As we move through the final days of Lent and enter into Holy Week, our hearts turn to the Passion of our Lord. One detail that often stands out—though it's easy to read past—is how frequently Jesus is mocked.
Time and again, the crowds and religious leaders hurl taunts at Him:
“If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
“Save yourself, and then we will believe in you.”
It all boils down to this conditional faith: Show us, then we’ll believe. Prove it, then we’ll follow.
Even in His agony on the Cross, Jesus is confronted with these ultimatums.
But Jesus would later say to Thomas, and to each of us:
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
This isn’t a condemnation of questions or doubts—it’s a gentle invitation to trust. To let go of the need for signs and to lean into faith.
We can even hear echoes of this in the desert, when Jesus was tempted by Satan to perform signs and miracles to prove Himself. His response then, as it is now, is firm:
“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Matthew 4:7)
Holy Week invites us not only to witness the depth of God’s love, but to recognize ourselves in the story. How often do we look for signs before we trust? How often do we set conditions on our faith?
May this week open our eyes—not just to the suffering of Christ, but to the quiet ways we are called to believe, to trust, and to follow, even when we don’t see the whole picture.
Because it’s precisely in that kind of faith that we meet the risen Christ.