Welcoming & Embracing the Stranger: Lenten Reflections with the Artwork of James Tissot

March 21, 2026 - Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

In today’s Gospel, we hear how people react to the words of Jesus: “a division occurs in the crowd because of Him.” Some accept Him as the Christ, while others argue that He cannot be the Christ, since the Christ will come from Bethlehem, the City of David, and Jesus, from what they can tell, is from Galilee. There is even a division among the Pharisees, between those who condemn Jesus and Nicodemus, who argues that they should at least give Jesus a chance and hear Him out.  

We know much more than the people in this narrative: we know that Jesus is, in fact, from Bethlehem and that He is the Messiah. Some in the crowds dismiss Jesus and even call for His arrest because they know He is a Galilean and assume that because of this, He cannot be the Christ. The Pharisees curse those who accept Jesus, claiming they do so out of ignorance of Scripture.    

The irony here is that they are the ones acting out of ignorance of Scripture. Nicodemus reminds them of this by questioning their rash condemnation of Jesus by asking, “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” Nicodemus is referencing Deuteronomy 19:15-19, which insists on a fair trial. Because of his knowledge of Scripture, he is aware of Jesus’ inherent rights as a person, His God-given dignity. If the crowds who disbelieved and the Pharisees had an open, questioning mind and knowledge of Scripture like Nicodemus, they would learn that Jesus is truly the Christ. But they let their preconceived notions keep them from accepting Him. 

We too cannot let our ignorance and bias prevent us from seeing Christ in the other, especially in those we know little about—the stranger. If we have a closed mind, we might misjudge a stranger as unworthy of our attention, forgiveness, or love, simply because we have an ignorant or biased estimation of them. It is through knowledge of God’s Word and an open heart like Nicodemus’ that we can see Christ in the stranger.  

May the working of your mercy, O Lord, we pray, direct our hearts aright, for without your grace we cannot find favor in your sight. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. (Roman Missal)

John Peter Zappe, Seminarian, Diocese of Paterson

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