Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent - March 16

 Jeremiah 11:18-20      John 7:40-53

Jesus has amassed a huge following overtime. Included in the crowd he gathered were guards and Pharisees. Many of the members in the crowd were so impressed with Jesus that they believed he was the Christ, the true Prophet. Yet others, with knowledge of the Scriptures, question his origin and assume he is a false messiah.

Speaking to the divided crowd, the Pharisee named Nicodemus reminds his fellow religious leaders that this man has done no wrong. “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” His colleagues taunt him for defending Jesus and turn their questioning toward him.  

Some in the crowd called for Jesus’ arrest. But the guards were amazed and in awe of him so made no move to lay hands upon him. However, this would not be the end of the conflict for Jesus.

Recognizing the truth is probably as difficult today as it was during the time of Christ. So much information from so many areas. What to believe from which sources, who should we trust and why? Where do the “experts” come from, where did they get their information? How much money do they have and how do they use that money and power to influence others?

I ask myself if I’m swayed more by someone’s words or their actions? My belief is that the demeanor, confidence and comfort level of the person telling the story, teaching the class, etc. translates to “truth-telling” for me. Also, the conviction a person has in what is being said influences my trust in the person.

Discerning the truth from a lie is often a challenge for many of us. A skill we must form overtime from our own life’s experience. Still, it is an uncomfortable challenge, one that we must navigate in a world filled with misinformation from so many forms of media. I try not to only listen for the loudest voice, but for the voices that seem to conform to the Will of God.

Q:  When am I more like Nicodemus, willing to listen and discern the validity of someone’s point? When have I simply gone along with the crowd?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

  Deuteronomy 30:15-20     Luke 9:22-25 Every Christmas Day – after the presents are open, breakfast is served, the boys are busy with their gifts– we settle in and watch It’s a Wonderful Life . It’s a tradition I cherish, while readying myself for a cathartic cry and all the feel-good Christmas sentiments this movie lends. I’ve watched this movie several times over the years, and every single time I do, I catch something new, something I’ve never seen before and the great significance it adds. This year was no different, when I noticed a framed quote that was hung underneath the portrait of Pa Bailey, prominently displayed on the office wall of the Building and Loan. In this scene, Geroge Bailey decides to stay at the “old building and loan” at the board’s request after his father passes. For a few seconds this portrait, and more pointedly the framed quote underneath, was zoomed in on, and stated “All you can take with you is that which you’ve given away.” Today’s gospel reminded
Read more

Wednesday of the First Week of Lent

Jonah 3:1-10     Luke 11:29-32 Like Jonah, God is calling each of us every day to help accomplish his Will in the world. When we do good and when we fail to do good, he loves us the same. He is anxiously waiting for us to take his hand and feel his grace in our lives. In scripture he uses our love for our children as an example for how he loves us. As a mom of two little boys who mean more to me than anything in the world, nothing resonates with me quite like that. My love for them is so strong and my desire to protect them so intense. If I would do anything for my children to feel peace, love and protection, how much more does God want that for us and how much more will he fight for that for us? Every Lent I tell myself “this Lent is going to be different.” I am going to spend more time in prayer with the Lord, give distractions up and do better. And almost every Lent, I fall short. I disappoint myself and feel like I let God down. As I get older, the pressure never changes, but I
Read more

Ash Wednesday

  Joe1 2:12-18     2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2     Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 “When you fast,” says Jesus in today’s Gospel, do not make a show of it, do not “appear to be fasting.” Jesus instructs this in a passage about “righteous deeds” that also include prayer and almsgiving. Don’t be demonstrative about those either. Among these deeds, fasting is the practice that comes first to mind as Lent begins. Religious fasting (restricting what we consume) and abstinence (foregoing something altogether) are common practices across history and around the world. I have, for example, known and admired observant Muslims who fast during the month of Ramadan, refraining from all food and drink between sunrise and sundown. Such discipline!    The surprise for me in today’s Gospel is Jesus’s teaching to be quiet about our fasting. Thinking about it, how would anyone know that we are fasting? Well, in my lifelong Catholic experience, we tell one another, airing aloud our resolutions about what we’re “giv
Read more