Acceptance of Truth

Lesson #126

With this lesson we will continue where we left off in the last lesson at verse 21 with Jesus responding to the crowd telling him he had a demon or that he was mad by assuming the Jews wanted to kill him. “Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it.”” (John 7:21 ESV). Jesus is probably referring back to the paralytic he healed on the Sabbath at the pool called Bethesda. They marveled at his healing, but since he did it on the Sabbath he is being accused of breaking the Law. If the people would stop and think about what they do on the Sabbath, they would realize that they are also guilty. Jesus gives them an example.

“Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well?” (John 7:22 – 23 ESV). We have two events being performed on the Sabbath; circumcision required by God to be done on the eighth day, even if it falls on the Sabbath, and the healing which Jesus did. Circumcision affects only one part of the body, but the healing Jesus did makes a man's whole body well. Jesus was claiming that his healing was of greater value that their circumcision. The problem seems to be that Jesus healing on the Sabbath is something new and lies outside of what the Jews have deemed as acceptable.

Jesus continues by saying, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24 ESV). Jesus ends his defense and then condemns them for their sin of judgment. In their minds, circumcision was ok on the Sabbath because they saw it as a work of God that they were to perform, but because of prejudice they were not willing to accept the work of Christ as a worthy activity. Because of the Jews dislike of Jesus, they were unwilling to embrace any truth Jesus presents to them. We must be careful we don’t dislike doctrine and reject it because of our dislike of the person teaching it. It is clear that their dislike of Jesus blocks their acceptance of anything new being proclaimed by him. Their blindness and rejection of the truth will grow as their hatred of Jesus grows.

 

Prayer

Father, as I wrote this lesson I thought about how I sometimes react to people who present a doctrinal view different from what I hold. I questioned whether I want to maintain my position or am I willing to listen to their view with the possibility of modifying my view. If I continue to reject their view, do I also reject the person who is presenting the new view. Father, as I think about this I believe I am in need of a little heart change, just as the Jews were at the time of Jesus.