By Ken Fletcher
“We learn from the New Testament that the arrogance of the Pharisees blinded them to the truth of who Jesus was. They saw the miracles of God. They saw how the people loved Him. They feared the loss of their lofty place in their society. They feared the loss of the control over the people because of Jesus. The pride of their heart blinded them (most of them, not all) from the truth.
Did you ever wonder why they did not carefully investigate where Jesus was actually born? They assumed. They knew from the prophets that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. But, they assumed and believed that Jesus was born in Nazareth.–Where He grew up, but he was not born there.
He was born in the City of David (Bethlehem) according to the scriptures. The interesting thing here is that Jesus knew they falsely believed about the town He was born–which in their minds cancelled Jesus out of being the Messiah because they believed He was born in Nazareth. They believed this was a major disqualifier that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Jesus just let them go ahead and believe incorrectly about it. I thought that is amazing. He never backed down–and He knew they did not have all the facts. He did not say, wait a minute now, Pharisees and rulers, I WAS born in Bethlehem! No! He did not correct them on that in order to fit in with their narrative. Nope! He did not stoop to correct their error to try and be accepted by them!
And, so, they were operating and making decisions based upon false information. Their hearts were not right before God. He knew their hearts.–What they were all about. And let them believe what they wanted to believe! Jesus is the same today. If we do not have a correctable and teachable heart, God will let us believe what we want! The pride of our heart will deceive us and we will follow after false incomplete information! God will let us!
Why? Because our sovereign will is involved. And, we’re gonna have it our way! And, God looks on at fools thinking they are smarter and wiser than He is. Of course, the enemy is busy deceiving people who’s hearts are not right before God.
What should we do? Humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God! Realize that you and I do not know ANYTHING as we ought to know it! We are such babies in understanding! Do we think we know what we’re doing? We know nothing as we ought to know it. Nothing!
That is why we who are in Christ are learning to keep ourselves humble before God. We must resist pride and arrogance. It only brings blindness of perception to us. That’s why pride goes before the fall! Because pride blinds us about ourselves and true reality in Jesus! Our faith in what Jesus directs us to do is our wisdom and understanding about the future.
We follow His words by faith. Because, we are running blind without them. We know nothing as we ought to know it. We only see the partial of the total. Jesus sees the total of our lives beginning through the end–and He knows the best way for us to go! Jesus is only after our best! Father God is only after our best! The Holy Spirit is only after our best!
If we will humble ourselves and listen to them inside, and follow their leading and directions, we will experience God’s best! I know that to be true! Why would anyone want to go their own way and not God’s way? It’s only because they don’t believe that Father God wants to lead them into His best. Which is far better than our own way!”
Watch for Part 2 of, “Pride Blinds” dropping tomorrow. KF KenFletcher.org
