JN 7:40-53
This Gospel passage starts with fighting among a crowd after they heard Jesus speak. Because he spoke so well, some of the members of the crowd believed that he was Christ. Others disagreed because of a small discrepancy in the Bible over where he was born, and due to this, infighting began. The chief priests and Pharisees went to the guards and asked them why they hadn’t arrested him yet. They, like some members of the crowd, came from a completely unbiased point of view, and were simply stunned at the words Jesus had said. The Pharisees and chief priests were not happy with this at all, and called the crowd “accursed” for believing that Jesus was Christ. Upon hearing this, Nicodemus asked them “Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” After a few words were exchanged, the chief priest and Pharisees left.
The central theme of this passage is applicable not only during Lent, but throughout the year. Jesus died in order to give us a chance at new life, so why would we waste it by judging people? Instead, we should be open-minded and look at a person not by where they come from and how they look, but by their character. Similar messages have been said by the likes of many people throughout the ages including Dr.King. During this Lenten period, we should open our minds and our hearts to what Jesus tells us everyday through the Bible, in order to become the best people that God intended for us to be.