John 7:1-31 "Confusion"

Confusion is about the only word I can use to describe Jesus' audience throughout this passage. First, Jesus doesn't want to go to the festival. Then He goes. Then, Jesus begins to speak and accuse others of trying to kill Him. But, as some of the crowd notes, Jesus is being threatened by no one there. After that, Jesus describes the anger some people have felt over His Sabbath day healings. Yet Moses allows for babies to be circumcised on Sabbath days. If I were a member of this crowd, I would be a little confused too.

What brings me out of the confusion is that I know where the story is leading. I know that Sabbath day healings were a major source of concern for the religious in Jesus' day. I know that people are actually trying to kill Jesus. I know that they will eventually succeed... and fail when Jesus is raised on Easter morning. I know where the puzzle pieces fit together.

It was not yet Jesus' time (verses 6 and 30), and so the pieces did not fall into place. Much like an episode of Lost or a mystery thriller, the pieces only truly come together at the end. Revelation, God's initiative in showing Himself to us, is a mysterious thing. The disciples stayed with Jesus for years and still didn't "get it" until the end of the Gospels (and continued to struggle after that). Sometimes we are confused, and our temptation is to simply shut our brains down and figure that we will get it one day. This may even seem like a holy thing to do- blind faith is always admirable to a point.

However, one thing that Jesus never does is turn people away for honest questioning. While Jesus may not always give out a direct and clear answer to a question, Jesus always entertains the question. The question, it would seem, is just as important as the answer. An early church leader called the Christian life "Faith seeking Understanding," and it fits quite well. We have faith before we have all the answers, and our doubts and questions are a natural part of seeking understanding. What I like about the phrase "Faith seeking Understanding" is that the word "seeking" is a constant process. The Christian life is not "Faith having found Understanding," but "seeking." We are all "seekers," people on a pilgrimage toward greater understanding. So, in my book, Jesus encourages me to question and grow, all to the glory of God.