Saturday 19 July 2014

Background

The Feast of Booths (or tabernacles) is a major festival ofthanksgiving for harvest. It also recalls the deliverance of theIsraelites from Egypt and the subsequent years in the wildernessand God's provision for the people (see the Bookof Exodus). The festival lasts a week and involves pilgrimageto Jerusalem. For seven days pilgrims were to live in booths (ortents) as a vivid reminder of the wilderness years.

In John's Gospel Jesus uses the words "the world" to speak oflife organised over against God: "The world cannot hate you but ithates me because I testify against it that its works are evil" (v.7).

Having said he wouldn't go to the festival Jesus later goesquietly and listens in to the various views about him, but he doesnot reveal himself.

To Ponder

• Have there been times when you have taken a stand against "theworld"? What happened?

• Jesus has a clear sense of there being a right (and wrong) timefor his death, Resurrection and exaltation (verse 6). How do youdiscern the right time to speak or act?