Division Over Who Jesus Is

MARCH 15, 2024 - FRIDAY
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent (Violet)
Lectionary: 248
CYCLE B - YEAR II

Reading 1
Wis 2:1a, 12-22

The wicked said among themselves,
thinking not aright:
"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him."
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls' reward.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 34:17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23

R. (19a) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

Verse Before the Gospel
Mt 4:4b

One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel
Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee;
he did not wish to travel in Judea,
because the Jews were trying to kill him.
But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,
he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.
Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,
"Is he not the one they are trying to kill?
And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.
Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?
But we know where he is from.
When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."
So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,
"You know me and also know where I am from.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."
So they tried to arrest him,
but no one laid a hand upon him,
because his hour had not yet come.

REFLECTION:

Our gospel today tells us of Jesus going up to Jersualem for one of the big feast days and how he preached to the people. He got a mixed reception. Many refused to believe him because they felt he was not important enough, since they knew where he came from, which as a “backward place”. Jesus tries to tell them that he comes from god and asks them to listen to Gods message.

Yet at times the Son of God spoke openly. But the people did not know how to react to him. Some thought that he was just a man from Nazareth. But he had a background which they did not grasp. Another One, his Father, had sent him into the world. He was from above.

The one who sent Jesus contains all truth. But Jesus himself is that truth. Those who listened to him did not really know what truth is. To accept Jesus is to have the truth at its deepest level

PRAYER:

The people think they know who Jesus is and where he comes from. We make snap judgements about others all the time, not realising how our own limitations blind us to their truth. Today, Lord, open my eyes to see the extraordinary immortals with whom I deal daily. And let me see myself thus also.