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Did Jesus Lie?


After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”  For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
         Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.  You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
         However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?”
         Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”
         Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. (John 7:1-13)

         This is a passage that has bewildered me for a long time. Jesus was sinless. He even went so far as to describe Himself as “the Truth.” Yet here He is, quoted as telling His brothers that He was not going to the festival, then He goes. Isn’t that a lie? This could be one of those make or break passages. If Jesus lied, then He cannot be God.
        Before leaping to the conclusion that He lied, there is another possibility: we misunderstand what was really being said. I’m not suggesting that a text can mean anything we want it to. I am saying that we need to take a closer look, to make sure that what we think we see is what is actually there.
          Jesus’ brothers challenged Him to take His ministry to Jerusalem, to go there as a public figure, the CEO of The Messiah Co., and practice His craft there. Jesus declines that invitation because His time hadn’t come. For his brothers, probably for His disciples, and for us, it’s all about now. Carpe diem (seize the day!)
         “What do we want?"
          “The Messiah!”
         “When do we want Him?"
         “Now!”
        To this, Jesus says, “Now’s not the right time.” He has an agenda. Before He gets himself crucified, He has to train His disciples. He has miracles to perform. He has arguments to make. Jesus, the Messiah CEO doesn’t go to Jerusalem to do what His brothers tell Him to. Jesus, the person, goes in that private role. In the end, I do not believe Jesus lied.
         Now to make it practical. We all have public and private roles in life. Most of the time, we need to keep them separate but we also need to keep both in mind at every moment. Leaders have responsibilities to maintain a certain level of behavior, so that the leader does not have the same rights as a private person. This is one of the reasons I’m considering using a pen name for my books, because should I become a famous author, I would not want the author to have undue influence on my behalf. Nor do I want the author to overshadow my life as a person.

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