John 10:19-24: a reflection

Jesus' words produce a split down the middle of the crowd. Some say, he has a demon and is insane; why listen to him? Others say, these are not the words of someone demon-possessed; can a demon open the eyes of the blind? Same man, same words, same works, and two completely opposite verdicts. Then, at the Feast of Dedication, some surround him demanding, how long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.

Notice two things. First, the same Jesus divides people. The identical evidence, his teaching, his healings, led one group to dismiss him as demonic and another to sense that only God could do such things. What people concluded about him revealed as much about their own hearts as about him. Second, their complaint about suspense is telling. Jesus had told them, in word and in the works he did in his Father's name. The suspense was largely their own, the unwillingness to accept an answer already given.

Both are worth carrying. Jesus still divides; people look at the same Christ and reach opposite conclusions, and where you land is not only about evidence but about the posture of your heart. And we can still stand before him asking him to make it plainer, to end our suspense, when he has already spoken and shown himself, and the real hesitation is in us. Do not wait for a clarity he has already given. Look again at what he has said and done, and let your heart come down on the side of belief.