Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed

 

 They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

 

"I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."

 

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

 

- John 8:33–47 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  It is the final year of Jesus' earthly life.  He has been disputing with the religious authorities, who seek to persecute Him because He healed on a Sabbath at a previous festival, and because He speaks of Himself as Son and therefore equal to God the Father.  Yesterday we read that Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  

 

  They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone.  How can You say, 'You will be made free'?"  Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  What or whom do we serve?  With Christ's help we need not be slaves to sin.  The "father" of sins does not love, but God loves and offers the freedom of sonship through grace.  Thus, a son abides forever in love.  It is Christ the Son who is Liberator and Deliverer from all kinds of bondage.

 

 "I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.  I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father."  They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father."  Jesus aid to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham.  But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God.  Abraham did not do this.  You do the deeds of your father."  Then they said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father -- God."  My study Bible comments here that to be a child of Abraham, it's not enough to be simply related by blood; rather, Abraham's true children share his faith and virtue (Luke 3:8).  According to St. John Chrysostom, it notes, our Lord wanted to detach the Jews from racial pride and to teach them not to place their hope of salvation in being of the race of Abraham's children by nature, but to come to faith by their own free will.  Their idea that being a descendant of Abraham was enough for salvation was the very thing that prevented them from coming to Christ.  

 

Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me."   My study Bible explains that proceeded here refers not to the Son coming eternally from the Father, but to His being sent from the Father to His Incarnation on earth.  

 

 "Why do you not understand My speech?  Because you are not able to listen to My word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.  Which of you convicts Me of sin?  And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?  He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Similarly to the way that being a child of Abraham is based on sharing the attributes of Abraham, so also, those who reject Christ share the same attributes as the devil (which in particular involves a hatred for truth).  Therefore they are referred to here as the devil's children.  

 

We know about the sonship offered through grace to believers, so that we may become children of God by adoption (see, for example, Romans 8:15).  Let us note that while Christ's Sonship to the Father is by nature (John 1:1), becoming a child of God happens through grace.  For the Orthodox, this grace is understood as the "Energies" of God.  Akin to the way in which the sun emits light, and we bask in its warmth but cannot dwell on the sun itself, so also we cannot receive God in God's Essence, but God's Energies are such that we may participate in grace, as grace may also be active in us.  This happens through what is described as "synergy," in which we receive and cooperate with grace.  Thus, Jesus' words teaching us regarding Communion make it very clear: "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him" (John 6:56).  He will repeat this same sentiment at length at the Last Supper, telling the disciples, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:4-7).  We must see the fullness of this adoption in love, as Christ finishes with these words:  "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love" (John 15:9).  What Jesus posits to us today is that just as we may abide in Christ, so also there is the spirit of that which opposes Christ.  To participate in those oppositional influences and practices of evil is to engage and become "like" them, effectively becoming children of a different father, the one whom Christ calls in today's reading "a murderer from the beginning" and "a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).  We have offered to us the love of God in Christ, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who operate in love, even the kingdom of heaven in our midst.  But outside of that, there is that which opposes God, hates the truth, and loves darkness, and the slavery it brings.  To which do we desire to belong?  It's important to understand that of itself, evil has no real substance; it is always parasitical.  Hence, the evil we see ultimately preys on the innocent, causing pain and suffering, desiring to make slaves of human beings.  Let us remember whom we desire to serve, and who offers us the grace of adoption and love, even an eternal home.

 

 

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

 

 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  

 

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

 

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  

 

- John 8:21–32 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in Jerusalem, an eight-day autumn festival.  It is the final year of His earthly life.  At this festival there were many commemorations and special rites, which form the backdrop to Jesus' teachings about Himself.  On Saturday, we read that during the eighth and final day of the Festival, when the great lamps were lit at night in the outer courtyard, illuminating all of Jerusalem,  Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."   These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

  Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.  Where I go you cannot come."  So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"  And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.  Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."  Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"  And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.  I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.  Jesus says He is going away, in a reference to His death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven.  We observe the confusion in His audience, the their possible explanations for His words.  But with Jesus, everything ties back to His relationship to the Father, which they did not understand. 

