Testimony is a powerful tool in motivating people. The evening news covering a catastrophe or a tragedy usually includes interviews of witnesses of the event. The accountability of a witness testifies to the legitimacy of the story. The added dimension of a personality gives a universal feeling of “it could have been me” to the occurrence. Legally, a witness is usually necessary to validate documents and contracts. The presence of a witness willing to testify to the authenticity of the issue gives legitimacy to the event.

In the Gospel story today, Jesus claims that God is His Divine witness. However, the people do not accept this testimony because they do not all physically hear God’s testimony verifying Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Since we do not accept this divine testament, God also gives a human instrument, in the form of John the Baptist, to confirm Jesus’ status. The toughest part of this Gospel comes when Jesus says, “I do not accept human testimony.” While we are able to accept the testimony of John and human testimony as a first step along the ladder of faith, we will only be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven if we accept Jesus as the Messiah with God as the Divine witness.

I find this the most challenging aspect in this story of testimony: we cannot rely on human witness in matters of faith. While I find the human aspect of the Church’s testimony acceptable, I often struggle to believe the divine portion of Church doctrine. The mysteries I struggle with the most, such as concepts of transubstantiation and Trinity, require the most blind faith when dealing with divine witness. While I resist meditating on these aspects of my faith because they are most difficult, I recognize that struggling with these concepts will bring me closer to full reliance on God. Through Jesus, who testifies to the truth, I can hope to come closer to comprehending the full majesty of God and gain faith and hope through Him.