Gospel of John 7:40-53
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?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
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?” So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
One thing I've noticed about the emergence of Spring is a sudden change of pace. No longer do I have an excuse to be lazy. The lawn is calling me to mow it, and the gnarly weeds are crying out, "Please don't kill me with Round Up!" Everything is in bloom right now causing mega sneezing! Honestly, with our freak snow/ice a couple of weeks ago I thought perhaps Spring would delay its magnificence until April!
Along with my lawn care duties, work keeps up a frantic pace. This survey deadline is killing us as a team; so many gaps to close and so many questions unanswered. On top of this, I'm preparing for my Certified Quality Engineer examination the first weekend of June. Yikes! I'm way behind in my studies. I'm just NOW beginning to feel my normal self! Every single year, like clockwork from late November through February, I slump into a light-deficiency induced depression. It's absolutely miserable and leaves me in such despair. I'm sad, negative, and feel like !@#$. Maybe a few of my readers can relate? Yeah for Spring and a uplift of spirits!!
An important tool we use in Quality Control is the check sheet or check list, especially when manufacturing a product or tallying up defects. After reading today's familiar gospel reading from the Book of John, I couldn't help but think of Pharisees keeping "track" of Jesus' on a checklist of papyrus or linen:
How many times did this Jesus of Nazareth perform a miracle?
How many times did Jesus disobey the law of the Sabbath?
How many times did Jesus proclaim himself as the Son of Man?
Do we have enough "evidence" to end his life?
Of course, the results of the "quality" analysis will suggest Jesus is defective - a quack and a threat to the livelihood of the priestly class. He's not the true Messiah as he claims, reaching his "expiration date" in the eyes of the Jews. Time to dump him at the landfill of sculls - scrapped from existence, nailed to a huge wooden cross and allowed to undergo an agonizing death.
What about God's Check List? What a contrast in comparison. God checks off one by one the events of Christ's life as they occur. Many preliminary steps (miracles, healing, controversy, disbelief, etc.) must take place just like on a manufacturing production line. The "finished" product - that is death of Jesus for the sake of our own salvation - is not ready to take place. The people are willing to believe in Christ's teachings. Conversion is still taking place in hearts, minds, and souls. God wishes for Jesus to survive just a bit longer. The final touches for the birth of Christianity need to be ironed out, just like quality checks and safety performance testing. The"testing" will be complete with Christ's crucifixion. Then the Catholic church will be born as we know today.
How is your Lenten resolution "check list" going? Have you been able to maintain your fasting, prayer, and almsgiving? Have you noticed changes in your life? Are you still struggling with the same old sins? Hopefully things are looking good in your penance routine. Only two more weeks until Easter!
Keep Calm, Keep Praying, and Carry On!
-J.
Do we have enough "evidence" to end his life?
Of course, the results of the "quality" analysis will suggest Jesus is defective - a quack and a threat to the livelihood of the priestly class. He's not the true Messiah as he claims, reaching his "expiration date" in the eyes of the Jews. Time to dump him at the landfill of sculls - scrapped from existence, nailed to a huge wooden cross and allowed to undergo an agonizing death.
What about God's Check List? What a contrast in comparison. God checks off one by one the events of Christ's life as they occur. Many preliminary steps (miracles, healing, controversy, disbelief, etc.) must take place just like on a manufacturing production line. The "finished" product - that is death of Jesus for the sake of our own salvation - is not ready to take place. The people are willing to believe in Christ's teachings. Conversion is still taking place in hearts, minds, and souls. God wishes for Jesus to survive just a bit longer. The final touches for the birth of Christianity need to be ironed out, just like quality checks and safety performance testing. The"testing" will be complete with Christ's crucifixion. Then the Catholic church will be born as we know today.
How is your Lenten resolution "check list" going? Have you been able to maintain your fasting, prayer, and almsgiving? Have you noticed changes in your life? Are you still struggling with the same old sins? Hopefully things are looking good in your penance routine. Only two more weeks until Easter!
Keep Calm, Keep Praying, and Carry On!
-J.
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