Scripture Scribbles: April 1, 2023

the Gospel

John 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees
and told them what Jesus had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees
convened the Sanhedrin and said,
"What are we going to do?
This man is performing many signs.
If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,
and the Romans will come
and take away both our land and our nation."
But one of them, Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year, said to them,
"You know nothing,
nor do you consider that it is better for you
that one man should die instead of the people,
so that the whole nation may not perish."
He did not say this on his own,
but since he was high priest for that year,
he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
and not only for the nation,
but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.
So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, "What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?"

the devotion

Today’s Gospel picks up immediately after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.  Jesus performed this miracle in front of Martha and Mary as well as many other Jews who had come to mourn with them.  That means they saw with their own eyes Jesus raise a man from the dead! 

Often in my reading of the gospels, I am filled with many questions.  One question I am pondering today is why did some people begin to believe in Jesus, while others went to the Pharisees to “tell on him?”

When I face situations that make me feel uncertain or even fearful, I tend to look for what I am comfortable with or what I know and trust.  I can imagine that many of the Jews, upon seeing Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead,  felt uncertainty and possibly even fear because it was something so unnatural and unknown to them.  This perhaps drove some of them to the comfort and familiarity of the religious leaders at the time, the Pharisees – to tell of what they had seen and seek their guidance and leadership.  I question what is my comfort that I fall back on for direction and truth?

Other Jews who witnessed this same miracle “began to believe” in Jesus.  Despite seeing firsthand something so unusual and extraordinary, they took the risk and opened themselves up to receive the gift of faith that God so lovingly desires for all His children.

Faith and choosing to believe in Jesus, particularly in distressful or strange situations,  is a risk.  It is not naturally comfortable, easy, or familiar.  By opening ourselves up to God’s gift of faith, which according to the Catechism is “infused by God into the souls of the faithful,” we are giving God control and the ultimate say in our lives (CCC 1813).  Although challenging to do at times, choosing Jesus and the effects of faith, without fail fill us with goodness and love beyond understanding!

Lord, I open my heart and mind to You today.  
Bless me with courage and faith to believe in You in all that You have planned for me.
Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by Kaitlin Gilday