21st March. Saturday in 4th Week of Lent

1st Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20

 Like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter.

It was the Lord who made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their evil deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. And I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered!”

But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.

Gospel: John 7:40-53

The authorities argue about Jesus: can he possibly be the Messiah?

When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.

Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law — they are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.” Then each of them went home.

Judging with integrity

The Jewish authorities were undecided about Jesus, but most of them held that he was not a genuine prophet, still less the promised Messiah. The same argument raged among the Jewish laity, and many of them decided in Jesus’ favour. The temple guards responded spontaneously: “No one ever spoke like that before!” It has always been so. Even in our day many active Christians, theologians and lay people, argue over the essentials of religion: What does our Lord really want of us here and now? How should our Church respond to the challenges and opportunities of our times?  How are we to discern right from wrong, in new situations? Christianity itself is sharply divided into denominations, each quoting the Bible as the clearest authority!

Since the rich selection of biblical readings in Lent summons us to more extended prayer and reflection, we need to review the norms for reading the Bible profitably. Today’s words from Jeremiah and St John’s Gospel offer some help for interpreting the Bible today. We need be careful before demanding change. Jesus did not call his disciples to abandon their Jewish religion. The argument was about the ways that God wanted to bring this religion to greater perfection. An important quality is a healthy respect for whatever is good and wholesome. The unlearned temple guards said in admiration: “Nobody ever spoke like that before!” The Bible should not be used to make the good look bad; the real task of biblical interpretation is to make the good appear as clearly as possible. Negative answers are more likely to be wrong; positive explanations more likely to be correct. Good, honest people, positive in affirming others, slow to condemn, ready to forgive, tolerant of other people’s convictions, prayerful and respectful, have the best chance of being right.

Jeremiah and Jesus interpreted the Bible within the context of their religious community. Each saw a living continuity with past tradition, each understood the Bible within the hopes and prayers of their contemporary “church” or assembly of believers. Bible study was not a matter settled exclusively between each individual and God. In the end, Jeremiah entrusted his cause to the Lord, “searcher of mind and heart.” Above all, we are not just seeking answers but the living God; we are not justsettling disputes but responding to God’s searching presence within us. Only when we peacefully seek God rather than ammunition for religious disputes will we be in good shape to interpret the Bible correctly.

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Nicodemus speaks out

Nicodemus was a Pharisee who sought out Jesus under cover of darkness so as not to be seen consulting him. There he is again in today’s gospel, only this time he speaks out openly, challenging his fellow-Pharisees and the other Jewish leaders to give Jesus a fair hearing, and not to prejudge him. His peers have closed minds, “Prophets do not come out of Galilee,” they say. Nicodemus is typical of those people of integrity who have the courage to keep seeking after truth, even in the face of great pressure to do otherwise. There are open to truth wherever it is to be found, even when taking the truth on board will be painful. Nicodemus is a man who allowed himself to be drawn by the light, in spite of peer pressure. Jesus had earlier said in John’s gospel, “those who do what is true come to the light.” Nicodemus is a gospel character who encourages us to keep on seeking the light of truth, no matter where it is to be found, no matter how challenging its finding might be. We know that that whenever we find the truth we will find the Lord, because the Lord said of himself, “I am the truth.” [Martin Hogan]