 

 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.  And He who sent Me is with Me.  The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."  As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.  Again, everything ties to the Father for the Son, Jesus Christ.  Lift up has the double meaning of being nailed to the Cross, and being exalted by the Father upon completion of His word, my study Bible says.  It's interesting that at this juncture, many believed in Him. For among the Pharisees is Nicodemus, the one to whom He first spoke of the time He will be lifted up (John 3:14)

 

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."  My study Bible points out that Jesus expects all who follow Him to be disciples; the Greek word translated as "disciples" literally means "learners."  To abide in His word, according to what He says here, the responsibility of all believers -- not simply the clergy or an elite class of zealots.  

 

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."   The truth is a reference both to the virtue of truth, and more importantly, to Christ Himself, my study Bible tells us (John 14:6).  To be free here is the freedom from darkness, confusion, and lies -- as well as the bondage from sin and death.

 

Jesus says, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  What is the freedom which Christ proclaims here?  We usually think of freedom in terms of political or social liberation to do the things we desire, the things we believe will make us happy.  But Christ offers freedom in an entirely different dimension, and one that affects the whole of our lives.  First we must consider Christ's repeated understanding of honor, and His condemnation of the religious leaders in that they seek the "honor of men" rather than the "honor of God."  In a dispute prior to the one we're reading about in chapter 8 (taking place at the Feast of Tabernacles), Jesus has asked them, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44).  St. John will emphasize the same contradictions in chapter 12.  The Gospel tells us that "nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).  So, in His teachings, we must first recognize the difference between seeking the world's praise and God's praise; we must determine from where (and from whom) our honor comes.  This beginning serves as liberation in myriad ways, for in it we are free to follow Christ, who has been sent by the Father to salvage and heal our lives in this sense.  We are free to find the "honor that comes from the only God" and find the joy which Jesus promises lies therein.  At the Last Supper, Jesus will teach, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11).  So, in the here and now, we are liberated through Christ's word and teachings, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and even the leading of the Father (Matthew 16:17; John 6:44-45).  In this sense we are freed from the limitations the world would impose upon the reality of God's promise for us, especially the ignorance of what it is to grow in God's likeness.  That path for each one of us is going to be unique, and only the One who will judge can help us with that, for it is only Christ who knows us deeply and thoroughly enough to lead us.  We cannot see this path for ourselves, and "the world" cannot know it.  This is what salvation is, liberation by and for that truth.  In many other ways also, Christ is Deliverer and Liberator.  He can free us from our sins and offer us the salvation of moving forward from them.  And in His Cross, in the Holy Communion offered to us, is even liberation from death, and an entire communion of saints in which we may also participate.  Let us note that when Christ speaks to the rich young ruler, teaching him to sell what he has, and to come and follow Him, this is also liberation from the things that tie him to a particular way of life and identification, so that he may be set free to truly follow God not simply in a legalistic sense, but in all the ways that Christ can offer, including the everlasting life the man asked for (Matthew 19:16–30; Mark 10:17–31; Luke 18:18–30).  Ultimately, Christ Himself is our truth, and it is the fullness of union -- in the wedding feast of our Bridegroom and the Church -- that takes us to the abundant life He promises.  But we need His truth, and the freedom it gives us, to get there. We need the confidence, healing, and strength we find in Him. 

 

 

 

 

I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  

 

The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."

 

Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."   These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

- John 8:12–20 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  We will continue reading about events at this Feast through the middle of chapter 10 of St. John's Gospel.  It is an eight-day festival, during which there are many commemorations and rites.  Jesus' teachings come against this backdrop, and highlight and fulfill many of the celebrations.  Yesterday we read that on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."   Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee." 

