Focus
As you quiet yourself for this brief time, be willing to be open to God in whatever way that may take place.
Read
John 11:45-57 (NRSV)
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.”
He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death.
Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
Reflect
Some thoughts on today’s scripture: ‘They called a meeting.’ I attend so many meetings. But what do I do at them? Am I concerned about the divine agenda that should illuminate the human agenda? Do I allow unjust decisions to go unchallenged? Does the Holy Spirit look to me to speak out for the truth?
God’s project is awesome. It is ‘to gather into one the dispersed children of God’. I am only a small disciple of Jesus. But I have a particular role to play in God’s project. I am to build up community and healthy relationships. This is my task at home, in school, in business, in the workplace, the church, the neighborhood, and so on. God will always be helping me to do this. When I meet God face to face at the end of my life, I will be thanked for what I tried to do to advance the Kingdom of God.
As I realize that there were many complex issues to be considered by the people in this story, I pray that I may find the proper balance, neither complicating issues nor thinking everything simple. It is not possible to believe in Jesus and to let life be unchanged.
Pray
I ask Lord that you give me strength and courage to be a calm and confident disciple.
Go with God!
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