Faith and Thought

John 7.25-36

Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.’ Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, ‘You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.’ Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?’


The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. Jesus then said, ‘I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.’ The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, “You will search for me and you will not find me” and, “Where I am, you cannot come”?’


Reflection

One of the raps against Christianity in some quarters is that it, like all religion supposedly, requires blind faith, a figurative checking of one’s brain at the door to the church. This passage reminds us that the truth is different.


Throughout his ministry Jesus did and said things that forced people to think. His parables, his sermons, his riddles all challenge his audience – and through the Gospels that includes you and me – to look at things differently, with new eyes and a fresh perspective. And even when the evidence is right before us, we may still find ourselves puzzling things out!


Faith is indeed a precious gift given to us by God. But so too is our curiosity, our intellect, our passion to know and understand. During this season of Lent we are called to ask ourselves questions about what we have done and what we have left undone, about those things that separate us from God and one another. By using our minds we will deepen our faith.

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