Definitions

John 7.1-13

After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near. So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.’ (For not even his brothers believed in him.) Jesus said to them, ‘My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil. Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.’ After saying this, he remained in Galilee.


But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret. The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, ‘Where is he?’ And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, ‘He is a good man’, others were saying, ‘No, he is deceiving the crowd.’ Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews.


Reflection

Here we read that there were those who believed him to be a good man while others thought he was a deceiver. Right from the start, Jesus was a source of controversy. What defines a good man or woman? Following God? Worshiping regularly? Doing good works? Living a righteous life? Perhaps it is all of the above.


One thing seems clear: people couldn’t recognize Jesus as the Christ without understanding Jesus the man. And that remains a challenge today as it has for the past 2,000 years. As with our forebears in the faith, we bring differing perspectives, we contend with distractions, and we confront those who are dismissive of our beliefs to our quest to know Jesus. Still, we persevere—the journey may be difficult at times, but it one worth continuing since the ultimate goal is full participation in God’s new creation.


A historical note: This passage offers a reminder that the Gospels need to be read with care and attention. John wrote that people were scared to speak openly about Jesus for “fear of the Jews.” What he doesn’t note is that these people were also Jews, a reflection of the division and complexity within Jesus’ own community.

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