Day 50: Nicky D

John 7:45-52

New International Version (NIV)

Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

 ⁴⁵ Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” ⁴⁶ “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
 ⁴⁷ “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. ⁴⁸“Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? ⁴⁹ No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
 ⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ⁵¹ “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
 ⁵² They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

Short and sweet tonight. This passage is almost self-explanatory. The Pharisees had such trust in the law... at the expense of everything else. They had no faith, or foresight, or wisdom, or compassion or mercy. And while the law was good, law without love, truth without spirit, will only make us as smug, arrogant, and foolish as the Pharisees were.

On the other hand, Nicodemus (or, as my preacher called him just this morning, Nicky D!). He questioned. He sought Jesus out. He had a spirit of humility. And here, we see him thinking and listening, while all the other Pharisees are blinded to the truth. We all could stand a little bit more Nicodemus in our lives.

He heard Jesus. And we should too.