The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter. And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”  (John 10:22-30, NABRE)

In today’s Gospel, we see the Jews challenging Jesus to tell them plainly that He is the Christ. Jesus says that He has told them, but they do not believe, because they do not hear. They do not hear and they do not know Jesus, because they are not among His sheep. In order to hear Jesus’ words, they must first humble themselves and ask for God’s grace to receive the Truth and believe.  

This is an important message for our work in evangelization. No matter how much we show our fellow man the works of God or the Truth of Jesus, if they do not have ears to hear or eyes to see, then they will be blind to the Truth. The first step in receiving the Truth is a personal choice of each person to humble themselves and ask for the grace necessary to believe in Christ. We can utilize logic, point to miracles, and explain our faith in Christ in great detail, yet those who are not open to receive the information, through grace, will refute it. One must first ask for God’s grace. Once this is done and a person accepts Christ, they can never be separated from Him and can never die. Once a part of God’s flock, the eyes and ears are open to see Christ’s miracles and hear His voice.  

We must remember that in order to properly bring our fellow man into the flock, we should first encourage him to humble himself and ask for grace, even if he only does it begrudgingly. A simple phrase like, “God, if you exist, please show me” can help to bring about this grace, even if the speaker is cynical and expects no answer. Once this door is cracked open to Christ, His grace will flow through and allow the person to see and hear the Truth of Christ and enter into His flock. Without grace, the heart remains hardened, the eyes blinded, and the ears muted. As we walk through the world attempting to spread the Word of God, the first step is to encourage a non-believer to open themselves to grace. Without this first step, nothing can be done. 

Copyright 2022 Jessica Tucker

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