Some in the crowd who heard these words said, "This is truly the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Messiah." But others said, "The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David's family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why did you not bring him?" The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this one." So the Pharisees answered them, "Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed." Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, "Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?" They answered and said to him, "You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."(Jn 7, 40-53)
There was a division among the people regarding Jesus. One group was looking at Jesus positively and tried to understand him as to who he was. Though their understanding, often, did not reach the correct view of him. And there was another group that did not want to have any right opinion on him. They objected to any view presented about him.
This division was not only on the opinion about Jesus but it also divided the people. The Galileans were posed against the others. And the people were divided one against the other on account of Jesus.
But the mission of Jesus was to unite all the people into one nation in God and to bring all creation into one.
Today’s reading does not give any solution but it only presents the situation. But if we look at the underlying element of the situation, then we come to realize that only those who were in authority did not understand correctly, who Jesus was.
Authority and power are given to lead people and to lead them to God. Authority and power belong to God (For, yours is the kingdom and power and glory O God) and they are given by God to men.
But, authority and power blind people, they even blind people not to see God (in Jesus) in others.
