"If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true; 

there is another who bears witness to me,

and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true." 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊   

Exodus 32:7-14

Then Yahweh said to Moses,

“Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a molten calf; they have bowed down before it and sacrificed to it and said: ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.’”

 And Yahweh said to Moses, “I see that these people are a stiff-necked peo­ple. Now just leave me that my anger may blaze against them. I will destroy them, but of you I will make a great nation.”

But Moses calmed the anger of Yah­­weh, his God, and said, “Why, O Yah­weh, should your anger burst against your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with a mighty hand?

 Let not the Egyptians say: ‘Yahweh brought them out with evil intent, for he wanted to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth.’ Turn away from the heat of your anger and do not bring disaster on your people.

Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the pro­­mise you yourself swore: I will mul­tiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land I spoke about I will give to them as an everlasting inheritance.”

Yahweh then changed his mind and would not yet harm his people.

 

Ps 106:19-20, 21-22, 23

Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊  

John 5:31-47

If I bore witness to myself, my testimony would be worthless. But Another One is bearing witness to me, and I know that his testimony is true when he bears witness to me. John also bore witness to the truth when you sent messengers to him, but I do not seek such human testimony; I recall this for you, so that you may be saved.

John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were willing to enjoy his light. But I have greater evidence than that of John – the works which the Father entrusted to me to carry out.

The very works I do bear witness: the Father has sent me. Thus he who bears witness to me is the Father who sent me. You have never heard his voice and have never seen his likeness; therefore, as long as you do not believe his messenger, his word is not in you.

You search in the Scriptures, thinking that in them you will find life; yet Scripture bears witness to me. But you refuse to come to me, that you may live. I am not seeking human praise; but I know that the love of God is not within you, for I have come in my Father's name and you do not accept me.

If another comes in his own name, you will accept him. As long as you seek praise from one another, instead of seeking the glory which comes from the only God, how can you believe? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father.

Moses himself, in whom you placed your hope, accuses you. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?

 

  Gospel Reflection：

Playing Marbles with God

"Moses calmed the anger of Yahweh" and "Yahweh changed his mind." Despite all the philosophical-theological debates about the immutability of God, the Scriptures present us with an image of God who not only moves us, but is moved by us.

It is not just Moses, but we have Abraham and Yahweh talking to each other as if they had been friends for ages. We have Jacob wrestling with God, Jeremiah, complaining to God relentlessly, David singing and dancing around God.

In today's Gospel, Jesus' words reveal such an intimacy with God that both the Father and the Son are eager to bear witness to each other. If we keep too much of a respectable distance from God, perhaps it is because we are not truly in touch with God's word and His love in us, as Jesus complains today.

Maybe we should sit at the porch of God's house and play marbles with him; then we may find ourselves ROFL with him. (ROLF = rolling on the floor laughing)