It’s not always easy to think yourself into the mindset of those who set themselves against Jesus in the Gospels. We’ve heard the texts for years and through our baptism we are fully committed to Jesus. We have no other frame of reference. The Pharisees are studiers of the Law in all its beauty and power. They want to see the way ahead, but just can’t. They take Jesus literally when he speaks. This isn’t quite enough.
In our Gospel today Jesus changes tack and speaks of his relationship with his Father. In the most intimate of language we hear that Jesus and the Father are one and that Jesus does ‘what pleases him.’ The Pharisees still can’t understand.
When I hear the phrase ‘I do always what pleases him’, my heart sinks a little. This sounds like a very hard thing. The Jesuits have a helpful way of looking at this and speak of ‘wanting to want what God wants’. I can manage this.
How do you hear Jesus’ words?