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After these things 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.
- John 7:1-13
Yesterday, we read that many of Jesus followers turned away from Him. This was because (as we read in Wednesday's reading) He taught: "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve,and one of you is a devil?" He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. My study bible says, "This section (chs. 7-9) tells of Jesus' visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (v. 2). At this festival, during the last year of His earthly life, Jesus taught in the temple and attracted a great deal of public attention. Some thought Him mad, others believed Him to be the Messiah, and still others (Sadducees and Pharisees who were members of the Sanhedrin) considered Him a threat to the religious and political status quo (ch. 7). The Jews, that is, the Jewish leaders, sought to kill Him."
Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. The Feast of Tabernacles (in Hebrew succoth) is an eight-day autumn festival. It's a harvest festival which commemorates the wanderings of ancient Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. That is, the time when Israel lived in "tabernacles" (or tents), temporary movable shelters (also called booths). In the Greek, the word for the festival means something like "pitching tents." "Along with Passover and Pentecost, Tabernacles was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews," says my study bible.
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." My study bible tells us that Jesus brothers are "members of His wider family clan who do not believe in Him. The Eastern Fathers understood brothers as stepbrothers, sons of Joseph by a previous wife; while the Western Fathers understood them to be first or second cousins. Never are they called sons of Mary."
"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. It's not just a time of turning away, as we read in yesterday's reading. But here, the Gospel makes clear it's also a time of ridicule; even those who are of His extended family do not believe in Him. But, as we read in commentary from Church Fathers yesterday, the good will use even evil things to good purposes. Jesus is always aware of the reality around Him, especially the thoughts of others concerning Him. The Gospel never shrinks from this. Often, Jesus will refer to His time, or more specifically His hour, as meaning the time of His Passion, death, and Resurrection.
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. "Not openly," says my study bible, "means not publicly, as in the case of the Triumphal Entry (12:12-16)." The Gospel gives us the backdrop: Jesus is a figure of great controversy among the people, but all are afraid of openly speaking for fear of the leadership, which seeks Him.
John's Gospel never shrinks from controversy. We're given a picture of what is happening here. Jesus is not universally recognized as Messiah. He's a subject of great debate among the people. And, even among His own followers, His teachings prove to be too difficult for some, and they fall away (see yesterday's reading). And the controversy here was not to stop for these early followers of Jesus. Although we will read about His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem in future chapters, this comes at the beginning of Holy Week, when Jesus knows it is time for His final confrontation with the authorities and the religious leadership, who will send Him to Pilate for conviction under Roman law. And so, we can't really forget what lies ahead for Him. This is an important part of the story, an important piece of what is happening here. Jesus must accept it and do something with it. Our Sovereign in no way compels anyone to faith in these chapters. No one is forced to claim obedience. He is not a political messiah. And even one of His own chosen Twelve will betray Him, "is a devil" as He said in yesterday's reading. If the Gospel doesn't flinch from these realities, neither should we. Our Scripture does not present Jesus in a way that suggests an all-powerful monarch who can't accept any sign of lack of total and complete obedience. Rather, He's set down into the human condition, into a highly imperfect world, ruled by "the prince of this world," in order to liberate us from that which keeps us from being truly free, from accepting the truth and the freedom He offers. But "total victory" does not come in a picture of the kind of worldly success that we imagine adoring crowds to give. That happens at His Triumphal Entry, but that's a false success, so to speak, a fleeting moment. It's not the real Triumph. John's Gospel will always point us to something more and deeper, something beyond the surface of what appears to be. Neither does it ever turn away from unpleasant truths, a less than stellar success (in worldly terms) of His ministry, or even personal failings of His followers. No, the good, that is Christ and His full ministry, succeeds in spite of the antagonism, the hostility, the controversy. And He succeeds despite suffering and death. The success here really doesn't have anything to do with the conventional or worldly way we define success, such as the seeking of fame or wealth or political power and influence. No, the success here is the fulfillment of Jesus' mission. That's what He's concerned about, and in terms of His disciples, He's concerned with losing none who come to Him in faith. Those who fall away He lets go of. Here, in today's reading, He goes to the festival in secret, without fanfare, without a great retinue or a Triumphal Entry. He doesn't need that. But He goes using the circumstances for good, to do what God the Father asks of Him. When we face adversity and hardship, we'd be best off remembering this Gospel, what real success is, and the measure of fulfillment we aspire to. That's where our faith takes us and where our true measure is.
