Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” ... He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. ... They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? ... They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. -John 8:19,23,25,27 NRSV
I liken this exchange to one that I would have with a rocket scientist. I might understand (most of) the words that they are speaking to me but everything I hear is like a foreign language because I am unfamiliar with the scientific concepts. So it is with Jesus and his listeners. They understood the words that he spoke but not the concepts.
Yet unlike my problem understanding rocket science the Jews obstacle was one of the heart and not the head. Their hearts were inclined to the Law and not the Lawgiver. They had a zeal but not for God - a fundamental mistake that many make even today. It is why we must filter everything in scripture through the life, teachings and ministry of Christ.
Teach me Lord to read the scriptures with your eyes and your heart.
... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on the Gospel of John.
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