Day 8 – Feasting On John 8

Can you imagine being told and believing your an expert in your field, only to find out you know nothing? This humiliation would produce anger due to embarrassment, disbelief and shock. The thought, who do you think you are to tell me, I don’t know what I’m talking about would be palatable. I mean I’ve done this my whole life and here you come thinking you know something I don’t. Who do you think you are?

The more we are convinced about something, even if that something is a lie, the harder it is to dislodge us from it. When a lie becomes our truth it locks us in and doesn’t want to let us go. But not only that, we prove we’ve believed a lie, because even when the truth is presented to us we can’t hear it or understand it, for the lie is so deeply imbedded in us.

This was the reality of the religious in Jesus’ day. Listen to what Jesus says in John 8:42-47 “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

When truth comes, it can seem offensive, abrasive, strong, and many say, who do you think you are? Why do you think you know something we don’t know? Jesus said, ““You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” (John 8:23) Jesus’ brother James said it this way, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:13-17)

Many religious people, devout Jews, sincere Torah readers missed Jesus in their midst because when the truth came they couldn’t hear it, see it or understand it, because they had believed a lie, the fruit of their life proved it, but they were not willing to humble themselves in order to be set free. May we never be so proud we miss the truth that is manifesting right now all around us. Our freedom depends on us knowing the truth!

lisagreat