I see in this passage many examples of the fact that we don't always have things figured out the way we think we do. If we seek the truth in our own knowledge and power, if we do not humble ourselves and earnestly ask God to reveal his truth to us, then all we have is human wisdom and, likely, human error. There were some in the crowd who had it all figured out. Jesus could not be the Christ because they knew where he was from - he did not just mysteriously appear. Ironically, they did not know where he was from (he was sent from the Father, his birth itself was a miracle). But they had it figured out, so they tried to seize him (v30) and the Pharisees had it figured out so they tried to arrest him to prevent people from believing in him (v32). And they had it figured out that the Messiah could not be from Galilee, so they wanted to seize him (v44). In verse 48, there is a human litmus test: if the learned Pharisees don't believe, then neither should anyone else.
Paul was a Pharisee, and he has some things to say about this topic in first Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 1:18: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:21: For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:25
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
1 Corinthians 2:14
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"
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When I read verses 40,41 I could not help but think of the seed falling on the soil (Mark 4:1-9)
ReplyDelete(v40) Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, "This certainly is the Prophet." (seed on rocky soil)
(v41) Others were saying, "This is the Christ." (good soil) Still others were saying, " Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He? (seed among thorns)
v46 While I think people can be led away by dynamic/charasmatic speakers, I like how the people recognize Jesus' authority through His spoken word. "...Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks." Like the ads of old.... when Jesus speaks we should listen.