CCC Cross Reference:
Jer 11:19 608
Jn 7:48-49 575; Jn 7:49 588; Jn 7:50 595; Jn 7:52 574
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Reading 1
Jer 11:18-20
I knew their plot because the Lord informed me;
at that time you, O Lord, showed me their doings.
Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter,
had not realized that they were hatching plots against me:
“Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will be spoken no more.”
But, you, O Lord of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause!
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 7:2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12
R. (2a) O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,
Lest I become like the lion’s prey,
to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
Do me justice, O Lord, because I am just,
and because of the innocence that is mine.
Let the malice of the wicked come to an end,
but sustain the just,
O searcher of heart and soul, O just God.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart;
A just judge is God,
a God who punishes day by day.
R. O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
Gospel
Jn 7:40-53
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.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Jeremiah 11:18 – 20
The Lord revealed it to me; I was warned. O Lord, that was when you opened my eyes to their scheming. I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughter-house, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me, ‘Let us destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten!’
But you, the Lord of Hosts, who pronounce a just sentence,
who probe the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 7:2-3,9-12
Lord God, I take refuge in you.
Lord God, I take refuge in you.
From my pursuer save me and rescue me,
lest he tear me to pieces like a lion
and drag me off with no one to rescue me.
Lord God, I take refuge in you.
Give judgement for me, Lord; I am just
and innocent of heart.
Put an end to the evil of the wicked!
Make the just stand firm,
you who test mind and heart,
O just God!
Lord God, I take refuge in you.
God is the shield that protects me,
who saves the upright of heart.
God is a just judge
slow to anger;
but he threatens the wicked every day.
Lord God, I take refuge in you.
Gospel John 7:40 – 52
Several people who had been listening said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him.
The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him’. ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgment on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Saturday of the 4th Week of Lent
From: Jeremiah 11:18-20
Jeremiah's First "Confession"
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[18] The LORD made it known to me and I knew; then thou didst show me their evil deeds. [19] But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more." [20] But, O LORD of hosts, who judgest righteously, who triest the heart and the mind, let me see thy vengeance upon them, for to thee have I committed my cause.
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Commentary:
11:18-12:6. There are five passages in the book usually called the "confessions of Jeremiah", (cf. the note on 11:1-20:18)--trusting prayers in which the prophet opens his heart to the Lord and tells him his deepest feelings. They are given this name because they are reminiscent of St Augustine's well-known book with that title.
Some commentators think that this first "confession" goes back to the early years of the prophet's ministry when the priests of Anathoth opposed him because his preaching provided backing for Josiah's religious reform (the preceding passage, 11:1-17, would only go to show that). The reform went against the vested interests of those priests, because it sought to concentrate all formal religious worship in the temple of Jerusalem. In any event, Jeremiah complains to God about being persecuted by his fellow citizens and even by members of his own family (11:18-21; 12:6). That explains why Christian tradition has seen Jeremiah as a figure of Jesus Christ, who was also rejected by his own people (cf. Mt 13:57; Mk 6:4; Lk 4:24; Jn 7:3-5) and who was sacrificed as the Lamb of God to atone for the sins of men (11:19; cf. Is 53:7; Jn 1:29; 19:31). St Jerome, commenting on this passage, says: "All of the churches believe that what is said of Jeremiah refers also to the person of Christ" ("Commentarii in Ieremiam", 2, 11).
The words of the prophet, similar to those found in Job and in the Psalms (cf. Job 21:7-13; Ps 37, 49, 73), express the pain, puzzlement and feelings of someone who sees the wicked prosper and is only too aware of his personal limitations when he tries to do what God asks of him (12:1-4). The Lord's answer seems very harsh: the opposition shown the prophet by his family is only the start: he needs to be more circumspect and to be ready to cope with even more difficult situations (12:5-6).
The fact that Jeremiah puts on record not only his inner complaint to God but also the uncompromising answer he is given, indicates that he accepted that answer, it invites us always to respond to God generously and bravely, and not to give importance to obstacles. Commenting on this passage, St John of the Cross has this to say to those who seem to want to serve God but who baulk at the effort entailed: "If you continue to satisfy the comfort and tastes of the flesh, your sensuality, and never arm yourself for battle or deny your body in anything, how will you ever desire to enter the troubled waters of the spiritual trials and works that lie deep within? O souls that desire to journey calmly and safely through the life of the Spirit! If only you knew that suffering is the source of true calm and safety, [...] you would never seek consolation front God or take comfort in created things. You would take up the cross, and be crucified, and drink the vinegar and gall (cf. Jn 19:29), and you would discover that by dying to this life and to yourself, you are brought to life in the joy of God" ("Flame of Living Love", 2,27-28).
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From: John 7:40-53
Different Opinions About Jesus (Continuation)
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[40] When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This is really the prophet." [41] Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee? [42] Has not the Scripture said that the Christ is descended from David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" [43] So there was a division among the people over Him. [44] Some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
[45] The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?" [46] The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this man!" [47] The Pharisees answered them, "Are you led astray, you also? [48] Have any of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in Him? [49] But this crowd, who do not know the law, are accursed." [50] Nicodemus, who had gone to Him before, and who was one of them, said to them, [51] "Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?" [52] They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee." [53] They went each to his own house, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
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Commentary:
40-43. "The prophet" refers to Deuteronomy 18:18, which predicts the coming of a prophet during the last times, a prophet to whom all must listen (cf. John 1:21; 6:14); and "the Christ" ("the Messiah") was the title most used in the Old Testament to designate the future Savior whom God would send. This passage shows us, once again, the range of people's attitudes towards Jesus. Many Jews—not taking the trouble to check--did not know that He had been born in Bethlehem, the city of David, where Micah (5:2) says the Lord will be born. It was their own fault that they used this ignorance as an excuse for not accepting Christ. Others, however, realized from His miracles that He must be the Messiah. The same pattern obtains throughout history: some people see Him simply as an extraordinary man, not wanting to admit that His greatness comes precisely from the fact that He is the Son of God.
46. The truth begins to influence the straightforward souls of the servants of the Sanhedrin but it cannot make headway against the obstinacy of the Pharisees. "Notice that the Pharisees and scribes derive no benefit either from witnessing miracles or reading the Scriptures; whereas their servants, without these helps, were captivated by a single discourse, and those who set out to arrest Jesus went back under the influence of His authority. And they did not say, 'We cannot arrest Him, the people will not let us'; instead they extolled Christ's wisdom. Not only is their prudence admirable, for they did not need signs; it is also impressive that they were won over by His teaching on its own; they did not say, in effect, 'No man has ever worked such miracles,' but 'No man ever spoke like this man.' Their conviction also is worthy of admiration: they go to the Pharisees, who were opposed to Christ, and address them in the way they do" (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. On St. John", 9).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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