A False Sense of Safety

~~~ Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 ~~~

Personal identity with your birth place. Do you tell people were you were born? Some of you may be proud of your birthplace others might just want it to remain unknown. This identity also holds true for your college affiliation. You A&M and UT grads know exactly what I am saying. Well I graduated from USC I will just leave you guessing which university those initials represent.

Jesus is now being pursued by the officials especially in his hometown of Judea. For special feast days, as a faithful Jew would observe, he travels back to Jerusalem with his friends. Even though he tries to remain obscure, word spreads throughout the region and he is recognized.

My thoughts turn for a moment to the many years our military searched for Bin Laden. He moved about freely until it became apparent that there was a bounty over his head. He too moved about in secret and often in disguise. The huge difference here is obvious...namely Osama was about spreading death and destruction, Jesus was about spreading the good news of our salvation.

The rumors about Jesus continue like an under toe just below the surface. Perhaps even then the people were into sensational events.In the temple Jesus cries out in his own defense, "You know me and also know where I come from...Yet I did not come on my own...but (from) the one who sent me...".

His very presence creates tension and unrest among the people, but "no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come."

How eerie to think that Jesus was enduring this false sense of safety in a way because of a timing issue. He knew what was ahead for himself. I thank God that I cannot see what lies ahead on my journey of life. Maybe I might like a peek at the good news, but definitely not the future trials and tribulations.

Jesus lived each day on earth in preparation for his journey to his crucifixion. We too can live each day in preparation for our final days. I think Lent is a time when we can make an assessment of how we are doing at our own death preparation. A somber but important consideration...our own death.

The presence of Jesus,
"...merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others...
different are his ways."
The wonder of God far surpasses our understanding.
"...no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him."