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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
In yesterday's reading, Jesus was at the Feast of Weeks in Jerusalem. He was speaking to the leadership, who attacked Him after He healed a paralytic and told him to "Take up your bed and walk," thus violating a Sabbath rule concerning the carrying of burdens. Jesus said, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is
righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father
who sent Me. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.
There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness
which He witnesses of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has
borne witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony from man,
but I say these things that you may be saved. He was the burning and
shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.
But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father
has given Me to finish -- the very works I do -- bear witness of Me,
that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has
testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen
His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He
sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them
you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of
Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not
receive Me; if another comes in His own name, him you will receive. How
can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek
the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall
accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom
you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he
wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you
believe My words?"
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. The lectionary skips over chapter 6 (we'll return to it after this week). In chapter 6, there are quite a few events that engage great multitudes and thus give His ministry more publicity. Here in chapter 7 through 10, we'll be reading the events of a visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, which covers eight days. This festival occurs during the last year of His earthly life. He teaches in the temple and attracts a great deal of public attention. My study bible says, "Some thought Him mad (v. 20); others believed Him to be the Messiah (vv. 31, 40); and still others (such as the Sadducees and the Pharisees) considered Him to be a threat. The Jews who sought to kill Him are the religious leaders and not the people in general."
Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew Succoth or Sukkot) is an eight-day festival at the time of the autumn harvest. It commemorates the time when Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai, and people lived in tents (or tabernacles), also sometimes called booths. With Passover and Pentecost (the Jewish Pentecost was the festival Jesus was attending in our previous reading, from chapter 5), this was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews, according to my study bible. It included many sacrifices and celebrations (Leviticus 23:33-43). Later, the final day of the feast included drawing water from the pool of Siloam to be mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar, as purification and remembrance of the water flowing from the rock Moses struck (Exodus 17:1-7). It also included the lighting of the great lamps in the outer court of the temple. All of these things are alluded to in the reading ahead as we encounter Jesus' statements that reflect elements of these events.
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. In the Middle and Near East, the term "brothers" is still today used to designate cousins and other extended family. Therefore, these "brothers" are members of Jesus' kin in Nazareth. John's Gospel has already referenced Jesus' statement that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country, which is also quoted in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (see Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4, Luke 4:24, John 4:44). Here John gives us an illustration of this from Jesus' own life.
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. That Jesus testifies to the evil works of the world is a repeated theme. We know the motivations of the leadership ("I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you") and we've already been told about those from Galilee who believed because they saw the marvelous works done by Jesus at an earlier Passover festival, but whom Jesus would not entrust Himself to, because He knew what was in their hearts and understood the minds of all people (John 2:24). In chapter 3, when we're told that Christ came to us because "God so loved the world," He also tells us that "the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Jesus' hour is the time of His open confrontation with the leadership, during Holy Week - and 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. Jesus doesn't go up to the feast "openly" in the sense of the same kind of entrance He makes in Holy Week, on Palm Sunday. We can see the division among the people concerning Jesus. It's like a chorus, reflecting the people. But even the people are afraid to speak "openly," because of the authority of the leadership and their hostility to Jesus.
We have a lot of themes about choices and decisions regarding the Light that's come into the world. Why do people turn away? Why are they divided? What's in people's hearts and minds? These are the things we think about in John's Gospel. While it speaks of the greatest love of all, and the brilliant light given us as gift, it reminds us also about our own perceptions and reactions. What motivations do we have? Here we see even Jesus' extended family mocks Him, despite the great "signs" He's done, despite the obvious faith of His own mother, despite the disciples who follow Him. And that tells us something very important. Faith is not about proximity, it's not about what group we're from, nor even physical kinship. This faith -- and thereby the love between God and ourselves -- depends upon things that are deeper than flesh and blood, deeper than the ties the world bestows upon us. It goes into decisions made in the depths of the heart, at that place where creature and Creator meet. It's a place that's so often mysterious in us that we can choose to ignore it if we wish. But sometimes it calls out to us in ways we can't explain, no matter how much we may try to ignore it or hide from it. It's in that mystery that the love of God lies within us, the depths of the heart. Really, all we have to do is give it a little attention, or open up a little in prayer, to ask. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you," Jesus says (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:10). It just takes some genuine asking, seeking, and knocking. The love of God really takes care of the rest if our own impulse is truly genuine. But for this, there's a lot we put aside. What gets in the way? Here we see the envy of the leadership, and perhaps also of Jesus' "brothers." This is one of the "evil" things people would rather not bring to the light, and so hide and stay in that place where light isn't allowed into the heart. It might change too much, shake up one's world, rid oneself of a particular kind of self-centeredness we'd rather hang onto for all kinds of reasons we could give. Whatever it is, think about this great and tremendous love of God, and the light of Christ. What's worth more than that? We're given a great picture in the Gospels, so much is at stake. There are so many conflicting motivations, opinions, understandings. Nothing is left out here. But it comes down to what is in the heart, the deepest place within. All we have to do is to ask, and seek, and knock. How many of us try that? And repeat? God's love teaches us what we need to sweep away for its fullness. It's a lifelong way to live. All it takes is our attention, and everything comes from that. Just like with anyone else we love.
