Commentary on the Gospel of Saturday, April 6, 2019

The key to solving a maze puzzle successfully is to start from the goal and work backwards to the start. Many Pharisees and people listening to Jesus failed to apply this principle to recognize the person of Jesus. They began from the Scriptures, the starting point, and went groping all around and got stuck in blind alleys. They could not figure out how Scriptures would lead to Christ. Had they begun from the end—the Son of God standing amidst them, with his powerful words and deeds—they would have successfully traced his origins and understood the Scriptures correctly. This is possibly what Jesus meant when he said, “Even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father” (Jn 10:38). His works invariably would lead them to his origins and the Scriptures.

             The Old Testament is to be understood in the light of the New Testament, especially the Gospel. It is in the light of Christ that the teachings of the Old Testament come alive and become meaningful. When we begin with Christ, all parts of the puzzle fall in place and everything makes sense, because “no one ever spoke like him!”

(Note: This reflection is a revised and updated version of the author’s own reflection for the same readings in the Bible Diary 2013 [Claretian Publications]. All rights reserved. He may be contacted at: frpaulson@gmail.com)