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."   For contextual purposes, it's important to know that the lectionary has skipped over a story normally found at John 7:53-8:11.  This is the story of the woman taken in adultery and accused before Christ.  She was presented to Him as a test for His judgment by the scribes and Pharisees, who seek to entrap Him.  Following the reading from yesterday, it continues the theme of judgment, and what constitutes righteous judgment (see yesterday's commentary).  The story of the woman taken in adultery, and Christ's response to the accusers, is not found in several ancient manuscripts.  It's not commented upon by St. John Chrysostom and other patristic sources.  We must assume this is why it is not included at this point in the lectionary.  Jesus' words, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life," further highlight the source of righteous judgment, and how we need His light to know where we are going.  These words were spoken, according to my study Bible, in the context of the great lamps which were lit at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles (on this last, great day of the Feast).  These great lamps were four huge golden menorah reaching approximately 75 feet high.  When they were lit at night, they illumined the whole of Jerusalem around the temple.  Jesus extends our understanding of God as light, and, as my study Bible notes, He is declaring Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  In the Scriptures, God is light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), which is an attribute God bestows on His followers (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  In the chapter that follows (John 9), this claim will be made manifest in the sign of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  

 

 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Continuing the themes of righteous judgment and the law, Jesus once again offers witnesses to His identity.  Previously in dispute with these same men, Jesus offered four witnesses, double the two required in the law (see John 5:31-47).  At that time, He named St. John the Baptist (whom He called "the burning and shining lamp"), the works that the Father gave Him to do, the Father who sent Him, and Moses who testified in the Scriptures to Him.  Here He offers Himself (as He knows where He came from and they do not), and the Father who sent Him.

 

 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."   These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.  As the Son and the Father share the same divine nature, one cannot be known apart from the other, my study Bible notes.  Jesus will later say to St. Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).  

 

Midst themes of justice and good judgment, Jesus speaks of the light that is common to Himself and to the Father:  "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  As the light of the world, and the light of life, it is the illumination for all that is necessary.  For without God's light, what do we understand of true justice, and, indeed, of righteous judgment?  In this sense, when Christ speaks of Himself as the light of the world, we are to understand that His illumination is for the righteousness (or "right-relatedness") of all things.  His words imply that if we are to know what we are doing, we need this light to understand ourselves, our world, and where we are headed.  To walk in darkness is also a metaphor for ignorance.  Ignorance is also a root of evil and of heresy, for partial or half-truths are also misleading, a darkness that leads us to stumble and to move in the wrong directions.  For our ancient pagan ancestors, and the earliest Christians among the Greco-Roman world, truth was not something they were strangers to.  In the Hellenistic culture of the period there already existed philosophy, mathematics, study of history, literature, drama, poetry, and many of the classical subjects that remain the pillars of what is considered a good education.  And it also should be noted that the earliest Fathers and great theologians of the Church, the best-educated men of their time (such as St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil, St. Gregory Nazianzus, St. Gregory of Nyssa), none of this education was discarded, but was put to use for the Church.  In the sight, therefore, of those who valued the truths of what was already known in their culture (such as, for example, the philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle), Christ was seen as a more full expression of truth, as the hope of illumination for things not known and understood, the light that would shine in the darkness so that God was illumined for all.  We can observe from the ancient plays such as those of Sophocles or Euripides that the notion of what constituted justice was already a highly debated and seriously considered ideal.  But Christ's righteousness indeed did become the light of the world for this educated class of those earliest centuries of the Church and the greatest minds of the time, and Christian theology was born from this understanding.  Christ's light is also the foundation of the mystical orientation of our faith, in which we join with St. Paul who writes of the greatest illumination as love.  He says, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:11-13).  So we look to the light of the world today, the One who shows us the way, who is love Himself, and illumines our own path to His greater understanding of the righteousness we so need.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water

 

 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 

 

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."   Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

 

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But his crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  

 

Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

 

- John 7:37–52 

 

In our present readings, Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  It is now the final year of His earthly life.  This particular section of the Gospel (John 7-10:21) covers events at that Feast, in which Christ's teachings reflect many of the practices and commemorations involved in this eight-day festival.  Yesterday we read that, about the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is  this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from?"  Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."  Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"  The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer,  and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"

 

 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  The last day, that great day of the feast is the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles.  My study Bible explains that the ceremony of the drawing of water provides the context for Christ's words, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink."  Living water, it says, is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the new life that accompanies this gift.   

 

 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."   Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  The Prophet is a reference to the expected Messiah, the Savior Moses foretold would come in Deuteronomy 18:15-19, according to my study Bible.  Those who argue about the lineage of David and the town of Bethlehem dispute over the prophecy regarding the place from which the Christ was expected to come (Micah 5:2).  The people believe that Christ's birthplace is Nazareth of Galilee, for that is where He was raised.  They do not know He was born in Bethlehem of Judea and is of the house and lineage of David (Luke 2:1-7).  

