Reduced to Ad Hominems - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 9:34,

"To this they [the Pharisees] replied, 'You [a blind man healed by Jesus] were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!' And they threw him out.

Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were obligated to investigate the matter when it was brought to them. They found themselves backed into a corner because the miracle proved that Jesus had come from God. This didn't comport with their rejection of the idea that Jesus had been sent from God.

What did the Pharisees do? Just like so many leaders do when confronted about their poor decisions, they spewed ad hominems at the man when he claimed Jesus could not have healed his blindness unless he was from God.

Reduced to ad hominems! "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us?" Implied there is that the Pharisees were not steeped in sin. And, yet, here they are, eyeballs-deep in the worst sin of all: rejecting the Son of God!

I find the miracle of healing a man born blind to be very apt for the point Jesus was making. The Jewish leaders were blind themselves. Blind to the truth of Jesus Christ.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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