Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks about testifying. Merriam Webster says that to testify is “to make a statement based on personal knowledge or belief or to bear witness. “ In the Bible, to “testify” often indicates that the individual is sharing something that they have experienced or observed particularly about God, who God is, and what God has done. Who or what gives testimony to Jesus in our lives, and how are we called to testify to what we believe?
Today’s gospel reading follows the story of Jesus’ healing of the blind man. The people who were questioning Jesus about this healing were questioning Jesus and his identity. In this gospel passage, Jesus is sharing with the crowds the witnesses that He has which affirm His role as both Savior and Son of God. Jesus first points to John the Baptist and his testimony, as a “burning and shining lamp” that gave light to Jesus’ coming. Jesus goes on further to share that the works that He performs give evidence that Jesus has come from the Father, since He is doing the will of HIs Father. Finally, scripture (Old Testament) gives witness to the promise of a messiah, and Jesus is the fulfillment of those prophecies. Jesus reminds His listeners that they have placed their hope in Moses and his writings, but they are unable to believe that Moses points to Jesus as God’s fulfillment of divine promises. The lack of belief in Jesus despite these many “witnesses” illustrates the “blindness” of many of those who had recently seen the healing of the man who was born unable to see.
We are surrounded by many witnesses in our lives that testify to Jesus. Our scripture, our Church, our community, and the communion of saints are a few parts of our faith experience that help us to know Jesus and His love for us. The question is do we have the “eyes” to see the truth? Through scripture, prayer, sacraments and community we grow in our faith in Jesus and we begin to learn His ways.
As followers of Christ, we are called to testify to Jesus in our lives. What does it mean to “bear witness” to Christ? Pope Francis explains, “Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit.” It is important to share our faith in words, but as Pope Francis indicates the best way to “share the Good News” is to live like Christ as we go about our daily routine. If we share with others what we have experienced in our relationship with Christ, then the love, mercy, and hope that we receive and pass on to others will be our witness.
Today, as you go through your day, prayerfully be mindful of the many witnesses who have helped you grow in your faith. Ask God for the grace to allow your words and actions to testify to Christ’s truth in the here and now.
—Marylynn Herchline