I’m not sure what your image of Jesus is – whether you see him as a gentle and compassionate healer or as a spiritual person who is often at prayer, whether you see him as meek and mild or as a firebrand preacher. He was all of these things and more.
In this week’s readings from John’s Gospel we are presented with an image of Jesus that we may find less appealing. He is in dispute with a group of Pharisees and the chief priests about many things – including his origins, the source of his authority to teach and who is acting and speaking more faithfully.
The way that John presents it, such disputes were a regular feature of Jesus’ ministry and occurred in open public spaces rather than behind closed doors. And Jesus more than held his own in the passionate and often vitriolic exchanges. Note that various Jewish writings from this era show that similar heated exchanges were indeed the norm.
What sets Jesus’ remarks apart from those of his opponents, however, is his insistence that he has come to bring life and light to people, and to satisfy their inner thirst for relationship with God. This provides a useful criterion to judge our words and actions against. Do they bring life? Do they enlighten people and point then towards God? Do they reveal God’s character of love and grace?