John 8:31-59: Seeing God in the Stones We Want to Throw
Monday, October 6, 2025
Written on September 27, 2007 and posted today as a Favorite . . .
Earlier this week we were looking at how much we trust or do not trust God when he calls us to wade into the quagmire of the world. Today in John we see Jesus speaking with “those Jews who believed in him” about knowing the truth, and how this knowledge will set them free. They answer that the truth they know, the Law they know, comes from Abraham – who also waded into an unknown land with an unknown idea, a truth that was new for his time – that there is one true God, and that this one true God will set them free. These believing Jews question Jesus, hear his words, and do not comprehend them. They are so literal! Jesus explains, coaches, encourages, tells the truth – but in the end, they picked up stones to throw at him. How often do I do this?
In MAGNIFICAT today there is a meditation from John Henry Newman. He writes: A religious mind is ever marveling, and irreligious men laugh and scoff at it because it marvels. A religious mind is ever looking out of itself, is ever pondering God’s words, is ever “looking into” them with the angels, is ever realizing to itself him on whom it depends, and who is the center of all truth and good. Carnal and proud minds are contented with self; they like to remain at home; when they hear the mysteries, they have no devout curiosity to go and see the great sight, though it be ever so little out of their way; and when it actually falls in their path, they stumble at it.
So I am thinking about this and I am realizing that Abraham was called out of his comfort zone and was given the opportunity to see into God’s mystery. He entered into this mystery because he had spiritual curiosity. He responded yes to God’s call, knowing that this response would cause him to leave the protection of what he knew, but that he would also experience something too wonderful to describe or understand – a covenant with his Maker.
Jesus also answers yes to God’s call. He becomes human and wades into humanity, taking great risk, but knowing that he need rely on the Father. And he says this so clearly to these believing Jews; yet, they miss it. They turn away from the mystery – indeed they stumble over it as they pick up the stones they are about to hurl.
Today we ponder God’s words, and I like to think that the angels are peeking over our shoulders as we do so. We delve into footnotes, dig out old notes, listen in the silence for the Word to hum in us as a tone hums in a tuning fork. And if we are patient, we hear the reply to our questions, we feel taken into an embrace which protects yet gives liberty, we feel set free.
May we never pick up stones to hurl. May we never act in such a way that Jesus hides and moves out of the temple area. May we never be contented with self. May we transform our proud selves with the mystery of our God and our creation. May we always have spiritual curiosity. And when we stumble, may we take the time to truly look at what we stumble over. For there will be our God.
Amen.
A re-post from September 11, 2010.
Image from: https://the-fog-blog.com/2017/03/28/throwing-stones/
Cameron, Peter John, Rev., ed. “Meditation of the Day.” MAGNIFICAT. 27 September 2007: 367. Print.
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