Chill winds from the desert pass through the streets of Jerusalem. In the temple, a small crowd stands huddled in the shelter of the Portico of Solomon, listening to the man at the center of the group, the rabbi. They question him — and the simple wisdom of his answers makes them forget the patches in their clothing and the hunger in their bellies.
A man speaks from the crowd — a man standing with the Pharisees on the group’s outer fringe.
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly,” they say.
The wavering question echoes through the dim recesses of the temple, and a hush falls over the people. The only sounds that can be heard are the faint noises of the city and the wind between the portico pillars.
The teacher faces the speaker, who turns away. He replies, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice — I know them, and they follow me.”
This brief story from the Gospel of John might baffle the modern American. It seems inexplicable that Christ should not answer the challenge outright. Why doesn’t He truthfully say, “I am the one you’ve waited for, the Son of God,” and eliminate any doubt in the minds of the onlookers?
Why doesn’t he play his winning card? Christ deserves to be venerated — but He is silent.
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Yet everything Our Lord does — or does not do — takes place for a reason. Perhaps He withheld His identity that day because He wanted men and women thousands of years later to understand the importance of faith — to know that the power of conviction does not lie solely with the teacher, but with the students gathered around him. Christ was not concealing the good news from the Pharisees. They could not hear it because they were not listening.
The men who stood at the edge of the crowd were not in the temple to learn of God’s love and mercy. They were waiting to ensnare a political threat, a charismatic figure whom they did not want to be the Messiah. Christ did not fit the bill. He was no suave politician, no prince on a golden chariot, but a poor rural tradesman from Galilee. He did not promise free education, wealth, the restored greatness of the Hebrew nation, or even national security. Rather, He asked that His followers “take up their crosses, and follow.”
The Pharisees who questioned Him were not convinced He was the Messiah. They refused to believe that this poor carpenter was the savior they’d been waiting for.
It would seem that many Americans today are standing with the Pharisees at the edge of the crowd, looking for a leader who preaches what they’ve been waiting to hear — not a leader who speaks the truth. In less than a month, one of the world’s most powerful nations will elect a new chief executive.
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The United States has an estimated population of nearly 323 million, yet the American people have selected two candidates who both have issues that cannot be overlooked. This election season has not been a search for truth, but a series of attempts to disguise it — to wipe it from one’s server, to sweep it under an expensive rug, to shield bald spots with carefully parted hair.
We have listened to the debates, read about the scandals, and sifted through the slanderous Twitter posts. The candidates have played upon our emotions and the emotions of our fellow Americans. We have seen them giving questionable answers and volleying insults like professional tennis players. Yet with all the millions of dollars spent on travel, events, and media coverage —Americans have not moved much closer to the truth.
We should keep the Gospel of John in our foremost thoughts as Election Day nears. It has been difficult to hear the voice of truth. It has been hard to remember conscience and hold onto convictions. At such times, when the world bombards us with doubt, we are called to self-reflection. John reminds us that the truest campaign speech of all time was not spoken, but proven in a man’s crucifixion. Before the voting begins, put yourself in the temple in Jerusalem. Stand in the crowd before Christ, and ask if you are there to hear what you wish to hear — or if you are seeking the truth.
Rachel LiMandri works as a research analyst for a commercial real estate company. She is based in Houston, Texas.
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