Saturday – 5th Week of Lent

Gospel – John11:45-56

Can’t We All Just Get Along?  

Caiaphas’ House, Jerusalem

Let’s face it – at times, we all get aggravated with each other.  And lately, we only have to read the paper or watch the news to see how often people bicker and argue and, at times, literally explode in rage. Maybe it's the long TSA lines at the airport or that heated political 'discussion'.  We all know what irritates our little brother/sister and yet we do it anyway.  I knew exactly what buttons to push to send my sister, for instance, over the edge and all my siblings knew exactly what to do to set me off.   Was it messy?  Did we get in trouble?  Of course!  And yet we did it anyway!

But it’s something quite different to actually band together to deliberately plot against someone.  We all know what it’s like to be ganged-up-on, to be picked on not by a single person but by a whole group of people.  That is what’s happening in today’s Gospel.  The chief priests, Caiaphas, the Pharisees and the entire Sanhedrin have had enough of verbally sparring with Jesus.  They meet together, they plot together to have Him arrested and eventually put to death.  They decide that it is better that one man suffers and dies rather than all the people. 

It reminds me of a Star Trek movie when Spock sacrifices his life to save the crew on the USS Enterprise.  “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or “the one”.  It’s hard to tell if the Jewish leaders are really all that concerned about the people or just themselves and their social standing.  Either way they decide to dump all their fears, all their anger and insecurities onto one person – Jesus. 

It’s called scapegoating – placing all our sins and weaknesses on a single person and making them pay for our faults.  It’s called looking out for myself, worrying only about my own comfort and well-being. 

So let’s not let ourselves get to that point.  Even though our nerves may be a bit frayed, our concerns about the future are raw and our fears are heightened, can’t we all just get along? Can’t we all just put aside the selfish attitudes and bullying and let Jesus be at work in our lives!  May we be ever open to the Spirit and God’s constant call to love one another! 

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