A rupture for Jesus.

Hardly anyone can count the number of rifts for Jesus. On the one hand, they are unnecessary, unnecessary, and unpleasant things. On the other hand, they are beautiful, helpful, and necessary when believers can stand up for their faith.

Even in the days of Jesus’ ministry, there were controversies over his person. Today’s Gospel tells us about one. The Pharisees say to the servants, “Have you also been deceived? Did any of the leading men or Pharisees believe in him?” (Jn. 7:47-48).

In this case, the Messiah’s origin question is at issue. Some of the leading religious leaders of the Jews were convinced that the Messiah could not have come from Galilee. Therefore, they viewed Jesus as a forewritten case. They rejected him before they could be convinced of anything or give him a hearing. They were speaking, actually quoting Scripture. The book of Deuteronomy (cf. 18:15-19) tells us that Christ will come from the seed of David, from the little town of Bethlehem, where David dwelt (cf. Jn. 7:42).
This was the cause of the division in the multitude. We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. These disputants did not know – because of their poor information because Jesus lived in Nazareth after His return, where Joseph and Mary lived all the time. The birth in Bethlehem took place at the behest of the emperor Augustus because of his desire to know the number of his subjects for the census.

Among those present was Nicodemus, who is considered a secret disciple of the Lord Jesus because he came to Jesus under cover of night, and they talked together. To him, he gave those precious words about being born again of water and the Spirit. This Nicodemus, though he was respected in the high council, stood up for Jesus, saying, “Will our law condemn a man before it hears him and finds out what he has done?” (Jn. 7:51). Here Nicodemus, still in fear but already publicly confessing to Jesus. He stands up for the law, which is on Jesus’ side because the Great Council wants to pass judgment on him before they would hear him. This was the falsity of the leaders of the nation.
Perhaps even Judas didn’t mean it badly in the beginning. He may have thought that the high council just wanted to hear Jesus, but when he saw what followed, he returned the money, and the wrong attitude toward his guilt drove him to suicide. Indeed, Jesus would have forgiven him if he had mourned as Peter did or come to the foot of the cross and forgiven Jesus. Here, however, we see the behavior of Nicodemus, who his fellow members suspected in the high priesthood that he, too, had believed Jesus. So, they ask him an uncomfortable question: “Aren’t you also from Galilee! Examine, and you will see that a prophet does not arise from Galilee.” (Jn 7:52).
From this, we can see that Jesus is opposed by the arrogance of the leaders of the nation and the scholars, as well as by the brutal violence of the officials. Few were to catch Jesus. We see this from their words when they expressed themselves: Never did man speak so. They were impressed by Jesus’ preaching, speaking, and approach to life in general.

We may rightly ask: What has changed in our relationship with Jesus in the last two thousand years? Nothing. In the same way, even today, many similarly appeal to various things so that they don’t have to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah…
It is suitable for today’s modern Christian believers, both older and younger, to strive to live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ and seek to have solid knowledge in the area of faith, the teachings of Jesus Christ. Today, more than at any time in the past, we need educated but also believing Christians. However, we must follow a reasonable approach to the issues. Never by force and at any cost and with everyone engage in endless discussions, debates. Just as we believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, in His love, power, light, so in their hatred and bias they will endlessly speak their minds, and so will their opponents. They cannot be persuaded, they twist the facts, and what is more, they have no knowledge, and they want to give reason away! That is why it is necessary to take a suitable stand or convince by living.

Our life is an open book of faith. In church and wherever God wants us to be, we strive with all our goodwill to give a good testimony of faith. If the Pharisees had found out where Jesus was born, they would not have said to Galilee that the Messiah could not have come from there. We know that Jesus has the surname of a Nazarene. When we know the teachings of Christ better, we can better and more easily translate His teachings into our lives.

Principle: Never violence in faith, but a severe approach! This, too, is worthy of a Christian when he leaves a place where there is no effort for dialogue, where hearts close before mouths open.