The Jews gathered around Jesus, and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” But if he says it, they would still say, ‘show us a sign.’ In fact, they were more interested in signs that words. They saw the signs, which spoke louder than words, they started asking for words! Jesus told them that their unstable demands simply means they do not belong to Him. “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.”
Unlike the Jews that kept looking for excuses not to believe, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.” Imagine the depth of familiarity between Jesus and the sheep that belongs to Him! A familiarity that flows from Jesus' oneness with the Father, "I and the Father are one." It is not Jesus who follows the sheep, no! It is the sheep that follows Jesus; He leads and they follow. That is the only way they can be safe and earn eternal life.
That was how He led the early Church. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the good news had already reached Antioch before the Apostles sent Barnabas. On reaching the city, he saw the grace of God at work, and he exhorted them to remain faithful to the Lord. Later Barnabas brought Paul to join him and they stayed in Antioch for a year. “And in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.” This is how Jesus leads His faithful to growth, progress and eternal life even in the face of persecution. Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Tuesday April 27th, 2021.
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
