Thought to Guide Your Reading
The Pharisees try to find every little thing they can to discredit Jesus.Summary in 100 Words or Less
Jesus showed the world their evil hearts. They wanted Him dead.The Jews were impressed by Jesus' Wisdom. Jesus told them, "Anyone can understand what I teach except those who refuse to set things right." Many people believed.
On the last day of the feast, Jesus openly called for followers. The police refused to arrest Him. Nicodemus stood up for Him.
An adulteress was brought to Jesus but let go for lack of an executioner with perfect morals.
The Pharisees failed to see Jesus as the Light because they missed God. This prevented them from understanding Jesus' Ways and Teachings.
How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right
The world wants to destroy Jesus because He sheds light on their evil hearts.
Jesus tells us, in exact terms, why the world wanted to destroy Him: He was a threat to keeping their evil intentions hidden. He had to be destroyed.The Jews and Pharisees wanted to discredit Jesus on technicalities.
One of the parts of Jesus' Ministry I love is His dedication to the larger picture without losing the details, and vice-versa. Jesus understood the Real Story of life but made sure all of the prophecies were completed. Because the Jews and Pharisees could not defeat Him by finding fault in His teachings, they resorted to picking at Him—His hometown, His healing on the Sabbath, a lack of corroborating witnesses, His Father's identity, His identity, and their freedom and lineage. They wanted to discredit Jesus so much they were willing to do any and everything to get rid of Him.The "religious scholars" rejected Jesus. The "religiously ignorant" accepted Him.
Before we discuss education and training for God's Chosen People, we must first remember that Jesus was not rejected by people who knew the Law. He was rejected by those who had studied the Law since birth. People ignorant of the Bible may be the ones who accept Jesus easiest.It is this reason that I find the fact that Americans are growing less and less knowledgeable about the Bible to be a two-sided coin. On the one hand, they will not know what Jesus did because He is unknown to them. On the other hand, Jesus' teachings can be taught fresh because they do not have the baggage which prevents many from accepting them.
Nicodemus defended Jesus.
Jesus had friends in high places.Jesus realized the adulteress was brought to Him to test Him, not because the crowd wanted justice done.
We do not know if this story is really in the Bible or not. Either way, what is important to see is that the Pharisees and Jews did not want Jesus to bring justice upon this woman. They wanted to put Him in a lose-lose situation. When he not only refused to execute her but also condemned them, they had no recourse but to walk away. Beware moral traps meant to snare a quick win and not a substantial dialogue on how to set things right.Anyone who sins is a slave to sin.
It is a difficult statement which is essential for us to understand. Stay away from sin! It will make you a slave!Jesus provides plenty of Light to free the world from its slavery.
We are to be lighthouses for the nations. We do this not by originating light but by reflecting the Light that comes from God through Jesus. Jesus' Light frees the nations from their bondage in sin because His Way is the Truth, meaning His Way is the right way to live.Do you live in the Light or are a slave to sin?
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