In today’s Gospel, we see the importance of doing good works so that we may show the Father’s love to all those around us. Jesus is criticized by the Jews for making Himself equal to God. He responds by telling them that they can only criticize Him for doing this if He is not able to perform the Father’s works; He says in verse 37, “If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me.” He goes on to say that if He is able to perform these good works, then those actions themselves can prove that Jesus is from the Father. This instance actually tells of a rather straightforward idea: when we perform good works in this world, we show others that we are followers of Christ. As John 13:35 conveys, the world will know we are Christians by the love we show.
A point of debate which is often talked about between Catholics and Protestants is that of the doing of good works. Protestants say that we only need faith in Christ to get into Heaven, and while Catholics do believe that salvation is a free gift from God which we must have faith in in order to enter into eternal life, the Church also teaches that we must respond to that gift of grace. James 2:17 even says that if faith does not have works attached to it, then it is dead. If we do not also perform good works once we believe in the Lord, then it is as if we do not truly believe in Him and His love. Catholics do not believe we are saved by these good works; once again, salvation is a free gift from the Lord that we can do nothing to earn. However, when we truly have faith in that free gift, we necessarily perform good works as a response. So, if we just say we have faith but do not think we need to also do good, then our faith in the Lord is not fully true. Jesus Himself says in today’s Gospel that the Father is shown through good works. If we truly believe in Him and what He has done for us, why would we not show Him through the good works he asks of us?