Key Thought

Jesus looks through the duplicity of his accusers and sees the bare, naked ugliness of their warped religion. He knew they were after him, not because they supported the truth, but because they twisted the truth to fit their own prejudicial and traditional conclusions. The heart of the Law Moses passed on to them from God was not their plumb line; instead, they made Moses fit their understanding. In the process, the heart of God got lost in all the religious practice. Isn't it interesting that we can so clearly see this problem in them and miss it in ourselves! Isn't it convicting that we can see this happening to other groups or to other people, but miss it when it is happening in our own hearts. Our own traditions, behaviors, and practices can literally blind us to God's truth. So before we get ready to pass judgment on others, let's take a moment, and humbly ask our God for wisdom and clarity as we seek his will.

Today's Prayer

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Father, I come to you acknowledging that my insight is shallow and my wisdom is very limited. I do want to stand for your truth. I don't want to see your will watered down by fuzzy, conviction-less discipleship. At the same time, Father, I don't want to find everyone else's faults while justifying my own. Please give me wisdom so that I can live my life for you truthfully with integrity, compassion and honor. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.