Gospel
Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
“This is truly the Prophet.”
Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.
Some of them even wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid hands on him.
So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees,
who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?”
The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.”
Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,
“Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him
and finds out what he is doing?”
They answered and said to him,
“You are not from Galilee also, are you?
Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Then each went to his own house.
The dialogue in the Gospel today can be heard today too.
Some see the works of Christ and say he is the Son of God we must follow him.
But some refuse to believe because they insist the world and God must bend to their own desires and version of the truth, not believing there is only one truth and he is Jesus Christ.
Those who demand God approve of their way, will never turn back. They instead accuse those who strive to understand and seek the truth of God and his creation.
We hear the same voices today in the marketplace and on the news. If we speak the gospel and truth we are mocked and accused of lying, accused of also being hateful for following the instructions on loving holy lives given us.
But many will make bad choices. Live according to untruths. Refuse to place anyone but themselves and their needs as the greatest priority in life. And demand others follow them or be accused of being evil.
But we cannot be like them. We must hold on to truth and righteousness and surrender those parts of our lives that conflict with the way and path Jesus set before us.
We are not the center of the universe. We are not supreme and divine.
We are children of God who is divine and creator of all. When something in our life does not allow us to worship and grow closer to Jesus, we must let it go.
Many voices were heard at the time of Jesus. Some were seeking truth but some were seeking to turn truth into lies and lies into truth. That is the work of the evil one.
Seek truth. Jesus has given us the commandments and understanding to know truth in all things. We just need to say yes and give all our weaknesses and sin to him for forgiveness, so we can turn back to Jesus Christ who loves all and welcomes all who seek him.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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