Pride’s Self-Condemnation
On the last and great day of the Feast of Tabernacles, as recorded in John 7, Jesus, echoing the invitations of Yahweh in Scripture, calls the thirsty to come to him to drink of the living waters that flow from his belly. He is the eschatological temple prophesied in Ezekiel, with water springing up from its “belly” in the Holy Place and running under the threshold of the door, running to the Dead Sea to bring it back to life (see Ezek 47:1-12). Thirsty souls left under the drought caused by Adam’s sin who long for the promised life of the new creation will find it in Jesus. From Jesus will flow the Spirit-water that gives life to the world (Jn 7:37-39).
The crowds that heard Jesus’ bold invitation that day debated whether or not he was the Prophet who would be like Moses (Dt 18:15-18) or if he was, truly, the Christ, the King of Israel. The rulers of the Jews, consisting of the chief priests (Sadducees) and Pharisees, mocked the uneducated masses. Earlier, they sent Levites, the temple police, to arrest Jesus. However, when they heard what Jesus said, they wouldn’t do it (Jn 7:45-46). What if he were the Messiah? Do they want to be guilty of arresting and putting to death God’s Messiah? The Jewish rulers accuse the Levites of being deceived like the general populace. The crowds don’t know the law and are “accursed” (Jn 7:49); that is, they are condemned by God and are fodder for hellfire (eternal conscious punishment, just to be clear). The crowds are not like the Ph. D.s in theology and biblical interpretation, who know that this man is a deceiver.
The Apostle John highlights irony throughout his Gospel. Here is another instance of it. They accuse the crowd of not knowing the law because they believe that Jesus is the Prophet or the Christ. However, earlier, Jesus told the Jews that they search the Scriptures that testify of him (Jn 5:39). Moses, the lawgiver in whom they trusted, wrote about him (Jn 5:46). They are the ones who don’t know the law. Consequently, because they don’t acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, they are the ones who are accursed. Their pride blinded them. They condemned others for the very things they themselves were.
That is what pride will do to you. It blinds you to your condition while you condemn others. Pride is always self-justifying, unwilling to receive instruction. Pride compares itself to others but not to the standard. Pride condemns people for being selfish because they don’t do what you want them to do. Pride becomes righteously indignant when someone talks about you, while you have no problem talking inappropriately about others. Pride condemns others for self-justifying while never humbly receiving correction. Pride demands that others conform to your expectations, while you may do what you wish.
Be careful of the pride that condemns others for the things for which you are guilty.
The post Pride’s Self-Condemnation appeared first on Kuyperian Commentary.