A few years ago I was participating in the RAPSody (Ride Around Puget Sound) and missed a "Dan Henry" arrow telling me where to turn. As a result I got lost and wound up riding more than 20 miles out of my way. The worst part was that I rode all the way down to the Hood Canal, and had to climb almost 600 feet vertically to get back to the correct route. As a result of this mistake (at least in part) I was unable to finish the 163 mile ride, and ended up quitting after 110 miles. At one point I was so confused that I had to ask several people for directions (the ultimate humiliation for a male road cyclist).
In John 7 we see confusion reign supreme. Jesus' own brothers were confused because they did not believe in him (vs. 5). The crowds at the Feast of Tabernacles were confused: "Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, 'He is a good man.' Others replied, 'No, he deceives the people.'" (John 7:12) The Jewish leaders were confused by Jesus' obvious wisdom, scratching their heads and asking: "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" (vs. 15) The people were confused because they knew the authorities wanted to kill Jesus yet they weren't acting. They asked: "Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?" (vs. 26) Some were confused and thought Jesus couldn't be the Christ because they knew he was from Galilee. They didn't know their Bible and thought that the origins of the Messiah would be unknown (vs. 27). Still others were confused because they also knew Jesus was from Galilee and they knew the Messiah must come from Bethlehem. (vs. 42) The guards who were sent to arrest Jesus were confused as to why they should do so, protesting: "No one ever spoke the way this man does." Nicodemus was confused as to why they wanted to arrest Jesus and asked: "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?" (vs. 51)
Clearly there is confusion everywhere in John 7, except in Jesus. Jesus is the only one who knows what he's talking about. Jesus is clear as to who he is, where his teaching comes from, and where he is going. His words ring out like the peal of a bell, loud and clear. "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
Life is confusing nowadays. Everyday we are faced with a myriad of choices. You go to buy a new coffee maker and there are hundreds of different models, styles and brands to choose from. You try to decide right and wrong on a moral issue and there are as many opinions as there are "experts" to listen to. How can we overcome the profusion of confusion in our world? The same way Jesus overcame the confusion in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles.
Drink deeply from the water of life that Jesus offers you in his Word. Fill your heart, mind and spirit with that refreshment for the soul. The more you drink the clearer God's truth will become to you. The more you drink the stronger your faith will become. And the more you drink the more you will be able to help others overcome the confusion in their lives, because "streams of living water will begin to flow from within you."
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