Praying That Others Might Understand

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Reading: John 8:42-47

Reflection: In this passage Jesus seems to confirm something that we have already learned in our study about the Holy Spirit. That lesson is that it is the Sacred Wind...the Spirit of God...that gives a person the ability to both understand and embrace the word of God as truth. In fact, those without the Spirit view the word of God to be either folly, or completely beyond comprehension. The reason for this is that the Bible is spiritually discerned and not understood by those who are not filled with the Spirit. Jesus affirms this when he says that these people who reject His teaching are children of the devil. Without the Spirit, therefore, Jesus language is unclear to them and they "are unable to hear what He says."

Now, there are several conclusion that we can draw from this truth. First, I am not as smart as I might think. When I understand a new truth, or gain a new insight, from God's word it is not a sign of my intelligence. The new insight is given to me by the Spirit, and He is the one who has given that insight to me. It is important, then, for me to rely on the Spirit and not trust my clever abilities. Second, those who do not understand the bible are not dumb or lacking mental abilities. They are rather blinded by the devil and the spirit of this age. They can't understand the truth until the Spirit illuminates their mind. So, rather than viewing them as mentally challenged, I need to see that they are just like me except without the Spirit. I should have compassion for them and pray that God's Spirit will give them insight and that they will submit to Christ so that His Spirit can enter them and teach them. My call is to be prayerful, not judgmental.