Day 31: The hardest thing

16 March, Day 31 : John: 1-2.10 and 25-30

You know that sinking feeling you get when you know something horrible is about to happen in a movie you are watching or have watched many times? (Titanic, Braveheart, every episode of Game of Thrones) Where you wait reluctantly for that 'sad thing' to happen - be it a sinking ship, torture and killing of the hero or that war of mayhem where everybody dies!

That's the feeling I get as we draw closer to Good Friday and the daily gospel is beginning to reflect that, against a more frequently appearing background of people murmuring and plotting against him and general fear, dislike and lack of acceptance of his teachings.

Today's verse is from John 7:1.2-10 and 25-30:

 Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from.  Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.


Thoughts:  Familiarity breeds contempt. Not sure about the origins of the saying, but today's verse warns against this.

So when Jesus goes to the Jewish feast of Tabernacles, he was met with a mixed crowd, some of who were familiar with him. They had seen him around before, they knew who he was, and they doubted that he could be the Messiah.

I don't think I've come across or paid attention to this particular verse and especially, its message.

I guess this is something that happens more often than we realise in our close relationships, in particular. The more we know a person (especially if we live with them),  we put them in a box and judge them based on our limited knowledge of them.We fail to see the goodness in them, we take them from granted, and we are unable to see beyond their faults. Sooo difficult to do, ain't it.. especially when you are not on good terms or when you are irritated/annoyed for whatever reason. Requires quite a bit of dying to the self I must say

Takeaway: Look past the person's faults/weakness in an effort to see goodness in the person.






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