Lenten Reflection - April 3rd

Written by: Frank Raike

Reading: John 7:25-31 25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” 28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” 30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

These verses from John remind me of Thursday Night TV at 9:00 when “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” comes on. In the opening credits, the theme song is heard, “Who are You?” by the Who. For the next hour, the show captures our attention with a fast-paced drama about a team of forensic investigators trained to solve crimes by examining the evidence. They are on the case 24/7, scouring the scene, collecting the irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that will solve the mystery.

The people of Jerusalem questioned of Jesus, who are you ? They object to Jesus’ teaching because they are convinced that he is not educated enough or, at least, that he was not educated by the ‘right’ people or the ‘right sort’ of people. They object to him because they know where he is from. They keep looking for reasons to not follow Jesus and searching for excuses not to believe in him. They ignored the evidence and fail to put all the pieces together.

People thus reject Jesus’ teaching at their own peril. In rejecting His teaching they are rejecting the authority behind the teaching (the Father), the subject of the revelation (God’s Will), and the intentions behind the prophecy (transformation by God’s intent). Do people of the world still question Jesus, who are you?

Christ Our Savior: help us not to be ignorant that it prevents us from knowing and loving Jesus. Assist us to learn the evidence and not reject our Lord. Amen.