John 10:31-42
The Jews took up stones again to stone Jesus. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ —and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.
He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.
Reflection by The Rev. Brian K. Gross
Jesus said “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works”
Again and again many Jewish leaders and others did not believe that Jesus was who he said he was. They saw the miracles and heard the Good News and yet could not fully believe the good that they themselves were witnessing. Why did they have such a hard time believing what they were seeing? Was it because the things that were being done were coming from Jesus? Was it because they felt threatened by Jesus in some way? If it were coming from another person, would they have more readily believed? Jesus told them that even if they did not believe who he said he was they should at least believe what was being done. Well, we know who Jesus is and that what Jesus does is as the Son of God. And it is all good.
What though do we believe about those around us near or far. If we saw a good thing being done, would we more readily believe in its validity or goodness if it were done by one person over another. In other words, are there instances where we discount the good that someone does because we do not agree with them on certain things or trust them on others. If that is the case, then how will we ever be able to believe that there is good in all people and all people do things that are good. It is this reasoning that precipitates the practice of categorizing each person as either good or bad. One to be trusted and one not to be trusted. That most certainly is not the way that Jesus taught us to live. We are to look for the good in all people. None of us is perfect of course, and some may seem further away from being perfect but still there is good in all people for all people are creations of God.