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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 to 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 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
Over the course of the past several readings, a great dialogue has taken place as Jesus has taught about Himself as the "bread of life." It began with the feeding of five thousand men, plus women and children (the fourth sign in John's Gospel) after which they wanted to forcefully make Him king. He eluded the crowd (the fifth sign in the Gospel, Jesus walked on the water to His disciples). When the people found Him in Capernaum, He began to teach them that they must labor for the food which endures to everlasting life, not that which perishes. To work the works of God, said Jesus, is to have faith in Him. Jesus taught that He is the bread of life, and those who partake through faith He wishes to raise with Him to everlasting life. That bread that He will give is His flesh, which He will give for the life of the world. He taught,"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him." 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. Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. The next section of John's Gospel (extending through a little more than three chapters) will deal with Jesus' visit to the temple in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast (also known as succoth or sukkot) figures prominently in the Gospels as a kind of backdrop, a reminder of the events of the Old Testament that prefigure Christ and work as a "type" of Christ, for which Jesus is the fulfillment. The Feast of Tabernacles is an eight-day autumn harvest festival, which commemorates the time when Israel wandered int eh wilderness of Sinai and people lived in tents (or "tabernacles"). With Passover and Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), this was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews. It included many sacrifices and celebrations (see Leviticus 23:33-43). Various aspects of this feast, such as drawing water from the pool of Siloam, or the lighting of great lamps in the outer court of the temple, will figure in the teachings of Jesus over the next few chapters. We are given to know that this is the final year of Jesus' ministry. His fame has spread; He is teaching in the temple and has attracted a great deal of public attention, as my study bible puts it. We remember that the term "the Jews" is used to designate not the people, but the religious leadership, who by now consider Jesus to be a threat.
His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go to 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 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. Jesus' "brothers" are extended family, kin in Galilee. They taunt Him to prove to the world who He is. When Jesus speak of His "time" this is usually to designate the time of His "glory" -- Passion, Crucifixion, death, 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 goes to the feast in the manner of a pilgrim -- "not openly" means not with grand, public display or entrance such as on Palm Sunday (John 12:12-16). The leadership seeks Him at the feast, and the crowds speak about Him in expectation. We hear the people like a Greek chorus: they are divided about Him, some thinking Him good, others as a deceiver. But all are afraid to speak openly for fear of the religious leaders.
It's interesting to think about the struggles that went on in Jesus' life. Here, His own relatives don't really believe in what He's teaching -- at least about His own identity. In tomorrow's reading we'll be given to understand that there are those (at the festival) who think He's mad. Here, His own kin taunt Him about going to the festival and showing Himself. The leadership feel threatened by Him and already want to do away with Him. It's very easy to ignore and to forget about the kinds of things that went on during Jesus' public ministry. We focus, properly, on His actions, His teachings, His voluntary sacrifice and death on the Cross, and the Resurrection. But we might all too easily overlook the struggles with which Jesus had to grapple. We can't really ignore the fact that one of His own chosen disciples was "a devil," as He said in yesterday's reading -- one who would betray Him. These struggles are important for many reasons, and we can't just ignore them as we are so wont to do. Somehow there persists a notion that having faith in Christ will convey to us a simply easy life, one in which we are always welcomed, or privy to the things that we desire, whatever they are. Telling the truth doesn't necessarily make us popular and well-liked. I don't believe the Gospels give us such a message, but there are particular ways in which we receive a spiritual blessedness, and the gifts of the Spirit. These are blessings that don't necessarily have much to do with a successful social or worldly life. And as blessings they do come even as the result of struggling with obstacles, in faith, just as Jesus does in His example to us all. In Galatians 5:22, St. Paul names the fruit of the Spirit as including love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If we look at each of these virtues, we can see how challenging experiences can be opportunities to help build and experience them. Of course, every situation is an opportunity for choice, one way and another, but the fruit of the Spirit comes from passing through things with faith, and seeking to understand God's way through whatever it is we are blessed to deal with in life, "good" or "bad." Altogether, there is a balance here that we need to see: Jesus Himself does not live a charmed, perfect life in the sense that there is no trouble nor difficulty. Everybody does not respond to Him with love or faith. And I can't help but wonder -- as many have before me -- how that hurts the heart of Christ, even the love of God the Father. After all, everything in the Gospels points to the great love that God (Father, Son, and Spirit) has for us, and the great desire for us to simply return that love. It's got to be enough for us to know how much we are loved, and in that knowledge we must see our lives in a particular way. In that light, challenges can come to mean that we may have depths we don't know about: of creativity and resourcefulness, of hope and strength, of patience and forbearance. We may learn we've got wells of kindness even when the world isn't kind to us. And we just might discover the capacity to love someone who has not perfectly loved us. In that way, we do become God-like, and that might just be the most important thing of all.
