John 7:40-53
What really is a challenge in this Scripture text is; who can understand what Scripture says fully, completely and correctly. And I will say no one. It is a unquenchable treasure trove and there is always something to understand from it, even if we think we have understood all it seeks to tell us. This is what the Authorities found themselves in, in this episode. They assumed they fully knew how God speaks through scripture and how God does things in accordance with it in life.
If they had taken the time to look at the fruit of Jesus’ ministry and then do a little digging into his family lineage and where he was born, they would have understood the master stroke of God. But they took scripture for the words mentioned in it, not what those words opened in terms of grace.
I like to mention Simeon and Anna, in such situations. They had a very close relationship with the living God, and God could not hide himself from them, even if he came their way disguised as a baby. And here were grown men, claiming to be the proper representative of God in this world, and God was before them, sharing with them his wisdom, power and understanding. And yet they could not see him, They were blinded by the pride of self-importance.
