Religious Arrogance : John 7:14-15 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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Religious Arrogance - John 7:14-15

The festival was about half finished. Then Jesus went to the temple area and began to teach. The Jews were amazed. They said, "This man has never studied in school. How did he learn so much?" (ERV) Full Text

Key Thought

Arrogance is such an unattractive and unnecessary trait. Not only is it sinful, it also shuts us off from truth. None of us has a corner on the market for truth. Education, experience, and training should not mean that we refuse to learn something from someone who does not have these advantages. Christian living is about faithfulness, not about the letters that come after a comma at the end of our name. Jesus came from God. He spoke the truth of God. He called others to share God's message. He calls us to listen to others whose lives reflect the truth of that message and learn from them without prejudice. Education, experience, and training can be fantastic tools when coupled with humility. Let's commit to be true disciples. Let's commit to be life-long learners!

Today's Prayer

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Father, forgive me for those times that I have not listened to others because I have thought that they had nothing to teach me. Humble me gently. Help me discern your truth no matter from whom I need to learn it. Give me a heart that is open to all that you want to teach me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Today's Verses in Context

So Jesus' brothers left to go to the festival. After they left, Jesus went too. But Jesus did not let people see him. At the festival the Jewish leaders were looking for Jesus. The Jews said, "Where is that man?" There was a large group of people there. Many of these people were talking secretly to each other about Jesus. Some people said, "He is a good man." But other people said, "No, he fools the people." But none of the people were brave enough to talk about Jesus openly. The people were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The festival was about half finished. Then Jesus went to the temple area and began to teach. The Jews were amazed. They said, "This man has never studied in school. How did he learn so much?" Jesus answered, "The things I teach are not my own. My teaching comes from him (God) who sent me. If a person wants to do what God wants, then that person will know that my teaching comes from God. That person will know that this teaching is not my own. Any person that teaches his own ideas is trying to get honor for himself. But a person that tries to bring honor to the one that sent him--that person speaks the truth. There is nothing false in him. Moses gave you the law. Right? But none of you obey that law. Why are you trying to kill me?" The people answered, "A demon is making you crazy! We are not trying to kill you." Jesus said to them, "I did one miracle {on a Sabbath day } and you were all surprised. But you obey the law Moses gave you the law about circumcision --and sometimes you do it on a Sabbath day. (Really, Moses is not the one that gave you circumcision. Circumcision came from our people {that lived before Moses}.) Yes, you often circumcise babies on a Sabbath day. This shows that a person can be circumcised on a Sabbath day to obey the law of Moses. So why are you angry at me for healing a person's whole body on the Sabbath day? Stop judging by the way things look. Be fair and judge by what is really right."

— John 7:10-24 (ERV)

Comments on "Religious Arrogance":

Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. He said to them, "Leaders of the people and you older leaders: Are you questioning us today about the good thing that was done to this crippled man? Are you asking us what made him well? We want all of you and all the Jewish people to know that this man was made well by the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth! You nailed Jesus to a cross. God raised him from death. This man was crippled, but he is now well. He is able to stand here before you because of the power of Jesus! Jesus is 'the stone that you builders thought was not important. But this stone has become the cornerstone. ' Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through Jesus!" The Jewish leaders understood that Peter and John had no special training or education. But the leaders also saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak. So the leaders were amazed. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus. They saw the crippled man standing there beside the two apostles. They saw that the man was healed. So they could say nothing against the apostles.
Acts 4:8-14 (ERV)

There was a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees. He was an important Jewish leader. One night Nicodemus came to Jesus. Nicodemus said, "Teacher, we know that you are a teacher sent from God. No person can do these miracles that you do without God's help."
John 3:1-2 (ERV)

So the Jewish leaders called the man that had been blind. They told the man to come in again. They said, "You should give God the glory {by telling the truth}. We know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner." The man answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. But I do know this: I was blind, and now I can see." The Jewish leaders asked, "What did he (Jesus) do to you? How did he heal your eyes?" The man answered, "I have already told you that. But you would not listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his followers too?" The Jewish leaders {became angry and} said some very bad things to the man. Then they said, "You are a follower of that man (Jesus). We are followers of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses. But we don't even know where this man (Jesus) comes from!" The man answered, "This is a very strange thing. You don't know where Jesus comes from. But he healed my eyes. We all know that God does not listen to sinners. But God will listen to a person that worships and obeys him. This is the first time that any person ever healed a man that was born blind. This man (Jesus) must be from God. If he were not from God, he could not do anything {like this}." The Jewish leaders answered, "You were born full of sin! Are you trying to teach us?" And the Jewish leaders forced the man to leave.
John 9:24-34 (ERV)

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