Friday, March 31, 2017

Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent

(Wisdom 2:1a.12-22; John 7:1-2.10.25-30)

Perhaps all of us have had the experience of meeting someone who said he was Jesus Christ.  You probably thought the person demented, and you were right.  Yet Jesus said that he will return to judge the living and the dead.  It might be more prudent, therefore, to listen at least a bit to one who makes the claim.  In today’s gospel the real Jesus confronts inhabitants of Jerusalem who too quickly dismiss him.

The Jerusalemites know that Jesus has brought about incredible healings.  They ask themselves if he might be the long-expected Messiah but reject the idea out of hand because they know his origins.  They likely know as well his “brothers” -- probably male relatives of Jesus – who are present with him.   If Jesus were the Messiah – they reason -- they would not know anything about him.  Of course, Jesus is aware of both their thoughts and their mistake.  He cries out to the effect that they do not know that he comes from God, his Father.  He is also conscious that they cannot arrest him now because his Father has not yet ordained the time for him to accomplish the work of salvation.


Our annual celebration of Jesus’ work of salvation is close at hand.  We are wise to plan our time so that we might delve into the mysteries.  Holy Week should be an extensive period of reflection on how the Son of God has saved us from sin.