Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, February 20, 2014 Read John 7:32-36 So far in the story it has been the crowd who has been talking about Jesus. At this point the real opponents are identified as the religious leaders seek to take action. They attempt to arrest Jesus, but they are not successful. Once again misunderstanding and irony are at the heart of the story. Jesus tells them that he will only be with them a little longer and then he will go back to the one who sent him. At that point it will be impossible for the religious leaders to go where Jesus has gone. Similar language will be spoken to the disciples later in John’s gospel and they will also misunderstand. When Jesus says that he will be going to the one who sent him he is really talking about his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension – they are of one piece for John. So, Jesus’ death is not a defeat but rather an accomplishment. His death is not something that others will do to him but something that Jesus will control – as we will soon hear, Jesus will “lay down his life so that he can take it up again.” The religious leaders do not understand any of this. They think perhaps that Jesus will be leaving the country to go to the Jews living outside of Israel. As readers, we have no clue where they would get that idea from. But there is irony in the suggestion of the religious leaders. The whole world will indeed be open and reached by the ministry of Jesus. Perhaps the religious leaders are speaking sarcastically. Yet, ironically they speak the truth. This will not be the last time that John will have religious leaders say much more than they think or mean. The whole episode is reminiscent of the encounter with Nicodemus. The Nicodemus encounter ends with Nicodemus yet in the dark, clueless about what Jesus is saying. The religious leaders in this story remain clueless too. There is hope for Nicodemus and we will watch him grow. There is no hope for the religious leaders. They will remain in the dark.