A truly righteous and holy person is very threatening to some people. They see in this person everything that they are not. Rather than changing themselves, they want to destroy the one who makes them feel uncomfortable. They sometimes torment the person in hopes of seeing them crack - let's see how loving and patient the person really is! In our own time, some try to destroy the reputations of extraordinarily good people. They search for everything negative they can possibly say about the person. But these holy and upright people are precious to God. Let us strive to be one of them.

In John's Gospel, Jesus seems to provoke controversy wherever he goes. The crowd is always divided - some believe in him, while others reject both him and his message. In this story, those who reject him think that they know him. Many who reject Jesus - and even some who believe in him - do not know him at all. Others are fascinated with his miracles, but probably do not understand many of the things he had been saying. A personal encounter with the risen Lord is the surest way to truly know and understand him.