John 10:32

Jesus does not take their deadly intentions lightly. “Wait a minute!” he speaks. “I have done a myriad of good works in your very presence. All these are works of my Father. So tell me, for which of these good works of God do you intend to stone me?” John 10:32 EFP 

I cannot help but imagine the cool and collected persona of Jesus. Picture this scene! The mob is in the process of collecting stones with which to rain death on Jesus due to their perceived violation of the blasphemy laws by the object of their disdain. They are fuming and flummoxed to the point of madness! They are literally hell-bent on killing Jesus. This is an opportunity to accomplish their long-standing and on-going intent to bring an end to this threat to their status quo. The stones are about to begin flying.

Jesus does not run. He had done this “disappearing act” before (John 8:59). But this time is apparently difference. I imagine him looking around him at these hunched over men collecting rocks. He does not cry out, “What do you think you’re doing!” His words are not a defense. His reaction is not a panicked wail. It seems to be a simple and salient question regarding their intent and its validity. Amazing! He basically asserts that their plans to kill him are unfounded given the mighty deeds of God they had personally witnessed him performing in the not-so-distant past.

I must confess that my reactions to people and their occasionally limited and narrow-minded beliefs are not always calm and collected. My inner turmoil is at the point of explosion even if my outer demeanor appears calm. Sometimes I blow up at the ones I know best. I need to learn that the people who oppose me and say unkind things are my family. I have perhaps been guilty of the same attitude. They may deserve a dressing-down, but it is not always about getting our just deserts. Jesus exemplifies “where sin abounded, grace abounded even more” (Romans 5:20). Oh, that I would live always by that principle.