JESUS said to the Jews, "If I testify on My own behalf, My testimony cannot be verified. But there is another who testifies on My behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on My behalf is true. You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave Me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on My behalf that the Father has sent Me. Moreover, the Father who sent Me has testified on My behalf. But you have never heard His voice nor seen His form, and you do not have His word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom He has sent. You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on My behalf. But you do not want to come to Me to have life.

"I do not accept human praise; moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I came in the name of My Father, but you do not accept Me; yet if another comes in His own name, you will accept Him. How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: The one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed Me, because he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

The famous French existentialist philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) became an atheist at age 11. His life companion, Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986), herself a remarkable essayist and thinker, was an atheist at age 15. Obviously these two atheists, and many others like them, became atheists not for philosophical reasons but for psychological or moral reasons. Their human experiences had convinced them of the non-existence of God before they had explored the question speculatively. Such is often the case with our religious options.

All this is reflected in today’s gospel reading. There we see Jesus arguing with His adversaries. He is building a very strong case against them by demonstrating their bad faith. In substance, He is telling them that if they judged Him fairly and objectively, they would have every reason to accept His words. Why? Because there are three kinds of testimonies accrediting His words (the law required only two, incidentally): His "works," that is, His miracles; John the Baptist’s testimony in pointing Him out as the Savior; the words of the Bible referring to Him. But these adversaries are too taken up by their passions and prejudices to listen to these three testimonies. They are not really interested in the objective truth. They are more interested, as Jesus says, "in accepting praise from one another." And this corrupts even a proper understanding of Moses and the Scriptures.

SOURCE: "365 Days with the Lord," ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.