We should always be
intentionally seeking the truth, but that will sometimes cause division. The
divisions that Jesus caused reach all the way to the leaders of the church, the
Sanhedrin. The Pharisees thought the opinion of the religious leaders was
unanimous in its opposition to Jesus. Nicodemus reminds his colleagues of an
important principle of law they intentionally overlooking.“You mean he has
deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. “Have any of the rulers or of the
Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there
is a curse on them.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one
of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing
him to find out what he has been doing?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee,
too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of
Galilee.” Then they all went home, - John 7:47-53
The response of the
Pharisees can be interpreted in two ways:
1. They may be urging
Nicodemus to search the Scripture and see that no prophet had ever appeared in
Galilee.
2. They could be asking
is Galilee the kind of place to produce a prophet.
The leaders were not
interested in determining the truth. They wanted to discredit Jesus any way
they could. With their plot frustrated and group divided “everyone went to his
own home”. No change of heart or mind, but intent with doing things their own
way regardless of the facts.
How should we deal with
division? How would Jesus?
Always
live by God’s truth not man’s (it’s always changing). Amen?
