+ We have a key insight into
the reality of wisdom today! The context is the Pharisees’
preconceived and prejudicial take on Jesus, his origins and his mission. Their
conclusions are wrong and therefore not trustworthy. And this is a serious
matter both for them and for the Jewish people they supposedly are the leaders
of: because their eternal salvation is at stake.
Those without the grace of
faith, without the gift of wisdom from God, cannot see, hear, evaluate of judge
properly what is right before them. The Book of Wisdom tells us of their folly:
their false thinking: prophesying Jesus at the time of his Passion, it relates
how “the obnoxious one sets himself up against our doings [hmm telling them the
truth about all sorts of matters], reproaches them for transgressions of the
law and charges us with violations of our training [hmm this, after they
believe their own lies and misconceptions and deliberate deceits favoring
themselves and making it harder for their ‘parishioners’];
professes to have direct
knowledge of God and styles himself as his child, boasting of God as his father
[again, cutting themselves out of the reality of a true divine intervention and
visit for the sake of our redemption]!
This cannot be! Let us condemn
him to a shameful death – if his is from God – then let God take care of him.
[again a shortsighted application of logic: for if he really is from God: then
they are the ones who will have an enormous amount to answer for!]
In the gospel passage we see
Jesus living out that prophesy mentioned above: when Jesus enters Jerusalem for
the Jewish feast of Tabernacles, the people whisper and wag both their heads
and their tongues and say: “isn’t this the one they are talking about? isn’t
this the one who is supposed to be the Christ? no one is supposed to know where
the Messiah is from, but we know where he is from, Nazareth, his father was
that carpenter Joseph, his mother Mary, just a local girl?”
Jesus takes this opportunity
to rail at them [at one of those times when he let his frustration and anger
justifiably emerge] SO YOU KNOW ME, YOU KNOW WHERE I AM FROM, DO YOU? You have
no idea what you are talking about: “I am not here, on this earth, of my own
accord, for my own purposes: I was sent! I was sent by God! Yes, he is my Father!
and I am here to save you from eternal separation and darkness!?”
IF YOU REALLY KNOW ME! your
joy would know no bounds, you would want to get to know all about me, you would
listen to my words, you would model your life after mine, you would know that
if I am Son of God, then you are well on the way now to becoming adopted sons
and daughters of God!
NO, YOU DON’T KNOW ME! YOU
KNOW NOTHING!
WAKE UP and pray for insight,
wisdom and understanding!
and you will see, you will see
amazing things, you will see the road ahead all the way into an eternity of
blessedness, joy and peace – that awaits those who simply believe in me!
The
Lord redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in
him!
Let us be his servants today! Let our guilt be taken away! Let us live in
freedom and happiness! Amen.
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