Reflection - Tabernacles

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040819.cfm
Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62
John 8:12-20

The modern reader of John’s Gospel can easily miss much of what John is teaching. His account is replete with symbolism and one by one he will deal with all the major Jewish feasts, relating them to Jesus. Consequently, Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel can seem isolated or just drawn out of thin aIr. Any reader of the four gospels can’t help but notice how John’s account is markedly different from those of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The differences are many. Among the most obvious is the fact that in John, Jesus speaks at length on the subject of the moment. The Last Supper discourse, for example, is several chapters long.

Some decades back it became popular to print Bibles with the words of Jesus in red. I found such editions to be most useful for comparing the Gospels themselves. Of the four, Mark has proportionately the least red and John the most. Upon looking through these bi-color texts, focusing particularly on John, I was reminded of books I had seen in another’s library where almost every passage was highlighted with a yellow marker.

Now the reason this is of value regarding the Gospel passage for today lies in the fact that the necessary segmentation of text for the daily reading of the Gospels works least well for the Gospel of John. The full context for today’s events go back to the beginning of the previous chapter. Here is the short version of chapter seven.

Now the Jews' feast of Tabernacles was at hand.
Jesus said to them, "Go to the feast yourselves; I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come."
So saying, he remained in Galilee.
But after his brethren had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private.

And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, "He is a good man," others said, "No, he is leading the people astray."
Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.
The Jews marveled at it, saying, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?"

There is additional material in chapter seven which would broaden our perspective even more. My selections are primarily to assist in understanding what is going on in today’s reading.

So, what we know from chapter seven is that it is the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Tents or the Feast of Booths). The Feast will last for seven days. There is already animosity toward Jesus on the part of many or most among the Jewish authorities. Jesus went secretly to Jerusalem for the Feast because of this animosity. The general public was ambivalent about Jesus and his teaching. The feast was about half over before Jesus made his presence known by teaching in the Temple.

The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles is not one of the Jewish feasts well known by gentiles. The Feast was intended to celebrate the desert passage of the people as they were led by Moses after leaving Egypt. The Tabernacles/Tents/Booths refers to the temporary shelters the people made while traveling through the desert and which they annual re-created for this commemorative event. Correspondingly, several other notable elements from the desert journey are also symbolized in the feast. Among these are the “Pillar of Fire” by which God led the people. This was symbolized by giant candelabras in the Temple courtyard. Also remembered was the water which God provided in the desert when Moses, at the Lord’s command, struck the rock. This was symbolized by a procession carrying water from a major city spring. The instructions from God received through the teachings of Moses was another element recalled from that desert journey. All of these come into play as John records the scene.

In the desert the people grumbled because they had no water. The foreshadowing is fulfilled in Jesus: On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. (These words are in chapter seven.)

In the desert the people were led by the pillar of fire. Jesus was in the treasury area of the Temple courtyard, quite possibly standing beneath one of the giant candelabra when he proclaimed: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness.”

But it is on the issue of teaching that the antagonism of the elders comes most prominently to the surface. It first becomes evident when, in the previous chapter, Jesus claims "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” And “If any man's will is to do his [i.e. The Father’s] will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.” And then in today’s reading we hear The Pharisees say to him: "You testify on your own behalf, so your testimony cannot be verified." And the culmination of this lengthy exchange is bluntly brought to the fore when Jesus exclaims: "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also." Here, indeed, is the heart of the matter; and the meaning is clear. Those who are of God or actively seeking God recognize the Word of God.

This celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles recalled the time when the presence and word of God were made known through dramatic public events. Once again, during these feast days, the Word of God is being made known. Once again dramatic public events give evidence to that fact.

In this account of John the very minimum that I can take away is a caution to be careful about what teaching I reject in favor of my own opinion.