Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
"This is truly the Prophet."
Others said, "This is the Christ."
But others said, "The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David's family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" (John 7: 40-41)
In Jesus’ time, people expected certain things from the Messiah, such as being from Bethlehem and a descendant of King David. Most likely, they also expected him to be a leader who would militarily overthrow the Romans. Jesus, however, was a nonviolent figure from Galilee of seemingly unknown origin (they did not realize he was from David’s family). Likewise, today’s Gospel challenges us to examine our expectations of Jesus.
In our own time, whether or not Jesus was from Bethlehem or a descendant of David is not as significant an issue for us. Nonetheless, we still carry expectations of who God is and how God will act. Some see God as a mighty judge and expect harsh judgment and punishment. Others view God in transactional terms, as someone to be bargained with. Yet many of us do not expect God to challenge us to love our enemies, let alone our neighbors. We do not expect God to call us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and care for the poor (see Matthew 25:31–46). In a society where status and wealth are highly valued, it can be surprising to hear Jesus say that the last will be first and the first will be last (see Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 9:35; Luke 13:30). Nevertheless, Jesus does not do or say what we expect or what society expects.
Lent is a time to return to God. Today’s Gospel reminds us to listen to what Jesus is truly saying rather than create him in our own image. In doing so, we become better disciples. May you be transformed during this Lenten season.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI