[Anglican Devotional 31 August 2021] Topic: A Blind Candle Bearer
TOPIC: A Blind Candle Bearer
READ: John 7:21-31(NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel.
“Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.
“If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill?
“But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?
“However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”
Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.
“But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”
Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this [Man] has done?”
THE MESSAGE:
Here, in this passage, there are two sets of people confronting Jesus’ authority. The religious leaders brought the issue of the Sabbath (verses 19-24) while the common people argued the Messiahship of Jesus Christ (verses 25-31). It is very sad to say that these people had the laws but were blindfolded by the same laws. They misinterpreted the use of the Sabbath. The Jews should have known that ‘ The Sabbath is made for man; and not man for the Sabbath ‘ (Mark. 2:27). It is Sabbath because Sabbath referred to ‘rest from labours.’ The religious leaders knew this, however, they failed to understand Jesus’ teaching because of their envy of Him. Their judgment, therefore, was inaccurate, inconsistent and hypocritical. Hence, they became ‘blind candle bearers. ‘It is true that they carried the light (the law) but it couldn’t lighten their own darkness.
As Christians in this generation, we should be careful how we present the Christian faith to people, especially unbelievers. We should not become stumbling blocks to the salvation of others through our own vices. A good thing to note in this passage is that even when the leaders became blind, some of the common people took their stand. They professed that. ” When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these that this man has done ?” (verse 31). Therefore, they believed Jesus. We should learn how to stand for the truth in the midst of errors.
Food For Thought: A life outside Christ is in darkness and cannot see the good work of salvation.
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