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. The lectionary skips over chapter 6 (we'll return to it after this week). In chapter 6, there are quite a few events that engage great multitudes and thus give His ministry more publicity. Here in chapter 7 through 10, we'll be reading the events of a visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, which covers eight days. This festival occurs during the last year of His earthly life. He teaches in the temple and attracts a great deal of public attention. My study bible says, "Some thought Him mad (v. 20); others believed Him to be the Messiah (vv. 31, 40); and still others (such as the Sadducees and the Pharisees) considered Him to be a threat. The Jews who sought to kill Him are the religious leaders and not the people in general."
Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew Succoth or Sukkot) is an eight-day festival at the time of the autumn harvest. It commemorates the time when Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai, and people lived in tents (or tabernacles), also sometimes called booths. With Passover and Pentecost (the Jewish Pentecost was the festival Jesus was attending in our previous reading, from chapter 5), this was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews, according to my study bible. It included many sacrifices and celebrations (Leviticus 23:33-43). Later, the final day of the feast included drawing water from the pool of Siloam to be mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar, as purification and remembrance of the water flowing from the rock Moses struck (Exodus 17:1-7). It also included the lighting of the great lamps in the outer court of the temple. All of these things are alluded to in the reading ahead as we encounter Jesus' statements that reflect elements of these events.
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. In the Middle and Near East, the term "brothers" is still today used to designate cousins and other extended family. Therefore, these "brothers" are members of Jesus' kin in Nazareth. John's Gospel has already referenced Jesus' statement that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country, which is also quoted in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (see Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4, Luke 4:24, John 4:44). Here John gives us an illustration of this from Jesus' own life.
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. That Jesus testifies to the evil works of the world is a repeated theme. We know the motivations of the leadership ("I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you") and we've already been told about those from Galilee who believed because they saw the marvelous works done by Jesus at an earlier Passover festival, but whom Jesus would not entrust Himself to, because He knew what was in their hearts and understood the minds of all people (John 2:24). In chapter 3, when we're told that Christ came to us because "God so loved the world," He also tells us that "the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Jesus' hour is the time of His open confrontation with the leadership, during Holy Week - and 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. Jesus doesn't go up to the feast "openly" in the sense of the same kind of entrance He makes in Holy Week, on Palm Sunday. We can see the division among the people concerning Jesus. It's like a chorus, reflecting the people. But even the people are afraid to speak "openly," because of the authority of the leadership and their hostility to Jesus.
We have a lot of themes about choices and decisions regarding the Light that's come into the world. Why do people turn away? Why are they divided? What's in people's hearts and minds? These are the things we think about in John's Gospel. While it speaks of the greatest love of all, and the brilliant light given us as gift, it reminds us also about our own perceptions and reactions. What motivations do we have? Here we see even Jesus' extended family mocks Him, despite the great "signs" He's done, despite the obvious faith of His own mother, despite the disciples who follow Him. And that tells us something very important. Faith is not about proximity, it's not about what group we're from, nor even physical kinship. This faith -- and thereby the love between God and ourselves -- depends upon things that are deeper than flesh and blood, deeper than the ties the world bestows upon us. It goes into decisions made in the depths of the heart, at that place where creature and Creator meet. It's a place that's so often mysterious in us that we can choose to ignore it if we wish. But sometimes it calls out to us in ways we can't explain, no matter how much we may try to ignore it or hide from it. It's in that mystery that the love of God lies within us, the depths of the heart. Really, all we have to do is give it a little attention, or open up a little in prayer, to ask. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you," Jesus says (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:10). It just takes some genuine asking, seeking, and knocking. The love of God really takes care of the rest if our own impulse is truly genuine. But for this, there's a lot we put aside. What gets in the way? Here we see the envy of the leadership, and perhaps also of Jesus' "brothers." This is one of the "evil" things people would rather not bring to the light, and so hide and stay in that place where light isn't allowed into the heart. It might change too much, shake up one's world, rid oneself of a particular kind of self-centeredness we'd rather hang onto for all kinds of reasons we could give. Whatever it is, think about this great and tremendous love of God, and the light of Christ. What's worth more than that? We're given a great picture in the Gospels, so much is at stake. There are so many conflicting motivations, opinions, understandings. Nothing is left out here. But it comes down to what is in the heart, the deepest place within. All we have to do is to ask, and seek, and knock. How many of us try that? And repeat? God's love teaches us what we need to sweep away for its fullness. It's a lifelong way to live. All it takes is our attention, and everything comes from that. Just like with anyone else we love.
