3 April 2020
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Jesus gives a rather sharp (perhaps even sarcastic) rebuke to the Pharisees, noting “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” (Jn. 10:32). But why would the Pharisees respond to goodness with evil? We can get a clue to this mystery from the first reading, when Jeremiah laments that his enemies whisper “perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail” (Jer. 20:10). The Pharisees respond to Jesus’ goodness with their evil because they wish to prevail, and be in control. To the twisted heart, the claims of goodness can feel like a loss of freedom.
How often have we been presented with goodness, only to chafe at an imposition on our liberties? A few weeks ago, when college students were interviewed about why they were partying on Miami beach when health professionals recommended quarantine, they appealed to their desires and plans. Goodness would restrict their liberty. Yet if we are honest, we can see ourselves in these students, in the various choices we make. This, in turn, leads us to a far more terrifying realization: we can likewise see ourselves in the Pharisees, and their evil response to Jesus.