In the middle of the feast,
Jesus went to the temple and taught. The Jews marveled, saying, “How does he know
all of this, having never been educated?”
Jesus answered them, “My
teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. Anyone who desires to do God’s will
knows whether my teaching is from God or if I am speaking for myself. Whoever speaks
from himself seeks his own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of God is
true, and no fault is in him. Didn’t Moses give you the law, and yet none of
you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?”
The multitude answered, “You are
crazy! Who seeks to kill you?”
Jesus answered them, “I did one
sign, and you all marvel because of it. Moses gave you circumcision, and on the
Sabbath you circumcise a boy. If a boy receives circumcision on the Sabbath to
observe the law of Moses, are you angry with me because I healed a man on the
Sabbath? Don’t judge superficially, but judge rightly.”
Some from Jerusalem said, “Isn’t
this the one our leaders seek to kill? He speaks openly, and yet they say
nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers know this is truly the Christ? On the
other hand, we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no
one will know where he comes from.”
Jesus spoke out in the temple,
teaching and saying, “You know me, and know where I am from. I have not come of
myself, but God who sent me is true. You don’t know him, but I know him,
because I am from him, and he sent me.”
They wanted to take him, but no
one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Within the crowd,
many believed in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, he won’t do more signs
than what this man has done, will he?” The Pharisees heard the multitude
murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees
sent officers to arrest him.
Then Jesus said, “I will be with
you a little while longer, then I go to him who sent me. You will seek me, and
won’t find me; and where I am, you can’t come.”
The Jews said among themselves,
“Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion
among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What is this word that he said, ‘You
will seek me, and won’t find me; and where I am, you can’t come’?”
Now on the last and biggest day
of the feast, Jesus stood and proclaimed, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come
to me and drink! If you believe in me, as the Scripture has said, from within
you will flow rivers of living water.” He said this about the Spirit, which those
believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given,
because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.
Reflection
Some of the people who
listened to Jesus had a hard time making sense of what he said because it was
at odds with their preconceived ideas. How open are you to new ideas? Do you
latch onto the latest thing you’ve heard or resist anything that conflicts with
what you’ve always believed? How do you recognize truth?
Prayer: Guide me, Lord, when
new ways of thinking leave me uncertain whether to move forward or hold back.
