My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready

 

 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 chapter 6 of St. John's Gospel, Jesus spoke to the people regarding Himself as the bread of heaven.  Much of His teaching concerned the eating of His Body and Blood, and the discourse that ensued is a teaching on the Eucharist and shapes our understanding of it.  Yesterday we read that 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.  The Jews who sought to kill Jesus are the religious leaders (based in Jerusalem which is in Judea), and not the people in general.  

 

Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew Sukkot) is an eight-day autumn harvest festival which commemorates the time when Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai and the people lived in tents (or tabernacles).  Together with Passover and Pentecost, this was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews.  This festival included many sacrifices and celebrations (Leviticus 23:33-43).  My study Bible explains that in later times, the final day of this feast also included drawing water from the pool of Siloam to be mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar, both as purification and in remembrance of the water flowing from the rock that Moses struck (Exodus 17:1-7).  Additionally, it included the lighting of the great lamps in the outer court of the temple.  Today's reading begins a section of the Gospel (John 7:1 - 10:21) which covers Jesus' visit to Jerusalem at this Feast.  The entire section covers eight days.  This is now the final year of Christ's earthly life.  My study Bible comments that at this festival, He taught in the temple and attracted a great deal of public attention.  Some thought He was mad; others believed Him to be the Messiah; and still others considered Him to be a threat.  

 

 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.   Jesus' brothers are either step-brothers (children of St. Joseph through a marriage prior to that of himself and the Virgin Mary), or they are cousins.  Even to this day, the word "brothers" is used for varied relationships in the Middle and Near East.  My study Bible cites this tradition throughout the Old Testament Scriptures.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother"; Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother"; and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (Genesis 14:14; Ruth 4:3; 1 Samuel 20:9).  Christ had no blood brothers.  In this Gospel, we will read that Jesus commits His mother to the care of St. John, the writer of our Gospel, at the Cross (John 19:25-27), which would have been unthinkable if she had other children to care for her.  

 

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' words reflect themes told to us elsewhere in the Gospel, particularly John 3:19-20, Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus on those practicing evil, and hatred of the light.

 

 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, according to my study Bible, means not with a grand, public entrance as He will do on Palm Sunday (John 12:12-16).

 

Jesus says to His brothers, "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."  Once again, as with all things concerning Christ, we have to understand His words in the light of His relationship to the Father, and the mission with which He's entrusted as incarnate Son and Savior.  Jesus has God the Father to please, and from whom He receives all honor.  In an earlier dispute with the religious leaders in Jerusalem, Jesus asked, "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?" (John 5:44).  St. Augustine contrasts this sense of glory with worldly glory in his commentary on this passage.  We read Christ's words with the memory of His words to Nicodemus as cited above.  Christ's glory comes not from what others say about Him, but from pleasing God, and finding honor in that.  St. Augustine writes, "But our Lord was laying down another road to that very exaltation, that is, humility.… 'My time,' He says, that is, the time of My glory when I shall come to judge on high is not yet come; but your time, that is, the glory of the world, is always ready . . .'" (Tractates on the Gospel of John 28.5-7).  This concept of glory is related to renown, reputation, whereas humility seeks first the glory that comes from God.  As Jesus says here, the world hates Him because He testifies that its works are evil, for in humility He seeks to please the Father, and not the world.  His mission given from the Father is to testify to the truth of God; indeed, it is to be the truth in the world:  "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).  Thus, the hatred of His witness and testimony, for those who prefer darkness do not like the light to shine on their works.  But let us note that Jesus will go to the Festival, only it will happen in His own way, and not the ways of worldly glory, for this is the path that truth must take until the proper time, His proper "hour" at Jerusalem.  Let us consider all of the obstacles to our Lord's mission when we find ourselves stymied by things in our own lives that delay, distract, and block our progress and how we think things should go.  For Jesus Himself finds all kinds of obstacles, including even His brethren who do not understand Him nor know Him as the Christ.  But truth, like the "living water" Jesus will teach about in this chapter, must find its own proper way in a world of obstacles and setbacks where truth is often not welcome.  Even Christ finds a different way in a world that does not share His values of glory or honor.  Let us seek our way in prayer, as He does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready

 

 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 after Christ's preaching regarding the eating of His Body and His 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.   As we begin chapter 7, we open up a section of the Gospel of John which includes chapters 7, 8, 9 and part of 10 (John 7 - 10:21).  This is a section that covers Christ's visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles.  The entire section covers an eight-day period.  At this festival, taking place during the final year of Christ's earthly life, Jesus taught in the temple and He attracted a great deal of public attention.  (This is already understood as something Jesus is aware of and wary about, as we're told He did not want to walk in Judea, for He's aware the religious leaders now seek to kill Him.)  Some of the people thought Jesus was mad (verse 20), some believed He is the Messiah (verses 31, 40) -- and others, such as the Sadducees and the Pharisees considered Him a threat (verses 32, 45-52).  The Jews who sought to kill Him refers to the religious leaders, and not the people in general.  At the approximate time of the writing of this Gospel, followers of Jesus had begun to be persecuted in the synagogues (and by the Romans), and the term "Christian" is first used.  The author of the Gospel, Jesus and His followers, and all the others in the stories of this section are Jews.

