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Gospel: John 8: 12-20
Jesus spoke to them again, saying,
“I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.”
So the Pharisees said to him,
“You testify on your own behalf,
so your testimony cannot be verified.”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,
because I know where I came from and where I am going.
But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone.
And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid,
because I am not alone,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.
Even in your law it is written
that the testimony of two men can be verified.
I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me.”
So they said to him, “Where is your father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father.
If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
He spoke these words
while teaching in the treasury in the temple area.
But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Throughout this week, the Gospels will paint a picture of Jesus in very tense discussions with the religious leaders of Israel.
Though he claims to be the Son of God, or the “light of the world” as he says in today’s Gospel, the scribes and Pharisees are convinced that he’s a heretic – a crazy imposter who needs to be put to death because of his blasphemous claims.
This tension between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day takes a dramatic turn on Sunday when he enters Jerusalem for a final time, clashing with the scribes and Pharisees who will put him to death.
Interestingly enough, Jesus knows what will happen. He knows that his claims of being God’s Son will lead to his death.
How does he do it? How does he not retreat in fear or change his mind?
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He knows that he will rise again.
In the meantime, he finds the strength he needs by praying to his Father, who alone can comfort him in these incredibly tense moments.
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How many of us, like Jesus, have faced a difficult or uncertain future?
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In these moments the Lord invites us to turn to him for comfort. He’s been there. He’ll always give us the strength we need to move forward in our lives – one day, one step at a time.
As he tells us plainly, “Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
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Image credits: (1) Bill Osborne Studios (2) Paolo Veronese, Finding in the Temple (3) LDS Scripture of the Day