PHOTO:MARY VAN BALEN
Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
Jn 7, 25-27
Today’s reading skips some of the “good parts,” picking and choosing verses. The reader will miss Jesus’ brothers chiding him about not going to the festival of Booths in Judea, saying he should go since “no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret…show yourself to the world” (4).
Jesus says he won’t go because people there want to kill him, but after his brothers leave, Jesus goes in secret.He doesn’t keep a low profile for long; soon he is preaching in the temple, astounding listeners with his wisdom. He takes them to task for objecting to his healing a man on the Sabbath when according the law of Moses, a man may be circumcised on the Sabbath.
Jesus’ remarks and the authority with which he spoke had people wondering if perhaps he was the Messiah. One problem: They knew where Jesus was from. When the Messiah came, no one would know his origins.
Of course, in hindsight, we know those listening to Jesus were making a big mistake. They only thought they knew where he came from, and they all knew nothing good came out of Nazareth. A carpenter’s son had meager “Messiah” credentials.
We may be quick to judge those in Jesus’ audience, but reading this story I thought of places held in low esteem in the USA today. West Virginia and Appalachian jokes abound, while for some it is the uppity East or West coast that is the source of people who do not share “American” values or who are too snooty. Sometimes family of origin cause people to judge others. “Oh, she’s one of so and so’s children,” and eyes roll as if that explains failures of character or accomplishment.
What about immigrants? Mexicans, Somalians, or Iraqis to name a few. Do we have expectations of people who come from those countries? Even our current President, Mr. Obama, is under suspicion by some who question his birthplace and his parentage. Is he fit to be president?
As unbelievable as that sounds to me, some citizens of this country have a difficult time with a man of Mr. Obama’s mixed race background occupying the highest office of the land.
We should not be too quick to judge the people in Jesus’ day for their ignorance or the people we meet in our own lives for their places or families of origin. Each human being carries some part of the Divinity in her soul. Every person has a gift that will enrich the rest of us. Let’s expect the best, the unimaginable: Christ comes to us in “the least” as well as in those society might deem “the most.”
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