The Gospel for Friday, February 5, 2004
John 7:1-13
After this Jesus travelled round Galilee; he could not travel round Judaea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. As the Jewish feast of Shelters drew near, his brothers said to him, ‘Leave this place and go to Judaea, so that your disciples, too, can see the works you are doing; no one who wants to be publicly known acts in secret; if this is what you are doing, you should reveal yourself to the world.’ Not even his brothers had faith in him. Jesus answered, ‘For me the right time has not come yet, but for you any time is the right time. The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me, because I give evidence that its ways are evil. Go up to the festival yourselves: I am not going to this festival, because for me the time is not ripe yet.’ Having said that, he stayed behind in Galilee. However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went up as well, not publicly but secretly. At the festival the Jews were on the look–out for him: ‘Where is he?’ they said. There was a great deal of talk about him in the crowds. Some said, ‘He is a good man’; others, ‘No, he is leading the people astray.’ Yet no one spoke about him openly, for fear of the Jews. -- The New Jerusalem Bible. 1995, c1985. Doubleday: Garden City, N.Y.
A Study
Russell Smith, of the Florida-based Third Millenium Ministries, closely linked with the Presbyterian Church, divides those around Jesus in this passage into three camps: "advisers, admirers, and despisers." Smith does not directly comment on the remarkable lack of believers in this set of scenes.
First, the advisers. The word that John uses is adelphus, literally "from the [same] womb." It is used 14 times in John, and almost always refers to the blood-relation type of brother. It is used in perhaps a more figurative way only 4 times and in a completely figurative way only once. Whether they were his half-brothers, his cousins, or just good friends, they were giving him unsolicited advice that had a "Look, Jesus, here's what I would do in your shoes" flavor to it. The only problem, of course, is that they were not God, and did not have all the facts. They were trying to rush his schedule, and he wasn't going to let them. When we, today, ask "What would Jesus do?" we are perilously close to trying to advise Him. He told us what to do: believe on him. Works are blessed that proceed from a true love for Jesus and a true belief in Jesus.
The admirers have been with us for quite some time. In Jerusalem, they called him a "good man." Smith points out that Thomas Jefferson was an admirer. He carefully cut out the ethical sayings from the Gospels and pasted them into his own version of the Gospels. Belief and faith were not parts of his new compilation, however.
And finally, the despisers. "He is leading the people astray." That was a capital offense, by the way. It would be about six months before they had their way, and, of course, carried out God's plan.
A Reflection
I think that I perceive all four camps today when I look around me: advisers, admirers, despisers, and believers. I also think that putting somebody, by name, in one of those boxes is infringing on God's job, and so I am not going to try to help him.
Believers are probably the people we notice the least, but who make the most difference. They "fit in" and watch. They actually feed the hungry and visit the prisoner. They're the ones who let you ahead of them in line. They tithe, or more, and try to do it anonymously. They run from glory, because glory belongs to God. They frequently are the quiet army of the "chair ministry," those who show up and who always do the grunt work week after week, setting up and tearing down -- with a big smile. For the glory of God.
Admirers are probably the people you notice in daily life. They are likeable, seldom do the "wrong thing," and appear to be righteous and upstanding. They are sometimes attenders and "members" in the church community. They are sometimes there on Sunday, seldom any other time. They try to come on Easter and Christmas. They count every dime they give to every charity, after taxes, as "tithe," and even then don't really get up to a significant percentage of income. They admire the message, think that the sermon or service uplifted them. You won't find them teaching Sunday School or doing any work.
Advisers are the ones that you probably won't see that often, if at all, in relation to the Church. They have decided that each of them, by himself, is all the Body of Christ that he needs to have in this life. In order for him to join a church and be an active participant, well, he'd have to change an awful lot of things, beginning with those hypocrites who are in charge.
And unfortunately, we have despisers that wear very effective disguises. They often look like admirers, or when they really make it, ascend pulpits and preach hate and dissention and separation. They are the whisperers, always tearing down the body. Nobody can sing louder, and certainly nobody knows the prayer book better than they. Their interpretation of scripture, if they even admit that scripture can be interpreted, just happens to be the only correct one. They continue to crucify our Lord on a very frequent schedule.
And, to our own great horror, we can see a bit of each of the four camps in our very own persons. But remember, as the jazz singer-actress Ethel Waters was fond of saying, "Honey, God didn't make no junk!"
Jesus finds that pearl of great value in each one of us, and if we will only allow it, draws it to the surface and polishes it to shine like the son.
7:27:28 AM 
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