Prophets do not come out of Galilee.
John 7:40-52
In today’s Gospel we see how Jesus’ teaching sometimes
divides people. Some members of the crowd respond to his message and believe he must be the Christ but others, like the Pharisees, dismiss him because they refuse to believe that the promised Messiah could possibly come from a humble place like Galilee.
They underestimate him because of where he comes from, how he looks, and how he speaks.
However hard we try not to, sometimes we all make unfair judgements about people based on first impressions.
Just like the Pharisees who reject Jesus because they cannot see beyond their own prejudices, we can find ourselves forming opinions about people based on superficial things such as appearance, as opposed to actions and words.
Just as Nicodemus reminds his fellow Pharisees that they should listen to what Jesus has to say before they judge, we too are reminded to use our judgement wisely and not dismiss people out of hand.
People are worth more than their social status, their appearance, or where they come from, for we are all made in God’s image and are precious in his eyes.
If we strive to look beyond the surface and treat everyone we meet with kindness and compassion we can help to end prejudice and create a more equal and just society.