20260321 INEVITABLE DIVISION IN HUMANITY
21 March 2026, Saturday, 4th Week of Lent
First reading |
Jeremiah 11:18-20 |
'Let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten'
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 Acclamation | Ezk33:11 |
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
I take pleasure, not in the death of a wicked man
– it is the Lord who speaks –
but in the turning back of a wicked man
who changes his ways to win life.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Or: | cf.Lk8:15 |
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Blessed are those who,
with a noble and generous heart,
take the word of God to themselves
and yield a harvest through their perseverance.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
Gospel | John 7:40-52 |
The Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without hearing him
Several people who had been listening to Jesus 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 judgement 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.’
INEVITABLE DIVISION IN HUMANITY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 11:18-20; PS 7:2-3,9-12; JN 7:40-52]
Why is there division in humanity? This is because there is always an ongoing battle between light and darkness. Earlier, before going to Jerusalem for the Festival of Tabernacles, the Lord told His disciples, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.” (Jn 7:7) Indeed, since the beginning of Creation, darkness has always sought to overcome the light. The world seeks to resolve this division by masking it in the name of relativism; claiming that both darkness and light must co-exist, and that neither is considered good or bad, true or false. This is one of the most deceptive philosophies today because it pretends to promote unity with all; in truth, however, it sows greater division, as there is no real agreement among people – except a superficial agreement to disagree.
Jesus highlights this division through His coming into humanity. He wants to bring peace, but darkness cannot tolerate the light. Indeed, already at His birth, Simeon prophesied, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.” (Lk 2:34f) Jesus Himself declared, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Mt 10:34) Like Jeremiah, Jesus was opposed by His enemies. They too sought to destroy Him, as Jeremiah said of his enemies, “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!'”
Jesus’ teaching and works divided the people from the beginning. “Several people who had been listening to Jesus 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.” Earlier, Jesus had multiplied bread to feed the five thousand (Jn 6:1-15) and then proclaimed Himself to be the one who gives living water. “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (Jn 7:37f) These two incidents stirred in the minds of the people the thought that Jesus could be the promised Prophet that Moses told the people to listen to when He came. He would be the New Moses, giving them bread from heaven and living water. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” (Dt 18:15,18) This prophet was thought to be Elijah coming again to prepare the way for the Messiah, which Jesus confirmed to be John the Baptist. (Mt 17:12f)
The ordinary and common people of the time were not thoroughly schooled in Scriptures and the Law. Indeed, this is also true today for many of our Catholics. Many of us have only a shallow knowledge of the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church. Our knowledge of our faith is very superficial. When it comes to professional knowledge – whether in technology, work, business or science and medicine – we know much. But most Catholics have only a minimal understanding of what they believe, and even lesser of why they believe it, until they are challenged, as Jeremiah and our Lord were. Unfortunately, because our faith is not well grounded, many are easily misled or are confused by their opponents, especially by hostile secularism or by those who profess beliefs different from ours. As St Peter exhorts us, “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Pt 3:14f)
Even the authorities were divided over Jesus. The police who were sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Him came back without apprehending Him because they were impressed by our Lord. They sensed that Jesus was speaking the truth, for they said, “There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.” Jesus’ words must have stirred their conscience, because they had no vested interest; they were there only because they were ordered to arrest Him. But what was the response of the Jewish leaders? “So you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing of the Law – they are damned.” Instead of providing proof from authoritative sources, especially the Scriptures, they made sweeping statements to silence those who disagreed with them.
What can we learn from their reaction to the teaching of our Lord? Firstly, it highlights the importance of the sensus fidei in arriving at the truth. Sensus fidei is the active capacity to grasp and adhere to the faith through the work of the Holy Spirit, who “arouses and sustains in believers a supernatural appreciation of the faith especially in matters of faith and morals. Scriptures have always taught that believers receive an anointing that equips them to know and confess the truth of the Gospel (1Jn 2:20,27), and that the Church, as a whole, taught by the Holy Spirit, cannot err in matters of belief (cf. Jn 16:13: 1Tim 3:15). (cf. Lumen Gentium, 12, Dei Verbum 8)
However, one must be careful not to equate the sensus fidei with public opinion, which is often the case today – especially in social and digital media, where people are exposed to fake news or distorted truths that stir them to act for or against a particular opinion. To be clear, the sensus fidei is not simply popular opinion. The Church understands that this exercise of the sensus fidei requires a living faith – a faith that is animated by charity; which corresponds to one’s holiness of life, experiential knowledge of spiritual realities, and receptivity to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, it also warns those who hold power and office to be cautious in the way they exercise their authority. The Jewish leaders sought to use their institutional or religious power to suppress alternative voices when they felt threatened. Not only did they try to silence the police, but when Nicodemus – one of the Pharisees who went to see Jesus by night – asked an objective question, they turned on him; “But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement 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.'”
They were not true to the observance of the Law that required investigation and hearing, nor did they realise that there were prophets that came from Galilee, such as Jonah and Nahum. Such snobbery is still used today by political and religious authorities to dismiss those whose views differ from their own. We are often led to think that we have the right answers and know everything simply because we are the elite of society and members of the Church. We consider everyone else as ignorant and stupid. Unfortunately, this kind of attitude also exists among priests, religious and lay leaders. This superiority complex makes them disdain the views of others.
Today, we are invited to take a stand for Jesus. Is Jesus our Saviour and Messiah? If so, we must study the Scriptures and Catholic doctrines so that our faith is well founded and we are able to respond to the challenges posed by the world. We cannot engage in real dialogue with humanists, secularists, and people of other religions if we do not know our faith well enough to explain and defend it. But this does not mean that in our relationship with those who disagree with us, we have to be defensive and engage in apologetics and polemics. Rather, we must come with an open mind and heart, seeking the truth and remaining ready to be challenged by others so that we can understand our faith better. It is when we are challenged and asked by others about our beliefs that we are forced to search and clarify for ourselves what we truly believe and why we believe. We should not always view those who oppose us negatively, but instead see them as God’s instruments to strengthen and purify our faith in Him. Indeed, we can be confident that if we are sincere and humble, God will always be on our side.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
