Reflection
Never before has anyone spoken like this man.
-John 7:46
Many of us can relate to the feelings of the guards during this discussion of where Jesus came from. The guards knew that Jesus was different from anyone who had ever come before. Yet when the guards shared about the power of Jesus’s teaching the chief priests and Pharisees dismissed them and probably taunted them. It is a sad fact and an age-old struggle that when, like the guards, we experience and share about God’s love, we receive sarcasm and dismissal. Do we allow the uncharitable remarks of others to impede the sharing of our faith with others? We may feel the same conviction the guards felt and speak up. Or do we respond with a vitriolic attack at their injustice.
The critical question is how will you and I respond to such unreasonable criticism?
Do we respond in kind or call to mind the love of Jesus and allow his love to change us as the guards did? (Adapted from The Word Among Us, Lent 2026 WAU.org, Mediation for Saturday, March 21, 2026)
Our behavior could be similar to the Chief priests and Pharisees unless we have a plan to behave in a caring way: 1) Stop and think before responding, take a deep breath and calm ourselves. 2) Call to mind the words of Jesus: “Love God with your whole heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22: 37-40) 3) Allow Jesus’s words to touch our hearts deeply to forgive and find peace. 4) Pray: “Jesus heal the hurt I feel and protect me from resentment and enable me to respond with kindness. Thank you for patience and peace.
