Friday March 20th: Open hearts, welcoming lives

We hear His words, attend church, and still resist His claim on our lives.

John 7:1- 2. 10. 25-30

In today’s gospel, Jesus goes quietly to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. The crowds are confused about him. Some wonder if he is truly the Messiah; others think they know exactly where he comes from. Jesus sets them straight. He was sent by the Father. The people believe they know him, yet they do not recognise the One who sent him.

Lent confronts us with the same challenge. We can become familiar with Jesus without truly knowing him. We hear His words, attend church, and still resist His claim on our lives. The crowds tried to seize him, but his hour had not yet come. God’s plan unfolds in God’s time, not ours. This season invites us to move from curiosity to commitment, from surface knowledge to deeper faith.

True discipleship requires humility: admitting that we do not control Jesus but must allow him to transform us. As we continue our Lenten journey, may we open our hearts to the One sent by the Father and welcome him more fully into our lives.