If You do these things, show Yourself to the world

 

 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, 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, following Christ's eucharistic teaching on the eating of His Body and Blood, 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.  Today's reading begins an entire section, spanning approximately three chapters (John 7:1-10:21), which tells of Christ's visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, over a period of eight days.  This festival comes during the final year of Christ's earthly life.  During this time in Jerusalem, He taught in the temple and attracted a great deal of public attention.  My study Bible comments that some thought Him mad (John 7:20); others believed He was the Messiah (verses 31, 40); and still others (such as the Sadducees and the Pharisees) considered Him to be a threat (verses 32, 45-52).  The Jews who sought to kill Him are the religious leaders, and not the people in general.  We recall that the term "the Jews" as used in John's Gospel most often refers to the religious leaders; virtually all the people in the events spoken of in this section are Jews, including Jesus and the author of this Gospel.  The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew Sukkot) is an eight-day autumn harvest festival, which commemorates the time when Israel was wandering in the wilderness of Sinai, and the people lived in tents, or "tabernacles."  Together with Passover and the Old Testament Pentecost (or the Feast of Weeks; see this reading), this was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews.  My study Bible explains that it included many sacrifices and celebrations (Leviticus 23:33-43).  In later times, it says, 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.  This was used both as a purification and in remembrance of the water flowing from the rock struck by Moses (Exodus 17:1-7).  It also included the lighting of the great lamps in the outer court of the temple (see 2 Maccabees 10:5-9).  Each of these events as backdrop for the actions and teachings of Christ at this festival will play an important role in understanding His ministry.

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, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.   Christ's brothers are not children of Mary, the mother of Christ.  In Jewish usage (and even today across the Middle East), the term "brother" may be used to indicate a variety of relations.  In the Old Testament Scriptures, Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  The English word "brethren" still retains this sense of belonging to the same family or clan.  My study Bible explains that Christ Himself had no blood brothers; Mary had only one Son, Jesus.  The brothers spoken of here are either stepbrothers (that is, sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or they are cousins.  When Christ commits His mother to the care of the disciple John at the Cross (John 19:25-27), we should understand that such an act would have been unthinkable if Mary had other children to care for her.  

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.  My study Bible explains that not openly means not with a grand, public entrance, such as on Palm Sunday (John 12:12-16).  

John's Gospel begins to show us the disturbing signs of opposition to Christ's ministry.  And it is clearly notable that, while Christ proclaims He is sent from the Father, and that it is the Father who draws people to Him (indicating this is clearly the will of the Father), there is nonetheless a menacing opposition to what He is doing.  So threatening it is that He has declared (in yesterday's reading, above) that one of the twelve whom He has chosen, "is a devil," speaking of Judas Iscariot, who will eventually betray Him.  Jesus has also begun His final year of earthly life, which we understand because John's Gospel names the festivals at which He goes and participates in Jerusalem.  As we begin today's chapter (the beginning of a section spanning the next three chapters and events at the Feast of Tabernacles), we are given to understand that Jesus is already knowingly facing great opposition from the religious leaders in Jerusalem, who now in fact seek to kill Him.  It's an ominous beginning for this new chapter, and this final year of Christ's life.  His own brothers (His kinfolk, or extended family) also oppose Him to some extent; even they don't believe His message nor the claims of His identity.  In fact, they challenge Him to "show Himself," telling 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."  This taunting challenge is, effectively a death sentence which sooner or later will manifest, given the hostility He faces in Jerusalem.  While Jesus declines to openly take up their challenge, He will, of course, face what is coming nonetheless, and go to the festival without fanfare.  Of course, nothing Jesus does can possibly go unnoticed, and everything He does only contributes to the controversies surrounding Him.  What He does is too great to be hidden.  Let us, for now, understand the deadly serious challenge He faces from men who, for the sake of their own power, will contrive to get rid of Him whatever way they can, the mocking of His own extended family, and the deep betrayal that is coming from within.  For all of these challenges face the human Jesus, who nonetheless will follow where His divine Father leads.  While He is both fully human and fully divine, we nonetheless must at the very least admire His courage, and be ever grateful for His love.  For He goes, not for Himself, but for us.