Never at ease

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. (John 8: 31-42)

It is not sufficient to be children of Abraham (i.e. belonging to the Chosen People) in order to be acceptable to God, because if God really wanted to, he could make Abraham's children out of stones. The way we see ourselves in relation to Jesus is different: in order to carry out God's Will, it is necessary for us to first accept Him as Saviour. Jesus alone is the mediator connecting us to the Father. Jesus alone fulfils the Law, enabling us to be free from sin. Lord, help us never to feel at ease with you, but always in need of your forgiveness.