Saturday 2 April 2022
St Francis of Paola
Jeremiah 11:18-20. Lord, my God, I take shelter in you – Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12. John 7:40-52.
Let us recognise the life-giving quality of Jesus’ words
In these chapters of John’s Gospel, there’s much discussion over who Jesus is. The backdrop is the Jewish festival of Tabernacles (or Sukkot) in Jerusalem. This harvest festival lasted seven days and commemorated the Exodus while also focusing on the coming of the Messiah. Those able were expected to make a pilgrimage to the temple. John describes a ‘widespread whispering’ around the festival, with people anxious to hear the new teacher from Galilee. When Jesus finally begins teaching halfway through the festival, he speaks cryptically, implying he is the Messiah, and generally causes a stir. At the time, the festival crowds were divided over Jesus’ identity. Was he the Messiah? A prophet? The chief priests, believing him to be some sort of demon-possessed con artist, sent the temple guards to have him arrested. Having heard Jesus speak, the temple guards refused their orders because ‘no one ever spoke the way this man does.’ May we also recognise the strange, singular, life-giving quality of Jesus’ words.
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