(The Jews) were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” (John 6:42).
Most people base their opinions on some supporting evidence. Whenever they encounter new information which undermines their view, they will frequently adjust their thinking. Yet, for some individuals, their opinions are so entrenched that even undeniable evidence will not change their minds. Instead, they rely on the information they have used in the past to support their view without admitting it has become obsolete. This prevents any alteration in their opinion and leads to a silo mentality where the individual cuts off any interaction with those who think differently.
In this text from John, Jesus
encounters some Jews who are so convinced they know his origins that nothing
will alter their thinking. By doing so, they demonstrate how clinging to old
information cuts them off from developing a deeper relationship with God.
Within the Hebrew Scriptures/Old
Testament conversion was frequently associated with changing an
individual’s or group’s orientation towards God. One impediment to this alteration,
often called “hardness of heart”, was entrenched attitudes about religion and
society. During the time of Amos, prosperity and security had convinced Israel’s
religious and political elites, idol worship, the political appointment of
Priests and unjust social conditions were acceptable. Each of these practices
was a clear violation of God’s Law. When they were challenged by the prophet during
his clash with Amaziah, the Priest of Bethel, the latter’s reaction implied a dependence
on existing information: this was the king’s sanctuary and Amos lacked the
qualifications to disturb the status quo. Amaziah completely ignored the
undeniable truth of the prophet’s charges. Amos warned of the disastrous
consequences of such infidelity and was proven right by later events. It was the
fixed views of Amaziah and the elites which made conversion impossible and cut
them off from God.
John’s Bread of Life Discourse offers
another example of the power of such entrenched opinions; in this case about Christ’s
identity. After he fed a crowd with five loaves and two fish, the people wanted
to make him king by force. When Christ asserted he was sent by God and the
crowd must believe in him, it demanded a sign which was greater than Moses providing
manna in the wilderness. After he proclaimed he was that sign, the bread descended
from heaven, they refused to recognize him. When Jesus claimed to have come
down from heaven, the people said they knew his origin because they were
acquainted with his parents. In each case, the entrenched opinion of the crowd
was that Jesus was a human leader who only operated within earthly limits. All
his actions and teachings to present new information about his origins was
rejected by the old data that the Messiah would be the one who would drive the
Romans out of Israel, the supplying of manna by Moses was the greatest possible
sign of God’s providence and that Jesus was simply the son of Joseph. Their
rejection of new information made it impossible for them to understand Christ’s
true origin, identity and mission and draw closer to God.
Within our highly polarized society,
many individuals have developed entrenched views about many subjects. They call
any information which challenges their opinions “fake news” and only obtain
data from sources which confirm their thinking. When confronted with new
evidence which is undeniable, they repeat the old information upon which their thinking
is based without looking at it critically. This approach has led to the rise of
conspiracy theories where only a few people know the real truth while everyone
else believes the lies told to them by sinister elites. In some cases, these
theories can endanger the lives of particular individuals and groups. They also
undermine the fabric of society which makes working to solve common problems impossible.
Sadly, this tendency also exists
within the Church. Entrenched opinions about issues such as the Latin Mass or
Vatican II have divided our faith community into factions who denounce the thinking
of those with whom they disagree. People only converse with individuals who
share the same views. Information is only obtained from sources who confirm
their opinions. New data is viewed with suspicion. The desire for unity within
the Church is equated with conformity to the faction’s outlook. This
inclination leads to a form of Gnosticism within the Church where only a
spiritual elite have the full truth revealed by God.
However, Christ and prophets like
Amos constantly challenged entrenched thinking. God is a mystery which humans
will never completely understand. New experiences and information will prompt
questions and new ways of thinking about what God has revealed. Conversion is
not a one-time event where people come to believe in God but a life-long
process of growth in their relationship with Him. Fixed thinking can be an
obstacle to this development. Factions contradict the Catholicity of the
Church. Not all new ideas bring us closer to God; but some will do so. The
Church has been most effective when it has listened to and debated them before
they were either accepted or rejected. Conversion can benefit from
conversations which include different views.
Entrenched thinking makes
individuals comfortable. New information can threaten this comfort. But,
sometimes growth can only take place when we consider it and allow God to guide
us to a closer relationship with Him.
August 8, 2021
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