 

 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, is an eight-day autumn harvest festival.  It commemorates the time when Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai.  During that time, the people lived in tents, or "tabernacles."  Together with Passover and Pentecost, my study Bible explains, this was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews.  It included many sacrifices and celebrations (Leviticus 23:33-43).  In later times, the final day included drawing water from the pool of Siloam, to be mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar, both as purification and in remembrance of the water flowing from the rock struck by Moses (Exodus 17:1-7), and we will read this significance in Christ's acts and preaching.  Moreover the lighting of the great lamps in the outer court of the temple provide a backdrop for Christ's discourses and images of light invoked.  See also 2 Maccabees 10:5-9.

 

 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.  Christ's brothers are either stepbrothers from an earlier marriage of His earthly guardian Joseph, or they are other extended family such as cousins.  In Middle Eastern usage, then and now, the term "brother" can mean all of these.  As we can see, His relatives have not yet understood His identity and mission (see also, for example, Matthew 12:46-50).  For examples of the use of the word brother to indicate any number of relations, see Genesis 14:14 in which Abram's nephew Lot is referred to as his "brother"; Ruth 4:3, in which Boaz speaks of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother"; and 2 Samuel 20:9 in which Joab calls his cousin Amasa "brother."  Christ had no blood brothers, as Mary had only one Son:  Jesus.  This is the witness of the Church and the Gospels.  My study Bible mentions that Christ commits His mother to the care of John (the author of this Gospel) at the Cross (John 19:25-27), which indeed would have been unthinkable if Mary had 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.   That will initiate the events of "His time" to which He refers above (verses 6, 8).

 

 In all things, we seem to read about Christ's discernment.  We might think that, in His identity as Son of the Living God (see St. Peter's confession from yesterday's reading, above, John 6:69) Jesus can simply do anything He wants.  While He speaks truths quite valiantly (again, as in our recent readings in which He speaks of eating His Body and Blood), and accepts the consequences -- such as many of His followers leaving Him, Jesus is also always discerning.  He does not simply come out and conquer.  Neither does He force.  Rather, in the words of St. Athanasius we quoted in yesterday's commentary, Christ speaks and acts in ways not to compel, but to persuade.  So it is in today's reading when He chooses not to go up to this festival "openly"; that is, not in the way He will enter Jerusalem to initiate His final week on earth, His Passion, and Holy Week.  Notice the attention paid to time, and to the proper time.  Each moment has its own importance.  At this time it's important for Christ not to go to Jerusalem openly, but "in secret."  At the time of the next Passover Feast, He will go with a very public awareness of His travel to and entrance into Jerusalem.  So we should learn from Christ about discernment, about a prayerful life.  What God has prepared us for is one thing, but to confuse what may be proper at one time with what is proper at another is a mistake that may lead to an unfortunate conclusion.  Christ lives a prayerful life, always in obedience to God the Father, always seeking the correct way to live His ministry at each juncture and development.  Now it is not the proper time for an open or flagrant conflict with the religious authorities.  But there will come a time when it is proper to go to His Passion.  Let us learn from Him and from His discernment.  As we observed earlier (and in commentary on yesterday's passage), Christ seeks to persuade, not to compel.  Both His words (as in yesterday's reading) and His actions (as in today's) speak of this need in His ministry for a conduct that indeed fulfills all righteousness (Matthew 3:15).  In His loyalty and love of the Father, Christ's ministry unfolds as it is fitting and right, with prayer and discernment, always seeking the Father's will.  So it should be in our own lives, as imperfectly as we might be discerning in comparison to Christ.  But this is the image He gives us of the way to serve, and to live our faith.  So let us be faithful to it as He is. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil

 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

After Jesus taught, He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him (Monday's reading), we read (in yesterday's reading) that 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.  Once again, we remember that in John's Gospel, the term "the Jews" is used as akin to a political affiliation, and most often refers to the leadership of the Council.  At this point, His renown has spread, He has already had confrontations regarding healing and the Sabbath rest (at the previous Feast, the second Passover recorded in John's Gospel), and given controversial teachings at the synagogue in Capernaum for which many disciples turned away.  He remains in Galilee, away from the powerful rule of the religious leadership in Judea at the temple in Jerusalem.

Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  The following several chapters involve our Lord's visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, and the entire section will cover eight days.  This is the last year of Jesus' life as Incarnate Man.  Here at this Festival, Jesus taught in the temple at Jerusalem and attracted a great deal of public attention.  y study bible says that some thought Him mad, and others believed Him to be the Messiah.  There are still others (such as the Sadducees and Pharisees, chief parties making up the Council) who consider Him to be a threat.  Those who seek to kill Him (verse 1, above) are the religious leadership, not the people in general. The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew Succoth or Sukkot) is an eight-day festival occurring in autumn.  It is an autumn harvest festival, but commemorates the time when Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai, and people lived in tents (or booths or tabernacles), rather than permanent dwellings.  Together with Passover and the Jewish Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), this was one of the most important festivals of the ancient Jews.  It included many sacrifices and celebrations (Leviticus 23:33-43).  In later times, says my study bible, the final day of this feast also included drawing water from the pool of Siloam to be mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar, both as purification and also commemoration of the water flowing from the rock that was struck by Moses (Exodus 17:1-7).  Further, the ceremonies included lighting of the great lamps in the outer court of the temple (see 2 Maccabees 10:5-9).  All of these elements will be reflected in Jesus' acts and teachings through this next section of John's Gospel.

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.  Jesus' brothers are extended family, perhaps either children born to Joseph in an earlier marriage or cousins or other extended relations, for whom it is still common to use the term "brothers" throughout the Middle East today.  Jesus articulates the importance of time and also His complete awareness of His mission ("My hour has not yet come").  He articulates a difference between the world, or a "worldly" point of view, and one that is capable of receiving Him in faith.  He says, "I testify of [the world] that its works are evil."  There is a clear difference here in how one views Christ and His works, between a worldly and a faithful perspective.

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 without a grand sort of appearance, such as the one He will make on Palm Sunday (12:12-16).  The text gives us the setting among the people:  they argue and dispute among one another about Jesus, but none will speak openly, for fear of the leadership in the temple, who seek Jesus.

John's Gospel gives us many personal hints about Jesus' life, scattered here and there in its details.  Here we're told that Jesus' "brothers" ridicule Him.  They don't believe He's who He says He is.  They're not His disciples as are Peter and the rest of the Twelve.  In our last reading, we've been told that many disciples have fallen away from Christ, because of His "hard saying" about eating His flesh and drinking His blood.  What on earth can that mean?  The leadership in the synagogue at Capernaum is also perplexed and argue among themselves about what He can possibly mean.  And furthermore we've just been told that Jesus knows that even one among the Twelve chosen by Him will betray Him.  Far from things going well from a worldly perspective, we see elements that go against Him.  We see the "worldly" perspective at work that cannot accept His words in faith, even one personally chosen who will betray Him.  His own kin are against Him.  A "worldly" perspective we often seem to hear is one that would say that whatever Jesus did would be so acceptable, so good, so "perfect" that all must completely be drawn to Him and fawn upon Him.  Somehow we have it in our given knowledge, so to speak, or cultural understanding, that one as "good" as Christ is going to have a perfect life -- or that a person favored by God will find no obstacles or even no hatred in life.  But in Jesus' life, there is nothing that could be further from the truth.  On the contrary, it's His very goodness that sets up so much -- in the perspective of the Gospel -- that goes against Him.  It's His very goodness, and particularly the power of that absolute Good that He is in the world, that occasions opportunity and motive for betrayal, for envy, for those who want to do Him in, for all kinds of reasons.  We may even suspect that is the case among His relatives who make fun of Him and taunt Him that He must go to Jerusalem, the center of all things, and show Himself, if He really is Who He says He is.  This is a different kettle of fish, so to speak, from what a sort of conventional "worldly" perspective might tell us about Jesus, the Son of Man.  Everything is not smooth sailing, and this will also play as a great stumbling block to faith in and of itself.  Jesus says that He testifies of the world that its works are evil.  We have to think closely about what this means and what it implies about a "worldly" perspective.  People can worship all kinds of things:  power, money, fame, pride of place, the appearance we make toward others.  But Jesus cuts through all of that.  Even His power isn't a worldly power and doesn't work in the ways that worldly power does.  Everything depends on how we "see" Him, how we see the Cross, the perspective that faith or the capacity for faith will give us.  A worldly perspective would teach us that everything is about the appearance we make, the praise of men, as Jesus puts it (12:43).  But Christ sets our goals in a deeper place, one of the heart, in which we abide in Him and He in us -- and in which it is the praise of God that counts and makes us who we truly are.