When the feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple area and began to teach. 15 The Jews were amazed and said, “How does he know scripture without having studied?” 16 Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not my own but is from the one who sent me. 17 Whoever chooses to do his will shall know whether my teaching is from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on his own seeks his own glory, but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him is truthful, and there is no wrong in him. 19 Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You are possessed! Who is trying to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I performed one work and all of you are amazed 22 because of it. Moses gave you circumcision—not that it came from Moses but rather from the patriarchs—and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. 23 If a man can receive circumcision on a sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole person well on a sabbath? 24 Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.”
Jesus had delayed going to the Feast of Tabernacles and when he arrived around the fourth day he went to the Temple area and began to teach. The Jewish authorities were astounded at his knowledge of the Scriptures and wondered how Jesus, without formal rabbinic training, could have such a profound understanding of the Torah. In their tradition, formal education was seen as crucial for interpreting the Law correctly. Jesus told them that his teaching was not from human sources but came directly from God the Father. He emphasized that anyone who truly desired to do God’s will would recognize the divine origin of his teaching. Jesus also contrasted self-seeking teachers, who seek personal fame, with Himself, who sought only to glorify the Father. Those who do so are truthful because their words and actions are aligned with God’s will.
Jesus accused the religious leaders of failing to keep the Law of Moses because they were plotting to kill Him. The crowd, unaware of the leaders' plot against Jesus, accused him of being mentally unstable or possessed, a behavior sometimes attributed in their culture to those perceived as acting irrationally. Jesus then reminded them of the controversy caused by his healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath (John 5:1-9). He questioned if they allowed circumcision on the Sabbath without breaking the Law, why was healing a person, an even greater act of mercy, not permissible? The Jewish leaders judge him based on their superficial understanding of the Law and appearances, but Jesus urges them to judge with true justice, aligning their judgments with the deeper purposes of God's Law.
Almighty God, grant us the wisdom to seek Your will above all, that we may discern Your truth in all things. Help us to honor You, not with outward appearances, but with hearts that seek Your glory. This we pray through Christ our Lord Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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