John 7:45-52
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.” [1]
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What is striking in this passage is the dismissive tone of the Pharisees. Jesus cannot be a prophet because He has been rejected by the educated elite, who know the law. Furthermore, he comes from a backwater town in the backwards region of Galilee. The Pharisees seem to be saying that God would surely be making use of the more important people and places in fulfilling His plans.
But this is exactly how God does not work. Throughout the Old Testament, God showed a marked preference for choosing the least impressive, the underdog and the unlikely. Moses the fugitive. Rahab the prostitute. David the Shepherd. And of course Israel itself, a small unimpressive family through whom God promised to bless all creation. This continues into Jesus’ life, where God chooses Mary to be the mother of the Savior, an unknown unmarried girl from Galilee.
God seems intent on pointing out that it makes no difference who you are or how important you or the world thinks that You are. What matters is God’s choice and God’s presence and God’s strength in your life. This was true for David and for Mary, and it is true for us as well.
Lord, help me keep in mind that it matters not how important I think myself or how important the world thinks I am. Keep me focused on the truth that my value is found in Your love for me, and Your commitment to be at work in and through me.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Jn 7:45–52). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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