 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But his crowd that does not know the law is accursed."   The chief priests had sent officers of the temple to arrest Jesus in the middle of the feast (see verse 32 from yesterday's reading, above).  This is now the last, eighth day of the festival, and no arrest has been made.  These officers had been converted by Christ's teaching, my study Bible comments.  It cites St. John Chrysostom, who writes that the Pharisees and the scribes who had "witnessed the miracles and read the Scriptures derived no benefit" from either.  These officers, on the other hand, although they could claim none of the learning of the religious leaders, were "captivated by a single sermon."  When the mind is open, "there is no need for long speeches.  Truth is like that."

 

 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."  Nicodemus, we recall, had spoken with Jesus (John 3:1-21) and had increased in faith.  But, my study Bible says, his defense of Christ is still based on our law; this is not yet a public profession of faith (which he will make later; see John 19:38-39).  The law states that Jesus must be given a hearing before He can be judged (Exodus 23:1; Deuteronomy 1:15-17).  The Pharisees state that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.  But this is not true.  In the words of my study Bible, they are showing their blind hatred and their ignorance of the Scriptures, as the prophet Jonah came from Galilee, from the town of Gath Hepher, which was only three miles from Nazareth (2 Kings 14:25).  

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus had exhorted the religious leaders with whom He disputed, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  This was in the context of their complaint against Him that He had healed on the Sabbath (at a previous festival, the Feast of Weeks which commemorated the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai); see this reading for the story of that healing of the paralytic at the Bethesda pool.  But Jesus' words to these men at this festival are also prophetic, because we see the kind of judgment they're using now.  Where is the mercy or righteousness that goes into proper good judgment? (see the parable of Judgment, Matthew 25:31-46).  It cements for us the understanding of Christ as the ultimate and true Judge of all.  The temple police officers who were sent to arrest Him were stunned by His words when they heard Him preaching.  They echo, in a certain sense, the words of St. Peter when they say, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  St. Peter has said to Jesus on behalf of all the disciples, "You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68) in his confession that Jesus is the Christ.  But these officers have clearly felt and perceived those effects rendered by Christ words of eternal life, even if they don't have the learning of others regarding the Messiah.  Additionally, we're told that Nicodemus, who himself is a Pharisee, reminds his counterparts in the ruling council that they're not to judge a man without a fair hearing according to the law.  But their unfortunate response only digs them in more deeply within this unrighteous judgment they display.  Not only do they fail to uphold the law in the sense of condemning Jesus before giving Him a hearing, but they are meant to be the Scriptural experts, who spend all their time poring over the fine points of the commandments found therein.  Their scathing (and disparaging) response to Nicodemus is a display of their ignorance, for they fail to acknowledge the prophet Jonah and his origins in Galilee.  It is a true observation that throughout the Gospels, people do not remain static when it comes to Jesus.  Either they deepen their faith, or deepen and harden their attitudes against Him.  Here the Pharisees clearly display their further descent into error and blind hostility.  Their response undermines their claim to be those who would not have stoned the prophets (Matthew 23:30), and their fitness as the inheritors of the place of the judges of Israel.  We will observe their hardening attitudes as they progress through the Gospel.  The witness of all of the Gospels, including Christ's explicit condemnation of their behaviors (Matthew 23), teaches us that a long road of error may even lead to the incapacity for repentance, a hardness of heart that allows only for self-righteousness, not God's righteousness.  God's righteousness is an important theme for us in this chapter, as in yesterday's commentary the notion of honor was discussed.  Do we seek the honor that comes from pleasing God, or the honor that comes from pleasing other people?  This notion of the honor of the only God is intrinsically linked to God's righteousness (or, the righteousness that comes from God).  For that kind of righteousness comes from pleasing God and the notion of obedience and humility that describes.  For, as we read in the aforementioned parable of Judgment found in St. Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 25:31-46), righteousness in the sight of Christ is bound up with the practice of mercy and the discernment that asks of us.  Notions of good judgment can't be separated from the desire to please God, for the depth of insight in the teaching of love is something that only comes from God and the gift of the Holy Spirit; we're not born with this perfection, but must learn from the author of it (1 John 4:7-21).  Let us desire with the fullness of our hearts to learn the righteous judgment which Christ preaches, to be found in the gift of the rivers of living water He promises.

