In today’s First Reading the people of Israel believed the corrupt old judges’ testimony, and the Lord intervened through young Daniel to prove that it was false. In today’s Gospel the religious authorities claim that Jesus’ testimony, from a legal perspective, doesn’t have enough witnesses to corroborate it. Jesus responds, independent of legal technicalities, that his testimony is true. In the First Reading the abuse of authority was so severe that the Lord himself intervened to save poor Susanna from her false accusers. Now, similar to yesterday, the religious authorities are putting Our Lord on trial, and he is telling them that his testimony is not something to be accepted through rigorous legal process, but something to accept in faith as true.
At this point in John’s Gospel Our Lord has performed various signs to show that he was sent on his mission from God, but, as he told the religious authorities a few days ago, they don’t know God and so they can’t believe or trust Jesus. The elders in today’s First Reading knew the game well, but they forget that the true Judge was always on watch to make sure the game was played fairly. In today’s Gospel the religious authorities want to draw Our Lord into their game, and he doesn’t play. Susanna was spared by a miraculous intervention by the Lord; Our Lord went down into the depths of injustice, dying on the Cross, and in his Resurrection showed that the games of evil conceited men are in vain, no matter how powerful or skillful they think they are.
Thanks to Jesus we know Our Father and we know Jesus’ testimony is true. Let’s be witnesses to it as well.
Readings: Daniel 13:1–9, 15–17, 19–30, 33–62 ; Psalm 23:1–6; John 8:12–20 (Year C).
