me to do; for which one of these do you want to stone me?”

33 They answered, “We do not want to stone you because of any good deeds, but because of your blasphemy! You are only a man, but you are trying to make yourself God!”

34 Jesus answered, “It is written in your own Law that God said, ‘You are gods.’

35 We know that what the scripture says is true forever; and God called those people gods, the people to whom his message was given.

36 As for me, the Father chose me and sent me into the world. How, then, can you say that I blaspheme because I said that I am the Son of God?

37 Do not believe me, then, if I am not doing the things my Father wants me to do.

38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, you should at least believe my deeds, in order that you may know once and for all that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father.”

39 Once more they tried to seize Jesus, but he slipped out of their hands.

40 Jesus then went back again across the Jordan River to the place where John had been baptizing, and he stayed there.

41 Many people came to him. “John performed no miracles,” they said, “but everything he said about this man was true.”

42 And many people there believed in him.

Reflection:

          “People again picked up stones to throw at him.” The people want to stone Jesus because they were accusing him of blasphemy (making Himself a god). People easily judged Jesus without thinking deeply. They judged Him only by the things they see, not the reason why He does such thing. Just like the strangers in the story I am going to tell.

          Once in an urban place, an old man and his grandson together with their carabao were on their way home. The old man let his grandson ride on the back of the animal. The people upon seeing them on road thought that the young boy was selfish. The young boy heard what people had said. After they passed that street, the young boy got down from the carabao and let his grandfather ride the animal. The people they come across their way saw the old man and thought that he was so selfish. The old man heard what people thought. After they passed that street, the old man told his grandson to ride the carabao together with him thinking that others won’t say anything at all. But the people on the next street thought that the two is careless of what the carabao feels. The two of them get annoyed, thinking of lifting the carabao on their way home but they know that others will thought that they were both fools.

          The moral of the story: In everything you do, how reasonable it may be, people will still blame and judge you. Don’t mind the things others will think about you, but on how God will do. Because in the end, God will only be the one to judge us.