Pushing Past Personal Preferences (John 7:14-24)

We can be quick to assume that our way of doing things, our preferences, are the right way, even the most holy. And we see these assumptions arise among Jesus' brothers, the disciples, the crowds, and religious leaders in our passage this week. Yet Jesus shows us that if we can’t see past our own assumptions about the right way to do church, or the “best” theological education, or who belongs in God’s Kingdom, or who is right about a particular issue, we might miss out on seeing Jesus for who he really is, and on opportunities to love others around us the way he did.