When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived, too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law, they are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of them, asked, “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.” (John 7:40-52, NRSVue)
“Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?”
You can not trust them, they come from ______! Have you ever heard this? Or have you ever said this?
We all know the places in town that are on the wrong side of the tracks. You know the places that you do not go to after dark and the people who live there are the people we do not trust.
But why?
We are all made in the image of God, and we are all creations of the one who lovingly knit us together. So why is one place better than another?
Maybe we should not look at where people come from here on earth, but see them for where they come from in the hands of a loving creator that made us too.
Do not judge. Love.
