Jesus Hid
So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. - John 8:59
What a peculiar moment in the Gospel. Jesus speaks his lesson, gets in trouble, and has to hide in order to escape from the crowd that he deeply angered. Um… What!? When I read this Gospel, I imagined the look of dawning realization on Jesus’ face as he comes to the conclusion that the crowd is about to start hucking rocks at him. The facial equivalent of: “I’ve made a huge mistake”.
In many ways, that seems like a throwaway line, but I think it speaks to Christ’s humanity, in particular, the humor of it. Why is it funny? Because it is so unexpected. This God-man, who just revealed to the crowd his Godness, now has to run because he still has manness! A moment of Elmer Fudd missing Bugs Bunny ensues. Irony at its best.
So what’s the takeaway? Humor. Odd for Lent, but something we need nonetheless. Our lives cannot be devoid of humor. It is in our nature to be humorous, to bring joy into our hearts and the hearts of others. Even amidst the darkest depths of Lent, we have a spark of joy reminding us of the other side. Moreover, we are called to it.
Have I seen sparks of joy this Lenten season? When was the last time I truly laughed? How can I find little humors to help me persevere through the final days of Lent?
Matt Keppel