"From me, I can't do anything" (John 5: 17-30)

Biblical reflections by Mauro Leonardi*, priest and writer

The Father gave Christ the power to judge because he is the Son of man: that is, precisely because he is incarnate, Jesus can be the highest manifestation of the mercy of God: a God who bends towards humanity to raise it to his divinity .

From the Gospel according to John 5: 17-30

At that time, Jesus said to the Jews: "My Father also acts now and I also act." This is why the Jews tried even more to kill him, because not only violated Saturday, but called God his Father, making himself the same as God.

Jesus resumed to speak and said to them: «In truth, in truth I tell you: the son from himself cannot do anything, if not what he sees by the father; What he does, even his son does it the same way. In fact, his father loves his son, he manifests him everything he does and will show him even greater works than these, because you are amazed.

As the Father raises the dead and gives life, so his son also gives life to those who want. In fact, the father does not judge anyone, but gave every judgment to the son, so that everyone honors his son as the father honor. Who does not honor the son, does not honor the father who sent him.

In truth, in truth I tell you: who listens to my word and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life and does not go to meet the judgment, but has gone from death to life. In truth, in truth I tell you: it comes the time - and this is - in which the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who have listened to it, will live.

In fact, as the Father has life in himself, so he also granted the son that he had life in himself, and gave him the power to judge, because he is the son of man. Do not surprise yourself of this: the time comes when all those who are in the sepulchres will hear his voice and come out, those who did the good for a life resurrection and those who did evil for a conviction.

From me, I can't do anything. I judge according to what I listen and my judgment is right, because I don't look for my will, but the will of the one who sent me.

* Mauro Leonardi (Como 1959) has been a priest since 29 May 1988 and has lived in Rome since then. He spends many hours of his day as a priest and prefers building bridges rather than raising walls. For years he has been writing stories, articles, essays and books that revolve around the relationship between man and God. Author of the blogLike Jesus. Abelis (Lindau) is his latest novel. The volunteers of the Gionata Project thank him for wanting to share these reflections on the Word with us.