Suggested Readings: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Judges 13:2-24; John 7:40-52
Suggested Readings: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Judges 13:2-24; John 7:40-52
In John 7, various factions of the community are debating the identity and significance of Jesus. Is he the Messiah? Or is he a threat? The crowd is confused at one point or another by virtually everything about him: his sayings, his miracles, his hometown, his identity as Messiah. Is it prophecy or misdirection? They are also confused about how to respond. Should he be run out of town? Should he be arrested? Should he be killed? Should he be given a fair trial? These factions rush to judgment but, lacking consensus, the crowd eventually disperses. There is no resolution yet; the jury is out.
I’m oddly comforted by how the contemporaries of Jesus reacted to him. Likewise in our time, there is much disagreement about the person and work of Jesus, what it means, and how it should shape our life together. Does he come as a gift or a threat? And to whom? Does true discipleship align more with being a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent? Jesus is no stranger to his confused followers.
Unlike the crowd, we can’t simply leave undecided. We are pressed to make decisions every day about how to live in the reality of the Christ who is always coming to us in confusing and surprising ways. The mystic and poet Thomas Merton voiced this dilemma in a prayer that has become known as the “The Merton Prayer” or the “Prayer of Unknowing.” The prayer includes these words:
… the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire...
As we wonder what Jesus means to us as individuals and to our life together in community, I think it is okay to linger in the discomfort of confusion. Let that confusion humble us and slow down our instinct to quickly judge others who might disagree about what the coming of Christ means in a world that is so certain – and so divided.
Adam Perez
