Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
(Acts 5:17-26; John 3:16-21)
In today’s reading from Acts the Sanhedrin wants to put the
apostles on trial. In the end, however, their
own members are being tried. As the
gospel says, one either believes in Jesus and has eternal life or disbelieves
and is condemned.
John’s gospel paints everyone black or white. There are no shades of gray. Because the evangelist’s message is urgent, he
does not take time to account for middle-roaders or exceptions. Probably more than a few Sanhedrin members
think that they are doing what is right in stopping the apostles from preaching
“Jesus is Lord.” They might have taken
offense with Jesus’ claim he knows better than other rabbis the will of God.
We must take care in assessing blame. Often it is difficult to decipher another’s
intention. However, rather than making
quick judgments, we should pray for those whom we find offensive. They are likely to reveal their true motives
sooner or later. Then we will better
evidence to make a true evaluation.
