02/05/2025

We are all limited in our understandings by our intelligences. 

Gamaliel's formula which seems to say "Have patience, don't come to any binding interpretation about the will of God until these events complete themselves" is very close to what is known as "Pascal's wager" which tells us that living according to the teaching of Jesus even though we are not totally convinced is the most rational way to live our lives on Earth.

Both Gamaliel and Pascal are very intelligent human beings speaking words of worldly wisdom. But with Jesus there is always "something greater here". St John remembers when writing his history of Jesus' life that his Lord always seemed to know the motives of his interlocuters or outcome of deeds which were hidden to the disciples who were with him at that very moment; they were witnesses in real-time.

The disciples who were questioned by the Council had known the living Lord, had escaped from  the pain of the Passion and Death and had been called again by the Glory of the Risen Lord.

"My Lord and My God" proclaimed Thomas. There is no need for rationality either here or on Calvary. It is the perfect faith of an imperfect being.

The Gospel writers also had this perfect faith so everything that they write and teach is coloured by the knowledge that they had walked in Palestine, throughout their discipleship with the Son of God, IAMFATHERSONHOLY SPIRIT, 

It is no wonder that St John cannot refrain from attributing divine prescience to Jesus "He said this to test him for he himself knew what he would do" even though Jesus had "humbled himself even to accepting death on the Cross" to become True Man. 

The sin of man has had need of so great a saving event as the incarnation to rectify it. Even the greatest of human intelligences is incapable of imagining the wonders that we could have been if Adam & Eve had not chosen to defy their Lord.