People wanted to kill Jesus. Given that Jesus was the incarnation of God, this says more about people than it does about Jesus. It says something of the hostility in the human psyche toward any interference to our autonomy. Jesus questions them on their hostility pointing out that he was only speaking the words of God, and that they could easily verify this by doing what he said. But they were not open to reason. There is nothing rational about the human heart in rebellion against God, no matter how rational we might think we are. The Jewish leaders were caught up on the fact that Jesus had healed a man and told him to carry his mat on the Sabbath. The fact that he was doing great signs and wonders did not take away from their desire to convict him. It is amazing what excuses we will find to reject someone who makes us feel uncomfortable. If this was the case with the perfect Son of God how much more will it be so with his imperfect servants. God wants to use people to speak into your life and lead you to new places. God will always undermine our false securities and we will always react negatively to this at first. Moreover, he will do this through people, because that is how God works. So, when you find yourself looking for any excuse to reject someone who makes you feel uncomfortable, think again, because this person, however imperfect, may well be an agent of God sent to lead you to greater freedom.
Revisit those moments where you may have rejected God’s blessing because of the vessel he chose and ask God to give you another chance.
Read John 7:1-24
