Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment

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 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

In yesterday's reading, John's Gospel spoke of the controversy that now follows Jesus. Many of His disciples had fallen away, and we know that He will also be betrayed by one of the Twelve. Yet, we also have Peter's confession of faith, in speaking for the apostles, that He is the Christ. Yesterday, we read about the taunting of Jesus' brethren. It is the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn festival. They tell Him that He should to to Judea and show Himself to the world. Jesus told 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." While His brothers went to the festival in Jerusalem, He remained in Galilee. But then He also went, in secret, without fanfare. At the feast, the leadership was looking for Him. The common people disputed about 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 temple leadership.

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?" The leadership, of course, is schooled in the law. Having studied with great and famous rabbis, they take their own authority through such study and debate. Where do Christ's teachings and authority and knowledge come from? How is it He knows and understands the Scriptures as He does?

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." Jesus speaks of His own humility before the Father, His full desire to do the will of God. We recall His words during His teaching on the Bread of Life, citing prophesy: "And they shall all be taught by God." He added, "Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." Here He repeats the same theme. It is the glory of God in Him; He is sent, and those who know and love the Father will understand Him and whence His doctrine comes. He is asking them to listen and understand: Does Jesus seek His own glory, or the glory of the One who sent Him? This is how to perceive righteousness. If we can paraphrase, Jesus is speaking of His love for the Father - it is this love and relationship that should speak of righteousness.

"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 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 refers to the leadership, the ones who seek to persecute Him for healing the paralytic at the Feast of Weeks, the Jewish feast of Pentecost. They will fail to follow the law properly in their persecution of Him, but there is more that He is saying. What is the purpose of the Law? Who is God that has given the Law? Listen to the love of God in Him and observe the love with which He heals. My study bible says, "Jesus implies that healing the paralytic on the Sabbath is a greater obedience to the will of God than circumcising on the Sabbath." John, the author of this Gospel, is the same apostle who will teach in his Epistle that God is love.

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." Jesus speaks directly to the leadership, saying precisely what He wants to say, and others marvel at the power of His words. It is so amazing to them that they wonder if the leadership knows this is truly the Christ. We hear the controversies of the people, and we remember the things He's been told while He taught in the synagogue at Capernaum. But Jesus once again interprets what they say, and gives them back His reminder of His teachings: If they knew His Father, they would understand Him and know Him and that He is sent from the Father. My study bible notes, "This is an ignorant claim filled with irony: they know Jesus' human origin, but not His divine origin."

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?" His hour will be the time of His Passion and Crucifixion. In yesterday's reading, He told His brethren, "My time has not yet come." My study bible notes, interestingly, that Christ, in another attribute of the divine in Him, is also Lord of time. Whatever political machinations the leadership use against Him, "His hour" will come voluntarily -- at the time the Father wills. Once again, we see the controversy among the people (in contrast to the religious leadership); they are divided in all their opinions of Him.

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'?" Although they send officers to take Him, as He has said, His hour has not yet come. But He continues to speak to them, and in this time He alludes to what they cannot understand: His death, Resurrection and Ascension. Again, John's Gospel invites us in by giving us teachings of Jesus that people understand with common reference -- but which will open up to us as the Gospel progresses. To teach among the Greeks means to go among the Jewish diaspora throughout the Greek-speaking Mediterranean world (Greek being a common language at the time, in the similar sense that English is now a commonly-learned language across borders). Indeed, the Gospels themselves are written in Greek, as is the full New Testament. Even the Old Testament, through the Septuagint, was commonly studied in the Greek. At this time, there were also Greek-speaking peoples who became Jews through conversion, and the Gospels teach us of those who came to the Festivals and heard Jesus. My study bible says, "Their question bears a tinge of irony. By the time this Gospel was written, the Christian faith had spread throughout much of the Gentile world." We understand Jesus' words, and again they reflect back upon the teachings of the relationship between Father and Son; Jesus will return to the Father, and there they will not find Him, just as they cannot understand that He is sent from the Father.

Over and over again, we are taught about the relationship of Father and Son. But Jesus' words teach us more than this, the theology of the Church. Jesus teaches us about love. He is loyal to the Father in all things. In all things He does the will of the Father, which is love. But there is still more: those who love the Father should also recognize this in Him, and that is where they fail. Where is their great love for Moses, for the Scriptures, for the Law, if they cannot understand the aim behind the law, the love of God? Where is that love in them, if they cannot understand the love that is in Him and the works He does? This is a story about relationship, and more, it is a teaching for us about love, love as the nature and character of God, and love as the basis of faith. In this sense, faith can teach us all about love, and an enduring and growing and deepening faith within ourselves can also teach us about love. We live in a world that is far less than perfect. Christ said to His brethren, in yesterday's reading, we repeat once more: "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." The light that came into the world brought us love, testifies of love, teaches of love, works in love. Our faith in spirit and truth gives us one great gift, the gift of love. We may not understand love perfectly from the world, but our faith can teach us how to grow in this understanding; love gives us discipline and grace, and faith teaches us who we are in God's love. How does God teach you today? Let us learn of righteous judgment.