Taught by God
Published Apr 22, 2021 12:12 am
REFLECTIONS TODAY
The Jewish crowd is so focused on Jesus as coming from Nazareth and as the son of Joseph that people refuse to believe in his true origin: from above and sent by the heavenly Father. To believe this, one must have confidence in Jesus as saying the truth; one must also allow himself to be “drawn” and taught by the Father. Human intelligence or ability alone is not enough to believe in Jesus; grace is necessary. In Matthew, Jesus affirms Peter’s confession of him as the Messiah: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father” (16:17). To be “drawn to Jesus” and to have faith in him implies that one must “listen to and learn” the will of the Father. And in a mirror effect, those who listen and learn from Jesus will be allowed to “see the Father.” Later, Jesus will tell Philip: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9).
GOSPEL • JOHN 6:44-51
Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
The Jewish crowd is so focused on Jesus as coming from Nazareth and as the son of Joseph that people refuse to believe in his true origin: from above and sent by the heavenly Father. To believe this, one must have confidence in Jesus as saying the truth; one must also allow himself to be “drawn” and taught by the Father. Human intelligence or ability alone is not enough to believe in Jesus; grace is necessary. In Matthew, Jesus affirms Peter’s confession of him as the Messiah: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father” (16:17). To be “drawn to Jesus” and to have faith in him implies that one must “listen to and learn” the will of the Father. And in a mirror effect, those who listen and learn from Jesus will be allowed to “see the Father.” Later, Jesus will tell Philip: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9).
GOSPEL • JOHN 6:44-51
Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.