Gospel: Jn 11:45-56*
Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what he did; but some went to the Pharisees and told
them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called together the Council. (...) Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was
High Priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! It is better to have one man die for the people than to let the whole nation
be destroyed.” In saying this Caiaphas did not speak for himself, but being High Priest that year, he foretold like a prophet that Jesus would die
for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also would die in order to gather into one the scattered children of God. So, from that day
on, they were determined to kill him. Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the
country near the wilderness, and stayed with his disciples in a town called Ephraim. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and people from
everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselve before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and, as they stood in the temple, they
talked with one another, “What do you think? Will he come to the festival?” Meanwhile the chief priests and the elders had given orders
that anyone who knew where he was should let them know, so that they could arrest him.
Reflection:
The religious authorities are now perplexed at the mighty works that Jesus
performs. It attracted a great following. Soon the Roman conquerors will take notice
and perhaps suppress the Jesus movement. It bodes ill for the religious authorities.
It might destroy the status quo they have painstakingly cultivated with their foreign
occupiers. It is time to put a stop to what Jesus is doing. The funny thing is, they miss
the significance of Jesus’ actions. The messianic time is now unfolding before
their eyes. Their hopes and aspirations are now slowly realized in Jesus. Yet they
can only think of their own survival, of the preservation of their privileges and the
continuation of the business as usual collaboration with the foreign invaders. Thus,
they plotted to kill the bearer of their deepest wish. When personal good and wellbeing
is at stake, our minds become clouded and can not see clearly beyond our own
narrow interest.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021