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He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him

 

 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  

 

The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

 

Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is  this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from?"  Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."  Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.  And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"  

 

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer,  and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"

 

- John 7:14–36 

 

Yesterday we read that, following Christ's teachings on His Body and Blood (the theme of chapter 6 of St. John's Gospel), and the rejection He encountered, Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.  But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."   However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.  

 

  Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"  Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?"  My study Bible suggests that the simple desire to know and follow God's will is the key to understanding it.  It says that spiritual blindness comes from unwillingness to know God or to recognize God's authority.  St. John Chrysostom paraphrases Christ as follows:  "Rid yourselves of wickedness: the anger, the envy, and the hatred, which have arisen in your hearts, without provocation, against Me.  Then you will have no difficulty in realizing that My words are actually those of God.  As it is, these passions darken your understanding and distort sound judgment.  If you remove these passions, you will no longer be afflicted in this way."  

 

 The people answered and said, "You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Jesus is referring to events that were recorded in chapter 5 of St. John's Gospel, in which He healed a man suffering from paralysis during the Feast of Weeks, understood to be the Old Testament Pentecost, which celebrated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai (see this reading).  The day of that healing was a Sabbath, and He was accused by the religious leaders of violating the Sabbath Law.  Here, as in Matthew 12:3-5, Jesus provides a "blameless" violation of the Sabbath, circumcision, to show that the law is not absolute over human need or service to God.  This is righteous judgment.  

 

 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is  this not He whom they seek to kill?  But look!  He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him.  Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?  However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from?"  Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.  But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me."   These crowds think they know where Jesus is from, but they're mistaken on two counts.  In an earthly sense, they believe Jesus to be from Nazareth in Galilee, but as we know, He was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Luke 2:1-7).  Moreover, in the divine sense, they can't understand that He has come from the Father in heaven.  He is, as the Creed states, eternally begotten before all ages (see John 1:1).  So therefore His eternal "origin" is also unknown to them.

 

 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer,  and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."  Here Jesus is referring to His death, Resurrection, and Ascension into heaven. 

 

Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?  Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?  What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"  To go among the Greeks means to go among the Greek-speakers (the lingua franca or international language of the time); in other words, to go among the Gentiles.   This is an unwitting prophecy, my study Bible says, which points to the time after Christ's Ascension, when His name will be preached among the Gentiles by the apostles.  

 

Once again, Jesus' defense before His accusers in Jerusalem focuses completely on His relationship with God the Father.   He tells them, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him."  Let us note that first of all here is His loyalty.  He is completely devoted to the Father, so much so, that even the doctrine He teaches is not His, but is rather that of the One who sent Him.  But this connection to the Father runs deeply within all people who sincerely seek it, similarly to the relationship to the Father among those who would come to Christ, as He stated in Tuesday's reading ("Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father").  Here He states boldly that if anyone wills to do God's will, he would be able to discern whether Christ's word was from God or from His own authority.  As He has stated before, this desire to serve God is directly linked to the notion of glory.  Glory is linked to honor, to reputation.  Do we seek the honor of God, or of ourselves?  It may seem, from a secular or materialist perspective, that this is a very idealistic way of thinking—that, of course, all people will seek their own glory.  But one may find in fact that life is anything but glorious with a completely self-centered approach.  The honor that comes from the only God has a way of elevating and uplifting in mysterious ways, and includes a tremendous gratitude at simply being able to serve, which goes far beyond social or worldly exaltation.  It is a way of lifting up the soul to serve God in this sense, something that must be experienced from the inside looking out.  This honor comes with a sense of blessing, and no doubt inspired so many across the centuries to sacrifice for love of God, even to martyrdom.  So let us yet again consider honor.  Where does it come from?  What is glory and how does it work?  Perhaps the glory of God is simply so great that even its reflection in our lives casts us in a light that illumines and uplifts.  How else do we understand Christ's love but in this light as well?