First Reading: (Jeremiah 11:18–20)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 7)
Response: “O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.”
Gospel: (John 7:40–53)
Reflection:
There are some people for whom, however clear the truth may be, despite evidence beyond reasonable doubt, they will still refuse to see it. They will refuse to believe in it and they will refuse to be convinced about it. Not because they do not see it, but because they have chosen not to see it and not to be convinced about it.
The guards who were sent to arrest Jesus went to do the work as they were ordered. They were following strict instructions. But when they got there, when they saw Him and had the opportunity to listen to Him from their firsthand experience of seeing Him and hearing from Him, they saw and heard the truth and were convinced. And they saw how useless the order to arrest Him was. They returned without arresting Him.
Even if they were following strict orders, they saw for themselves how wrong the order was, to arrest a man who had committed no crime, to arrest a man who spoke the truth.
Now you may ask, were they wrong not to have followed the instructions given to them? Should they have followed the order?
Following orders should not blind us or stop us from reasoning. We must apply reason. How many people were arrested and are in prison today because their case officers were just following orders? Think about it.
The chief priests and Pharisees were disappointed with the guards on the sole motive that no authority had believed in Jesus, and so the guards had disobeyed the order. But if the authorities are evil and fail to see the truth despite how glaringly evident it is, must others also choose not to see it simply because authority refuses to?
They were old enough to judge for themselves.
Let us ask ourselves: do we follow orders from such authorities simply because they have said so?
The guards dared to oppose authority because they had come to believe in the truth. They saw it, they were convinced, and they recognized that the order given to them was an evil order. They knew their jobs were at risk, too.
Sometimes authority may pressure us to do evil to serve personal interests, and we comply simply because we are told to. But where is the voice of reason? Where is the voice of good conscience? Where is the voice of good and righteous judgment?
It is different when authority asks us to do what is good. But when the instructions are evil, we must not follow it simply because it comes from authority. We are called to judge for ourselves, using reason, conscience, and truth.
The soldiers placed reason, good conscience, and right judgment above blind obedience. They chose to do what was right.
We are not told what happened to them afterward, but it is possible they suffered consequences, perhaps punishment or loss of status. Yet they chose to suffer for what is right rather than be rewarded for doing what is evil.
They stand in contrast to those who accepted bribes to spread lies about the resurrection. Those men followed evil orders for gain. But the guards in today’s Gospel chose truth over comfort.
My friends, even when we are under authority, even when we are given strict instructions, we must ensure those instructions are not evil.
Put reason first.
Listen to your conscience.
Judge rightly.
When you see the truth, have the courage to follow it, not because you were told to, but because it is right.
Amen!
God bless you all
Happy Saturday
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